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PARADIGM EXITS TURNAROUND STATUS, STATE SCHOOL BOARD LEARNS FROM EXPERIENCE

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By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

hen American International School of Utah, a Murraybased charter school, abruptly closed its doors in 2019, parent Megan Powell scrambled to find new schools for her children that were small in size and would offer unique opportunities. At Paradigm, she found a new home for two of her kids. “I loved the small class sizes,” Powell said. “I like that it has an arts program that my children would enjoy. I like that the school believes in families, and I like the conservative values and love of country.” However, what she didn’t know was that Paradigm School was on a turnaround status. “[That was] probably good that I didn’t know, because we would not have enrolled them in another school that could potentially close again,” she said. Paradigm went on turnaround status in 2017. The School Turnaround and Leadership Development Act, passed by the Utah Legislature in 2015, is a state initiative that identifies low-performing schools as being in the bottom three percent of schools statewide for two consecutive years. Those schools are provided outside resources and have three years to show improved academic achievement to exit out of the turnaround status. Continued page 7

Paradigm School successfully exited turnaround status this past June, with the support of students and families who have stood behind the charter school. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

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August 2021 | Page 3

Aspen Elementary staff welcome community to see new school, enroll students By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

lot of doorbell cameras likely have recordings of Aspen Elementary Principal Suzie Williams and administrative assistant Tina Dickinson. That’s because this summer, the two went house-to-house to introduce themselves on behalf of the school that is expected to open for students on Aug. 17. “We introduced ourselves, told them we work at the school, invited them to come over and see it when we open and told them how to register if they have elementary-age children,” Williams said. “The people are so kind and gracious. It’s just a nice community and we were welcomed as neighbors here being at the school.” School registration now is open at aspen.jordandistrict.org or after Aug. 1, in-person registration is available at the school, 11189 South Willow Walk Dr.

Aspen Elementary custodian Nick Christensen checks out the multi-purpose room as crews plan to finish it in time for the start of school this fall. (Suzie Williams/Eastlake Elementary)

ournals

As of July 1, 397 students have enrolled in the school that will serve preschool through sixth grade. The design by VCBO Architecture can house 850 students. Williams said projections are for the school to open this fall with about 520 students. Most have transferred from Bastian Elementary or live in the fast-growing Daybreak community. In early July, phone and internet service was expected to be complete, with furniture delivered in late month. The last part of the “major” construction is the multi-purpose room floor so “it won’t get damaged from all the traffic and work being done,” she said, adding that even during delays in construction and materials during COVID-19, the school has remained on schedule and on budget. Other items already are in the Jordan School District warehouse, ready for the expected move-in. “The Chromebooks were the first thing I ordered to make sure they’d be here,” Williams said, adding that the school will have a 1:1 student to device ratio. Aspen Elementary is designed to meet the new look of educational learning, with two collaborative learning spaces, a holistic wellness room and an opportunity to be creative in a STEM room. “We teach social-emotional wellness called Second Step, which the district got a grant for, but at the same time, some kids are dealing with home issues or trauma, or they’re stressed out from this past COVID year, so they need a break so they can destress, focus and recharge,” Williams said about the room in the interior of the school that will have comfortable chairs, soft music and lighting, and calming activities. Another interior room near the media center which has a huge No. 2 pencil as its focal point, is the STEM room. Schools

Administrative assistant Tina Dickinson is ready to welcome students to their new school, Aspen Elementary. (Suzie Williams/Eastlake Elementary)

once had computer rooms, but Williams said that has been shifted to the classrooms; instead, this maker space will feature “partner or small group learning where they can be creative” in their learning. They also will be able to use items such as Spheros or Ozobots that are checked out from the school district, she said. Students and families can walk through the $18.5 million school built by Hughes General Contractor at a back-to-school night on a yet-to-be announced date, soon before classes begin, Williams said. When they wander through, they can see 33 high-tech classrooms in three brightly painted wings. Preschool through first grade, located near the security entrance and office, have a commanding view of Kennecott Copper Mine and the Oquirrh mountains from their exterior classrooms. The upper-level grades’ classrooms have a view of the Salt Lake Valley and Wasatch Mountains range. “We’ll decide the school colors, song

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and mascot with the students after school starts,” Williams said, adding that the official ribbon-cutting also will be about that time as well. Throughout the interior classrooms and hallways light pours in from skylights; windows allow natural lighting in exterior classrooms and in the multi-purpose room that will be used as the lunchroom and has a stage for assemblies and performances. “I love the natural lighting; it makes it so nice,” Williams said. “The view across the playground of the valley and the one to the west with the copper mine and Oquirrhs, it’s just so beautiful,” While most of the teachers and staff have been hired, Williams did say a few positions remain open for the school year and are posted on the school website. “I’ve been so blessed,” she said. “We really do have good people here for our students. I’m excited to open.” l

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FONUA SOUTH JORDAN MAYOR My goal for South Jordan is to continue to encourage new business while maintaining Utah family values, improve infrastructure growth, fund projects with innovational methods and ideas, support music and arts programs, boost education and policing reform & promote safety in our schools.

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CANYON CONGESTION – CAN WE SOLVE IT? Utah’s growth and popularity as a year-round recreation destination are

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having profound impacts in our canyons. This is especially evident in Little Cottonwood Canyon, where traffic often snarls the highway and backs up into neighborhoods. After decades of discussions, UDOT is nearing the end of a study to address these transportation issues and has identified two preferred options: widen the road to accommodate more diesel bus service and add a half-mile of snow shed tunnels or install a high-capacity gondola system.

SUSTAINABILITY A gondola is the only sustainable option that provides a carbon-neutral system

SAFETY

without impacting water quality and wildlife habitat. Building a four-lane highway,

A gondola system would open up reliable secondary access for the

pavement and disrupt existing climbing access. Building a gondola would take

and the hillside stabilization required to do so, will add hundreds of feet of

canyon during emergencies and road closures. This is critical for a canyon

that’s home to the most avalanche-prone highway in North America. Cars and buses not equipped to travel the steep canyon often bring traffic to a standstill, and avalanche cleanup can leave visitors stranded. A gondola would rise above the road, withstanding wind and snow to move people safely and efficiently from the base station to the top of the canyon in 37 minutes.

1,400 cars off the road per hour, decreasing daily emissions by 56%.

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SOLUTIONS While road expansion and a gondola would cost about the same, the gondola costs less to operate and maintain and lasts three times longer than a bus. The gondola base station proposed at La Caille provides 1,800 parking stalls with tie ins to regional bus service. A gondola preserves Little Cottonwood Canyon for future generations because it solves the congestion that exists now and offers a way to control access in the future. During peak hours a 30-passenger cabin could arrive every 30 seconds and, in coordination with in-canyon vehicle tolling, can also be used to limit the number of daily visitors.

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August 2021 | Page 5

County softball is back By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com

he Salt Lake County Sports office has hosted its first softball tournaments in nearly 15 months. “It is like the sun is shining again,” Salt Lake County Parks Program Manager Josh Olmstead said. “These players, families and fans are so excited to be back out here.” The Valley Complex and Larry H Miller Cottonwood softball complexes held the Firecracker girls accelerated tournament July 15–17. A total of 53 teams competed in five age groups. “This is a great revenue generator for the county,” Olmstead said. “It brings teams from many different states here to compete.” Teams from Montana, Washington, Idaho and California participated in the tournament. Winners in the five age groups were the Grantsville Shock, Utah Bullets, Utah Crush, Force and Bad to the Bone. These teams will play 50–75 games a year including these tournaments. Girls accelerated softball is played by over four million athletes across the country. Teams in Utah play in several leagues and tournaments almost every weekend. The USSSA is considered the largest sanctioning body in the United States. To compete at the national championship, a team must earn a spot in a qualifier tournament. A girls fastpitch team may com-

AT River Oaks Golf Course

The Utah Bullets won the 12 and under division of the Firecracker tournament held in July. (Greg James/City Journals)

pete in several tournaments to prepare for the opportunity to qualify. The county also hosted the USSSA

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softball state finals and will hold the Copper Classic in September. “Teams like to come here,” Olmstead said. “Our fields are nice to play on and the county has lots of opportunities for the teams to vacation.” The Larry H. Miller Cottonwood Complex has finished its recent renovation. The fans seating area is now covered with a system to keep cool. All the dugouts are covered and there is a picnic area at the top of the seating complex. “It is state-of-the-art now,” Olmstead said. “Everyone needs to go and check it out.” The Larry H. Miller charities donated $5 million to rebuild both the Cottonwood Complex and Valley Region Softball Complex in Taylorsville. The Cottonwood facil-

ity opened this season and construction at Valley will begin later this fall. “Larry was passionate about softball, and this complex will forever be a part of our family’s legacy,” Gail Miller said at the press conference announcing the donation in 2019. Salt Lake County also began its men’s, women’s and coed softball leagues this month. Its 15-month postponement has players itching to get back on the field. “I think it is even more popular,” Olmstead said. “People are ready to get out and play again. I came out to Taylorsville Days, and there were people everywhere, and I could feel this sigh of relief that it was time to get outside and be with our friends again.” l

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Family and friends are back at softball fields across the county cheering for youth and adults playing games for the first time in over 15 months. (Greg James/ City Journals)

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Continued from front page

Powell was “concerned but felt it was going to be OK” because school director Fernando Seminario “had said that they had met the goals to get off turnaround status; they had increased kids participating in the state testing, which apparently had been a big problem at the school.” Instead of exiting, last year, the turnaround status was extended another year. Even so, Powell’s children, Nian and Grace, remained at the charter school. Nian has an individualized educational plan, and Powell has found that with charter schools, he has had help without needing to fight for services. “In just the couple of weeks that the kids had gone to classes, I had already seen a big change in Nian,” she said. “Paradigm has been a great fit for my soonto-be 10th grader, Nian. He has always struggled to make friends and find a voice in his classes. In fact, he never spoke in school. He has made a small group of friends. He loves the small classes that make it easier to speak up. His mentors care about him and encourage him.” Powell said that NIan talks about what he learns in class “and he never used to do that. I consider Paradigm to be a miracle in Nian’s life and a major contributor to helping Nian to be his best self and become a valuable member of our community.” Grace, too, likes Paradigm. “When I was looking for a new school for them in case Paradigm would be shut down, and we actually got accepted into a new school, she said that the only way she wanted to leave Paradigm was if there was no other choice,” Powell said. However, this past June, Paradigm had met the criteria and was removed successfully from the turnaround status. “They usually just go off the state accountability data,” Seminario said about the first attempt to be off of turnaround status. “They have a pie chart, and we have to hit all those metrics; that’s what got us in. So, if we improve in those areas, that’s what would get us out. When we were compared to the other, five or six schools, we had moved the farthest away from all the schools, so we thought we are really secure. We had surpassed the expectations. But when COVID hit, that’s when they created a different criteria to exit and it was not the criteria that we had been working on those previous three years. We didn’t have the data they wanted to see; we now looked like we weren’t prepared to exit. It was really frustrating.” Since there was no statewide assessment, the State School Board established a review board in April to evaluate schools’ data and make recommendations whether each school has demonstrated sufficient improvement to exit school turnaround status. Schools seeking to exit turnaround status presented responses to the Board’s guiding questions: - Did the school achieve above the lowest 3% threshold using the 2018–2019

S outh JordanJ ournal.com

school accountability data/measures? - Can the school provide evidence of substantial progress and growth in addition to the data in the accountability system? - Does the school have qualitative and/or quantitative data from the implementation of its School Turnaround Plan that also demonstrates substantial improvement? According to documents prepared by a review panel for the state school board, Paradigm lacked showing consistent growth in its math and science scores. Seminario said that although Paradigm had jumped from the bottom 3% percent to 30% from the bottom. “They didn’t have confidence in our ability to stay out; we didn’t show enough growth,” he said. “We showed them that we had higher ACT scores and a higher graduation rate than the other two high schools that they did let out.” He also pointed out that 65% of Paradigm students have consistently opted out of standardized testing, and some students jump to college before graduation, which shows significantly a lower graduate rate when there are only about 75 in the commencement class, and that makes it hard to be measured on a standardized evaluation. “Charter schools are created to be different, and each one is different,” Seminario said. “Then, we’re still measured on the standardized process and that always creates conflict.” Powell said she had read the reports and attended school information meetings and “felt the school had been wronged. They had met the goals that they were supposed to meet, and now they’re being told that they weren’t testing enough, which was not part of the original complaint about the school.” So, with the denial, Paradigm appealed the decision but found there was no appeal process. An appeals process was created and “what they determined was they would allow us to meet with what they called the audit committee.” Through that process, Paradigm received specific goals how to exit because “we never in all the years were given our exit targets, so we were shooting toward something that didn’t exist,” Seminario said. On their second exit attempt, Seminario said specific feedback was shared with Paradigm on what was needed, and the auditors went through their presentation page by page, suggesting improvements. “One good thing that came out of that audit hearing meeting was that a lot of people were made aware of that,” he said. “We felt the second time around, we were really helped and guided in the development of our exit presentation, and I think that made all the difference.” Seminario specifically acknowledged that support at the state board of education meeting. “The second time, we had a better experience,” he said. “We had a lot of sup-

port. We have had just a great opportunity extended to us through turnaround to really face our challenges and find solutions for them that do fit with our unique mission. I feel that we have strengthen ourselves and have improved in all the areas that have been identified.” Board member Molly Hart said she appreciated how Paradigm was able to keep its uniqueness of its charter school but yet is able to be transparent with its data. “What they have is remarkable, and this data, certainly paints a more complete picture,” she said. “I’m just really excited for what they’re forward-facing with to their constituents and to their potential students in the community.” She said she hopes that Utah State Board of Education reflects on the experience to “make betterments” in the turnaround program. Much of what changed at Paradigm were ways to evaluate students and set up specific processes, Seminario said. For example, Paradigm now has students meeting together for morning announcements and the school pledge, then break into smaller groups. In these groups, students will work on individualized college and career plans during Kedge time, a term referring a small anchor; that will help them reflect on the importance of learning, he said. This specific time also will be when they do schoolwide activities or service projects instead of taking time from their seminar classes. Another example is that instructors or mentors also will meet with each other and review students’ learning as well as their career goals, which was done previously, but not in a formal manner, he said. “We’re going to keep a lot of it, especially the systems and structures, because they were really needed and now, we have them and can move on. I feel like I’m in a position as a leader now to really focus a lot more on building and creating new things, not just fixing problems, but really being creative and being innovative and coming up with different ideas that could be helpful to our school community,” he said. “Our parents have been acutely supportive. We’ve had a high retention rate. Our approval rating on our annual parent survey is always about 95 percent and these improvements have made us a better school.” It’s not only parents, but students like Nian and Grace, who appreciate the opportunities they have at Paradigm. Nian was in concert band this past year; Grace enjoyed her classes in Victorian experience and creative writing she and is looking forward to being on the yearbook staff. Grace also was amazed at how much money students could come together to fundraise to donate to good cause. This year, students donated to Operation Underground Railroad. They both like the small classes and individualized instruction. “The best thing about Paradigm is the mentors; they get to know us and care about us,” Nian said. l

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August 2021 | Page 7

School district leaders hope summer sessions slowed academic relapse By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

his summer, students across the Salt Lake Valley may not have experienced the summer slide as much as previous years. Summer slide is a term used to describe academic regression many students experience over the summer months, and nationwide, teachers and school districts are trying to make a point of helping students review, gain access to resources and learn individually or in smaller settings this summer through summer school options. Locally, many school districts invited students who may have fallen behind during the COVID-19 pandemic to summer session so they could review their previous instruction or enhance their learning through additional practice. In Murray, several hundred students of all grade levels were identified and took part in the four-week session. “We identified the kids we needed to reach most and worked with their parents to see if we could get them to come and get caught up,” said Doug Perry, Murray School District spokesman. “We feel really good about it and made some excellent progress with many students. It was not without challenge and there are still going to be some students who need support and resources, particularly those that did not take advantage of

the opportunity. But we feel we are in better shape with many of them than we were at the end of the school year.” This was the first summer school session in the district after a number of years. Students attended a school per level—elementary, junior high or high school—where they typically spent three to four hours five days per week and received some individualized instruction. Meals and snacks were served, and incentives were given to “keep them engaged,” he said. In Jordan School District, spokeswoman Sandra Riesgraf said that students of every level were able to get help at their regular schools as the district used CARES Act funding to support teacher salaries. There were two voluntary summer sessions and meals were provided. “Some type of summer school was offered at every school in the district, both elementary and secondary,” she said, saying it was a change from just holding it at Valley High School. In the elementary level, students who needed extra help mostly with math and literacy were invited to participate from 9 a.m. to noon. In the middle school, students who needed extra help in a subject area as well as ninth-grade credit recovery attended the

same time period. High schools offered credit recovery all day. While the total number of students who participated wasn’t available for press deadline, Riesgraf identified 1,908 secondary students who registered in the first summer session. “Our elementary teachers and principals I’ve talked to were pleasantly surprised by the number of kids that showed up for summer school, so it’s been a positive outcome,” she said. Canyons School District also offered its Summer Boost program, targeted to about 1,500 elementary and middle school students who needed the extra help or a bump up in their education. They also received free meals and other social services. “The biggest thing is that I hope our students can catch up and master their unfinished learning,” said Alta View Elementary School Principal Scott Jameson who had about 20 of his students attend morning lessons at nearby Altara Elementary. “They focused on their literacy and math. On the last day, I told them ‘nice job’ as they came off the bus and even walked partway home with a couple of them.” The program was housed in five schools throughout the district four mornings per

Students have fun learning and reviewing concepts while attending summer school in Murray School District. (Photo courtesy of Murray School District)

Page 8 | August 2021

week for three weeks. Natalie Gleave was a Summer Boost administrator at Crescent Elementary, which served about 300 students from 10 different elementary schools. “Our teachers and staff tried to make this a fun experience for students,” she said. “Students were all there voluntarily and we tried to make it feel like a summer camp of learning. There were a lot of hands-on activities to enrich and strengthen students’ skills.” Gleave said each morning they held a meeting where students had the opportunity to get to know one another. “These meetings always had a life skills component tied into them to boost student’s social skills. Bringing kids together from 10 different elementary schools around the valley provided many opportunities to make new connections,” she said. Within Crescent’s camp, they also hosted a newcomer academy, which had two classes of kindergarten through fifth-grade students who are new to the United States. One of the classes served eight students who spoke five different languages, she said. “The best part of the Summer Boost program was the kids. It was amazing after only three weeks how connected we felt to each other; I saw new friendships grow and develop between kids of all different backgrounds and circumstances,” Gleave said. “I know the parents of these students were grateful for the opportunity to send their children to Summer Boost. I had several parents stop me before and after school to express their appreciation for the busing, meals and instruction that was provided to them at no cost.” In addition, high schools offered other programs, such as credit recovery and also the regular AVID Summer Bridge program at Jordan High and Husky Strong program were offered to incoming freshmen. Jordan High also sponsored a six-week Code to Success coding camp as well as reading and math interventions. Jameson said his school had its second summer reading program where students could check out books and read in the library. They also partnered with Salt Lake County libraries so a librarian came in to hold storytime and do crafts with the students that tied into literacy. Another component of Alta View’s program was a PTA and School Community Council volunteer taught parents DYAD reading, or a side-by-side reading strategy, and they were able to practice it alongside their children. “It really is a good program and a good group of teachers, librarians, parents and volunteers all involved to help our students with their reading and literacy,” he said. l

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Little Free Libraries provide different personal connections to a community By Karmel Harper | k.harper@mycityjournal.com

ndrew Carnegie said, “A library outranks any other thing a community can do to benefit its people. It is a never failing spring in the desert.” Carnegie’s belief that a free library gives people the chance to educate and lift themselves regardless of wealth and status is exhibited in his accomplishment funding and building 2,508 public libraries in his lifetime. Inspired by the 20th century titan of industry, Todd Bol and Rick Brooks of Wisconsin set a similar goal to build libraries. In 2009, Bol built a model of a one room schoolhouse as a tribute to his mother who was a teacher who loved to read. He filled it with books and installed it on a post in his front yard where neighbors and friends could “take a book and leave a book.” It was such a success that Bol built several more and gave them away. In 2010, Brooks and Bol established the name “Little Free Library” and the first official Little Free Library was installed on a bike path in Madison, Wisconsin that summer. Within a few months, thousands of people had seen the library and Brooks and Bol continued to give away Little Free Libraries that included wooden signs engraved with official charter numbers. By the end of 2012, the same year Little Free Library became a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the pair surpassed Carnegie’s library count of 2,508 as they established over 4,000 libraries Lindsey Lyman of South Jordan is celebrating the 5-year anniversary of her Little Free Library. Lyman installed her library as a birthday gift to herself, needing something positive to focus on while undergoing fertility treatments. Shortly after Lyman erected the structure, the doorbell rang and there were overflowing bags of brand new books ranging in different age groups and genres. It also included a gift card worth several hundred dollars for the purchase of more books. Lyman said, “I cried big happy tears as I knew that our journey with our library was going to be a positive one.” To this day, the benefactor is anonymous. Five years and two adopted children later, Lyman has met so many wonderful people in her community as well as discovered awesome new books from visiting other neighborhood Little Free Libraries every Friday with her kids. Lyman also does regular reading programs and challenges for her library guests and is celebrating their milestone anniversary with newly designed bookmarks, stickers, popsicles and prizes.

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Visit Lindsey Lyman’s Little Free Library located at 10846 South Tahoe Way in South Jordan. (Photo courtesy of Lindsey Lyman.)

The success of the Little Free Library program runs on an honor system embracing the “take a book, leave a book” mindset. People are welcome to take as many books as they please and they can either return them or keep them forever as long as they replace the books they take. This mentality not only fosters a constant turnover in titles by providing book diversity but also promotes neighborhood connection via the shared experience of reading the books together. The Little Free Library program offers exposure to local authors and gives them the opportunity to share their work with the local community. Michelle Edge recently moved to South Jordan from Georgia and has published four children’s books which she has written and illustrated herself including a series entitled, “The Adventures of Sissy Dog” which are rhyming books. Based on the true stories and imaginative adventures from her childhood, her books are available for sale on Amazon and in Target and Walmart. Edge loves to drive around town and donate her books in Little Free Libraries. Edge said, “I’m a big advocate for literacy, especially now that we live in a world where verbal socialization and mingling is on the back burner. I love it when locals walk up to me in public

Utah author Michelle Edge loves to donate her books to Little Free Libraries including this one in Herriman. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Edge.)

and recognize me from a book I put in their community’s box. It’s a way for me to connect with people. I’m a huge advocate for parents spending quality time with their kids, especially since my books are targeted towards children learning how to read.” Edge has donated her books to Little Free Libraries in Daybreak and Herriman. To date there are over 100,000 registered Little Free Libraries in 108 countries worldwide. The Little Free Library website (www.littlefreelibrary.org) includes an interactive map that allows you to input your zip code and locations

near you will pop up. To the traveler, it is a wonderful way to enjoy a book provided by a local resident, perhaps in a country and culture that is new to you. When Mark Brown visits the Daybreak area he rides his bike around the neighborhood to visit the Little Free Libraries to get his reading material for their stay. Brown said, “I love this program and thank those who donate.” If you would like to start a Little Free Library in your neighborhood and get more information on how to build one, visit www.littlefreelibrary.org. l

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August 2021 | Page 11

Miner soccer hits the field early August Photos by Pat McDonald

After a year in which the Miners finished 10-7 and second in region, the Miners return to action Aug. 3 against perennial 5A contender Skyline.

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Bingham will face a slightly different looking region this year. While regular opponents Herriman, Riverton and Copper Hills are still here, Mountain Ridge and West Jordan join the all-westside region. Besides Corner Canyon, Bingham will play Skyline and Bountiful in its nonregion lineup. The 2020 version saw Bingham allow only three goals in region before falling to Corner Canyon in the first round of the playoffs. The Miners get a chance at revenge on Aug. 12 when they play the Chargers.

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August 2021 | Page 13

3 new schools offer virtual learning By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@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.

indergarten teacher Lacy Abouo reluctantly took an online teaching position last year. Now, after an eye-opening and successful school year, she has requested a full-time position to teach virtually. Abouo will be teaching at the new Rocky Peak Virtual Elementary School, which, along with Kelsey Peak Virtual Middle School and Kings Peak High School, comprise Jordan School District’s Virtual Learning Academy. “This online program is going to really blow a lot of people out of the water because it’s going to be incredible,” Abouo said. “The kids learn and grow—it’s truly inspiring.” The virtual schools, opening this fall, offer personalized, flexible learning with both synchronous (live) and asynchronous (recorded) options to meet students’ needs. Rocky Peak Elementary Principal Ross Menlove said the past 18 months of online education have been a learning experience for educators. “We’ve learned that with the right conditions, the right students, and people making the right choices, virtual learning works extremely well,” he said. “Teachers and students can work very well together online and they can build great relationships. We’ve learned that kids are learning and progressing. Kids are doing the work that they would do in a building and being able to do it just as well virtually.” Abouo said with good organization and parent support, she was able to provide a complete kindergarten experience for her virtual students last year, with plenty of fun and hands-on learning as well as social and emotional skill development. “My students who came to class every day, and did the activities with their parents, skyrocketed—almost all of them are above

A Rocky Peak Virtual Elementary School teacher prepares for a Harry Potter-inspired lesson. (Doug Flagler/Jordan School District)

kindergarten level,” she said. Even her virtual students who had poor attendance were ahead of their in-person counterparts during summer school sessions. She said this is because virtual classes can cover more content with less time wasted during transitions, such as waiting for students to gather supplies or to settle into a new task. The virtual academies will rely heavily on technology but not just for the sake of using technology, said Menlove. “Each tool that we use is evaluated, it’s respected, it’s determined if it’s good for kids or not,” he said. “At the end of the day, there are teaching practices that take priority over the technology tool. We focus on learning

and the student impact more than the tool.” Abouo uses virtual activities, tools and games to teach a variety of concepts. “It is such a rich learning environment that they don’t even realize they’re learning,” she said. Abouo likes that with virtual learning, she can personalize assignments and activities catered to each student’s specific needs and abilities. Her favorite part of online teaching is the unique ways she has been able to connect with her students. Through virtual oneon-one “lunch dates,” she learned what was going on in her students’ lives. “Because they had their computer,

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Ross Menlove demonstrates a virtual elementary classroom experience for community leaders on May 7, 2021. (Jet Burnham/City Journals)

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Unsung Heroes In Our Community Happy & Thriving Seniors

Bingham High in phase three of construction By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

nderway this summer has been phase three out of six at Bingham High, which includes the entire (73,000 square feet) upstairs and renovation of the auditorium (13,179 square feet). “The entire upstairs is being remodeled and the auditorium is being redone,” Principal Rodney Shaw said. “It is a huge phase of the remodel for this old they’d walk me around their house,” Abouo said. “So I’d get to meet grandma and she’d tell me her favorite food. Then they’d walk to their kitchen and show me all their favorite foods. So it was like I was a part of their family.” Abouo said private virtual break-out rooms allowed her to support struggling students in ways she couldn’t in an in-person classroom. “I don’t always have the time or the availability in a classroom setting because I have 35 students, all needing my attention,” she said. “But online, you have these little periods where you can pull kids and talk to them individually. It was magical.” Third grade teacher Ami Anderson also taught online last year and applied to teach at Rocky Peak Elementary this year. She loves the flexibility of a virtual classroom which allows her to meet students’ needs individually, whether they are on grade level, gifted, or have special needs. “It gives me the opportunity to help these kids learn the best way they know how to learn, and then to give them that social component that they really need,” Anderson said. Building strong relationships with students and creating a good classroom community are priorities for Anderson. “I’ve taught 25 years and one thing that is consistent every single year is students need to feel connected within the classroom, and they need to feel safe,” she said. “If they do that, then they flourish.” With virtual classes, she uses small group virtual breakout rooms before and

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place.” Jordan School District Director of Facility Services David Rostrom said when school resumes in August, the upstairs will have new hallway skylights; hallway classroom windows that will allow natural light from skylights into classrooms; new vinyl composite tile in the hallway; major upgrades to the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning

and electrical work; new paint and carpet and new audio-visual equipment. The auditorium, which should be completed late fall, will have all new audio-visual equipment; new house and stage lights; new seats and ceiling paint. The project came in with the contractor’s bid at $8.5 million, he said. (Julie Slama/ City Journals) l

Kelsey Meha loves her job. She feels she has a whole building full of loving grandparents that she gets to work with every day. Kelsey is the Wellness Assistant at Sagewood at Daybreak in South Jordan. Sagewood is an independent living, assisted living and memory care facility on a beautiful 6 acre site. She was excited to help seniors be balanced and at their best, no matter their age. “We want our residents to thrive,” she said. “We want them to be happy and stimulated in a way that they are challenged.” The Sagewood staff does this by encouraging the residents to help each other. “When they are focused on others, they really benefit!” One of Kelsey’s most satisfying days happened when one of the residents, who lost her leg after 13 failed surgeries, tried a new therapy encouraged by Kelsey. During her assessment, Kelsey urged her to try the swimming pool for therapy. She was hesitant as she hadn’t been in a pool for 8 years, but decided to trust Kelsey and give it a try. “After lowering me into the pool, Kelsey helped me around for the first little bit, then I went on my own. I felt like a whole different person! I was free, light, and wonderful. I was normal for a short time and it was amazing.” 4760 S. State Street Murray, UT 84107

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Students are engaged and on task in Lacy Abouo’s 2020-21 virtual kindergarten class. (Photo courtesy of Lacy Abouo.)

after class time for informal interactions— chatting and playing games—to allow class members to get to know her and each other. The pandemic-driven online teaching of last year is different from the Jordan Virtual Academy curriculum, which was developed by Jordan District teachers, said district spokesperson Sandy Riesgraf. One aspect that was missing from past virtual formats was in-person, hands-on learning opportunities. Virtual Academy students have the op-

tion to participate in group projects, science labs, art, music, P.E. and other learning activities held twice a week at learning centers housed at Hidden Valley Middle and Majestic Elementary. Like traditional brick and mortar schools, the three virtual schools each have their own identity, principal and staff, community council, PTA and resources, such as a school psychologist. For more information, visit connect.jordandistrict.org. l

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August 2021 | Page 15

A crash course on Salt Lake Valley’s water supply By Justin Adams | justin.a@thecityjournals.com

ater is one of those things that people take for granted. We don’t really talk about it much until it becomes an issue. So now that Utah and the rest of the southwest are experiencing historic levels of drought, some Salt Lake valley residents might be realizing how little they know about the topic. So here’s a crash course lesson on the valley’s water supply. Who manages the valley’s water supply? The answer to this question depends on where you live. If you live on the west side of the valley, then most of your water comes from the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District. They collect water from Jordanelle and Deer Creek reservoirs, as well as a collection of reservoirs in the Uinta Mountains. Twenty percent of its water also comes from groundwater, pumped from wells scattered around the valley. The District then sells this water wholesale to cities including Draper, Herriman, Bluffdale, Riverton, South Jordan, South Salt Lake, Taylorsville, Midvale and West Jordan. It also counts among its customers a few intermediary districts such as the Granger Hunter Improvement District, the Kearns Improvement District and the Magna Water Improvement District. While these smaller districts purchase as much as 90% of their water from Jordan Valley, they also supplement that with their own water supply from wells in the

(Justin Adams/City Journals)

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The Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District maintains a Conservation Garden Park in West Jordan, as an example to residents of how yards can be re-landscaped to be more water efficient without sacrificing aesthetics. (Wikimedia)

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The other big player when it comes to providing water to the Salt Lake Valley is the Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake & Sandy. As its name suggests, this district provides water to Salt Lake City and Sandy City, the first and sixth most populous cities in the state. But wait, there’s more! Salt Lake City’s Public Utilities department is responsible for more than just its own residents. They also provide drinking water for Cottonwood Heights, Millcreek, Holladay and parts of South Salt Lake and Murray. More than 60% of all that water comes from the streams of Big and Little Cottonwood Canyon. That water is filtered by facilities owned by either the Metropolitan Water District or SLC. For example, the treatment facility at the mouth of Big Cottonwood is owned by SLC, while the treatment facility for Little Cottonwood is owned by Metropolitan Water District. Additionally, some cities own and operate their own water infrastructure to supplement what they purchase from their respective districts. Sandy City, for example, collects and treats water from the Bell Canyon Reservoir. Many cities also rely on various canals throughout the valley as a source of secondary water. How much does our water cost? It can be quite expensive to collect, treat, transport and deliver water to the over 1 million people who live, work or play in the Salt Lake Valley. The Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District operates on an operations budget of about $79 million per year, while the Metropolitan Water District has a budget of about $48 million. Where does that money come from? The largest revenue source ($48 million) for the Jordan Valley is from its wholesale contracts with its various member agencies. An additional $7 million comes from retail customers, usually homeowners in unincorporated areas that purchase water from the district directly. The second-largest source of revenue for the district is property taxes, which comes in at about $20 million per year. As a special district with taxing authority, water districts are able to levy a property tax on residents within the district boundaries. The property tax rate for the JVWCD is .0004%. The MWDSLS is below .0003%. While residents around the valley have likely seen their rates increase over the years due to inflation, they’re still paying much lower rates than many people around the country, according to Linda Townes, public information manager for Jordan Valley. That’s because Utah’s mountainous landscape allows gravity to move our water for us, rather than paying for pump stations which use a huge amount of costly electricity. Who is running these districts? Between such large budgets and the task of managing a resource as crucial as water, it bodes asking who’s in charge of these districts. Special districts are typically run by a board of trustees. The JVWCD operates under a board of nine members. While the MWDSLS

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Nearby reservoirs like Jordanelle and Deer Creek play a critical role in the Salt Lake Valley’s water supply chain. (Wikimedia)

has a seven-member board. Members of the board aren’t elected. Instead they are appointed by various legislative bodies from within the district’s boundaries. Appointees can be elected officials themselves (such as South Jordan Mayor Dawn Ramsey or Herriman City Councilmember Sherrie Ohrn who serve on the JVWCD board) or they can be city employees or even private residents— whatever the nominating body thinks will best represent their interests. As a governmental body, districts are required to hold regular public meetings. They also publish their budgets and other reports each year to keep residents informed. Are we in danger of running out of water? Between the state’s historic drought and rapid population growth, some residents may wonder if we’re running out of water in the Salt Lake valley. In short, the answer is no, residents of the Salt Lake valley don’t need to worry about rationing water anytime soon. When it comes to growth, Townes said that water consumption hasn’t increased at the same rate as the population, suggesting that the District’s water conservancy efforts and efficiency standards have been effective. “The good thing we’ve seen with growth is that we really expected our water use to skyrocket with the population growth and it hasn’t,” she said. “It’s stayed pretty steady, which means conservation is working. It’s happening. We are seeing a change.” There are also still untapped sources of water which could come into play down the

road. According to Townes, the JVWCD expected to begin developing the Bear River in 2015. However, a combination of other new sources and increased water efficiency made that unnecessary. Now, they may not have to dam the Bear River until 2060. “It’s a pretty cool river and one of the last ones that’s not damned. We don’t want to develop it. It’d be great if we didn’t have to, but it’s our job to make sure there’s enough water for people,” Townes said. The MWDSLS is also in good shape when it comes to water supply. Speaking to the Sandy City Council last month, general manager Mike DeVries said there’s no need to worry. “Despite poor precipitation and snow pack conditions, because of storage and Metro’s various water supplies, we’re in a healthy state when it comes to supply for our member cities. We’re not anticipating any sort of shortages for our metro at this point,” he said. It’s also important to know that most of the state’s water systems are self-contained. For example, the systems that supply water throughout Salt Lake County aren’t connected to systems for other nearby counties. So if there are water shortages in other parts of the state, it wouldn’t be possible for them to dip into the supplies of the Jordan Valley or Metropolitan Districts, even if they were willing to share. How can we conserve more water? Whether from continued growth or continued droughts, water conservation will be increasingly important for residents of the Salt Lake valley. From the water districts themselves, to municipal governments to residents’

households, there’s a lot that can be done. At the district level, the JVWCD has set a good example by relandscaping all of their facilities to be water efficient by replacing turf with vegetation that’s more at home in Utah’s desert climate. The District also provides a number of programs, rebates and incentives for residents to improve their water efficiency. Those can be found at www.utahwatersavers.com. City governments are also getting in on the conservation effort by requiring new developments to meet certain water efficiency standards. Many cities have also taken proactive measures during our current drought. Cottonwood Heights, for example, announced that its popular splash pad at Mountain View Park would remain closed throughout the summer. Herriman City paused a requirement for developers to install landscaping on new projects, allowing them to delay the addition of extra vegetation until after the summer months. Residents, meanwhile, have many options for conserving water. They can do small things like take shorter showers or turn off the faucet while they brush their teeth. They can take advantage of the previously mentioned programs and get a more water-efficient toilet or relandscape their yards. But the most effective and easy thing they can do, according to Townes, is simply water their lawns less. If everyone adjusted to watering their lawns just one less day per week, it would have a huge impact on the region’s water supply outlook. l

August 2021 | Page 17

August Open House will present framework master plan for The Point By Mimi Darley Dutton | m.dutton@mycityjournals.com

he Point will hold an Open House Aug. 12 to announce a framework master plan for the 600 acres of stateowned property that has been touted as a once in a generation project. After hiring internationally renowned firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill last December, much of 2021 was spent developing the plan with multiple public input opportunities. The Point also announced the hiring of Scott Cuthbertson as Director of Operations. “The Open House is an opportunity for us to roll out the framework master plan for the site. We want people to be able to see how their input has been transferred into plans and how the pieces come together,” said Alan Matheson, The Point’s executive director, who said they’ve listened to more than 10,000 people in the process thus far. “People will see a vibrant, future-focused community that tries to improve the quality of life for people in Utah.” According to Matheson, the main components of the framework plan are innovation, future-focused transportation, an emphasis on sustainability, and places for people to gather to enjoy entertainment and open space. Where innovation is concerned,

Page 18 | August 2021

Matheson said public and private sector partnerships will work to solve some of society’s challenges such as air quality, changing climate, advanced energy innovation, biotechnology, life sciences, and potentially cyber security. He anticipates cutting edge research will take place at the site with “incubators and accelerators that help take those ideas to market.” Future-focused transportation plans include transit throughout the site so that people living and working there can have but won’t need more than one vehicle. It will feature Gold Standard Bus Rapid Transit with designated rights of way, signal prioritization (traffic lights change to keep the special buses moving) and raised platforms. “It will be like light rail on rubber tires,” Matheson said. There are also plans for an autonomous circulator to move people throughout the site without a car and the possibility of “air taxis” or people-moving drones. “We’re building a community for coming generations, not just for today, so we have to set our sights on what will be, not just what is,” Matheson said. Approximately 140 acres will be used for an open space and trails system. Features include a central park for public gatherings, a river to range trail con-

necting the Jordan River Parkway to the Wasatch Mountain trails that simultaneously provides habitat for wildlife, and a series of “green connections” for people to use for walking, biking, scooters, and whatever the future might bring. Regarding sustainability, the framework master plan works to reduce emissions and employs practices and designs that lend themselves to low-energy and low-water use. With the housing crunch, the plan is to provide a range of housing for various incomes and backgrounds to create mixed neighborhoods. Housing will include single-family homes, townhomes, condos and apartments. By providing a variety of housing options, they hope that people can both live and work at the site. “We call this a framework plan because it’s not a final plan. It gives direction to our next steps but has built-in flexibility to accommodate changes in the economy, technology and other circumstances,” Matheson said. The current prison inmates will be moved in roughly one year to the new correctional facility. That will be followed by demolition, remediation, site preparation and backbone infrastructure such as major roads, water systems, trails

Scott Cuthbertson, a real estate professional with experience in multibillion dollar projects, has been hired as Director of Operations to lead development efforts for The Point. (Courtesy The Point)

and parks. Matheson anticipates vertical development to begin in 2024 or 2025. “We’ll start seeing some buildings go up. That will be exciting as this public vision becomes reality.” Cuthbertson was chosen as Director of Operations after a national search with more than 130 applicants. He’s spent 15

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years working on major development projects around the world and he founded Sterling Capital Partners headquartered in Salt Lake City. He holds degrees from Brigham Young University, Georgetown University and the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School. The Point’s Aug. 12 Open House will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Fred House Training Academy, 4727 Minuteman Drive in Draper. The public can participate in-person or via The Point’s YouTube channel during scheduled Open House hours. A recording will be posted online following the event. l

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In advance of the August Open House announcing a framework master plan, The Point provided this visual of what the public can expect. (Courtesy The Point)

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Call Today for a FREE Consultation 801.262.8524 August 2021 | Page 19

During pandemic: traditional schools may resume ‘normal’ look, online learning options will continue By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

s area students head back to school, it may look more like a “normal” school year. Understanding that health and safety COVID-19 protocols and guidelines may yet change, “as of right now, things will be closer to normal than not,” said Murray School District spokesman Doug Perry on June 30. “We follow state and local health department guidelines and mandates as they are the health experts. As of right now, schools will be open, no masks will be required,” he said in late June. Murray School District, like its neighboring districts—Canyons, Granite and Jordan districts, will offer in-person and online learning. “We will have two learning options, one in-person and one online for those who don’t feel comfortable or are at risk,” he said. “Our bell schedule will revert back to what it was before the pandemic, so that includes a short day on Wednesdays. We have not heard of any recommendations regarding distancing and are presuming there will be no distancing guideline but that’s not fully determined.” Perry said that some sanitation protocols were good and may well continue, such as frequent handwashing and surface cleaning. While it’s not certain what schools will look like when they start in mid-August, Perry said, “Our decisions impacted by COVID-19 are influenced heavily by expert recommendations from the health department; the State Board of Education would be another important partner, along with our colleagues in the other four Salt Lake County school districts and those in neighboring counties.” Granite School District spokesman Ben Horsley said that with their protocols in place, such as Test to Stay and Play, “we do not anticipate any additional COVID restrictions or mask requirements for this fall at this time.” However, he pointed out that COVID-19 has proven to be “a dynamic event that requires a lot of flexibility and adjustments. We are preparing for every potential scenario.” As of July 6, Granite District will offer in-person “in the same fashion as it was pre-COVID,” five days per week. Families who still have concerns will have a distance learning option at all grade levels. Jordan School District spokeswoman

Page 20 | August 2021

Sandra Riesgraf said that “we are going to be in the classrooms and right now, the plan is to have classrooms back to normal.” However, she added that could change depending on the pandemic and guidelines they receive from the county and state. “Our Board of Education has a very much hands-on (approach). They looked at these situations and our school administration and our cabinet, they came up with the reopening plan when we reopened,” Riesgraf said on July 1, adding if it comes to re-addressing the current health situation, “we will decide what works best in Jordan.” A benefit from virtual learning during COVID-19 in Jordan School District was offering flexible Fridays, where teachers were able to individually meet with students or small groups, in person or virtually, to offer additional instruction, enhanced learning or review. This year, as a result of parent surveys indicating its benefits, Jordan will continue to offer the flexible Friday learning four times: Sept. 10, Nov. 19, Feb. 11, 2022, and April 29, 2022. Another positive outcome, Riesgraf said, was the establishment of offering online learning in their own virtual schools—Rocky Peak Elementary, Kelsey Peak Middle and King Peak High. “Every student in the district has the option to sign up and attend at one of those schools if they want to do online learning this year,” she said. “The elementary and the middle school will offer in-person learning one day a week so they will have the option one day to come in and have in-person learning.” She said that is unique and will give students an opportunity, if they choose, to have more hands-on learning and be able to work in small groups or partners to build community. “I don’t know anybody else in the state is offering that and nobody else in the state is offering K through 12 (online education),” she said, adding that students still are able to participate in extracurricular activities at their boundary school. Canyons School District also will offer in-person learning and online options. Last spring, Canyons students and faculty and staff had the option to wear face coverings its final week of school in the 2020-21 school year and like other districts, it will abide by health and safe-

Will mask reminder signs for students be a sign of the past this fall in schools? (Julie Slama/City Journals)

ty guidelines and continue to monitor the situation, according to district spokeswoman Kirsten Stewart in late June. Alta View Elementary Principal Scott Jameson said through use of technology, some positive aspects have come out of COVID-19. “With virtual learning, we likely won’t have snow days where we have to make up the learning day during the holiday breaks,” he said. “Our teachers have learned to use technology and use it effectively. Kids do well with it in general so I can see using that experience and integrate more technology into the classroom or if we need to switch to teach online or hybrid again. Even elementary schools are using Canvas (learning platform) in their classrooms, so if a student is absent, they can log in to see what assignment they’re missing and if able to, be able to do it.” Jameson also said that all the “good hygiene” of hand-washing and hand-sanitizers will be encouraged in his school. In the spring, the district did establish a new online opportunity, updating its virtual high school offering. Canyons Board of Education approved the launch of Canyons Online, a technology-driven educational initiative for grades three through 12 that will begin this fall. “This past year has taught us how important in-person instruction is because of relationships and connections students

make with teachers and their schools,” Canyons School District Superintendent Rick Robins said on March 31. “What it also has taught us is how we can deliver education virtually. Some of our students have flourished online, while others have missed those relationships in our schools. We realize we can offer our students the flexibility of online learning while blending it with those connections.” That ability to make and maintain connections with their neighborhood schools is what makes Canyons Online unique among other online-learning programs, he said. Canyons Online elementary-age students will be able to participate in beforeand after-school music programs, science fair and debate. Middle-schoolers enrolled in Canyons Online can take electives at the local school, plus compete in science fairs and debate. Canyons Online high school students will be allowed to dual enroll so they can have full access to high school programs. “We’re re-establishing relationships with kids who have stayed online with their neighborhood schools to build that instruction and connection into Canyons Online,” Robins said. “The blended online format will have the academic component, whether it’s support and remediation or acceleration, plus the connection to their neighborhood school. This is really at the heart of what personalized learning can be.” l

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Bingham football is back

Never-Ending Network Evolution, Are All Broadband Providers Up for the Challenge?

Photos by Pat McDonald

By Bryan Thomas, VP Engineering, Comcast Mountain West Region

Working and learning remotely for the past 15 months brought unique circumstances for all of us to navigate in several areas, and central to it all is having access to a reliable, secure internet connection. The pandemic posed the biggest technological test in the history of the internet. When offices and schools closed in March 2020, internet traffic across the U.S. surged by 20 – 35 percent, as millions of people transitioned to working, learning and consuming all of their entertainment at home. Now our communities are transitioning back to working from offices or making hybrid work arrangements, and schools are planning to reopen their doors beginning in August. A flexible, continuously evolving network staying ahead of customer demand is critical. The success of a network hinges on three factors: decades of strategic investment, continuous network innovation, and the best team in the business. Investment

Bingham running back Havea Fotu breaks loose from a tackle against Granger in the Miners’ first round game in 2020. After a season in which the Miners had a new coach and a pandemic-affected season, Bingham returns to gridiron 6 p.m. Aug. 13 at home to Weber.

In the last three years alone, Comcast invested $389.6 million in technology and infrastructure in Utah, including upgrades to our network. Since 2017, Comcast devoted more than $15 billion nationwide to strengthening and expanding our network – including building more than 33,000 new route miles of fiber, which is like driving from Portland, Oregon to Portland, Maine more than 10 times. Every two and a half years, the company has added as much capacity to the network as it has in all the previous years combined. One of the greatest advantages of our massive network is we already pass 60 million homes and businesses with a powerful, fiber-dense network, and we have the ability to quickly, surgically, and efficiently add additional fiber and capacity when and where it’s needed. Because of our continuous investment in our network, we can often complete targeted upgrades in weeks rather than months and years. We have a proven track record of completing network upgrades and improvements ahead of schedule, and delivering the performance our customers need well before they need it. Innovation

Schedule Aug. 13 vs Weber Aug. 20 vs Bishop Manogue Aug. 27 at Corner Canyon Sept. 3 vs Timpview Sept. 10 at American Fork Sept. 17 at Herriman Sept. 24 vs Mountain Ridge Oct. 1 at Copper Hills Oct. 8 vs West Jordan Oct. 14 at Riverton

Continuous innovation throughout every part of a network is key. Comcast is a leader in the 10G initiative, which leverages new standards and technology to dramatically increase internet speeds. The technology lays the groundwork for network operators, like us, to deliver multigigabit download and upload speeds over connections already installed in hundreds of millions of homes worldwide. Meaning, we can deliver multigigabit speeds to homes without the need for massive digging and construction projects. With this technology, Comcast can continue to deliver ultra-fast service today, while simultaneously building capacity for future needs.mAnd with decades of experience, Comcast is advancing network virtualization and data access to cloud-based technologies for greater performance, increased reliability and easier upgrades. Simply put, we’re able to meet the needs of tomorrow – today, and continually improve the customer experience by delivering faster speeds, greater capacity, and more dynamic connected experiences. Team Support

Nathan Elison (26) and Zaiden Wright (10) celebrate a touchdown against Granger in its opening round win. The Miners would go on to beat Pleasant Grove 24-21 before falling to Corner Canyon in the quarterfinals. The 2021 edition will feature nonregion games at home against Weber, Timpview and Reno, Nevada-based Bishop Manogue. The Miners will also take on Region 4 heavyweights Corner Canyon and American Fork on the road.

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In addition to investing billions in building and evolving our network, Comcast engineers, artificial intelligence scientists, and cybersecurity experts across the country are continuously developing and deploying new technologies to protect our customers and ensure our network can meet emerging threats and challenges. We have a team of cybersecurity experts scanning the network for threats and actively defending our network and our communities. Our teams are made up of elite talent working at every level of the network from software and artificial intelligence at the core, to the best field teams laying new fiber and upgrading the network year-round in all conditions. New network entrants who don’t have a plan or resources to support never-ending network evolution, cybersecurity protection, and hardening may put customers who rely on them at unnecessary risk. As the country shifts yet again, home and business internet connections remain essential for video calls, education, healthcare access, workforce development, streaming entertainment, and more. At Comcast, we remain relentlessly focused on connectivity, to deliver the smartest, fastest, most reliable network to the communities we serve – keeping you connected to more of who and what you love.

August 2021 | Page 21

Beloved teacher retires after having lasting impact on 27 years of Monte Vista school children By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

hen Monte Vista Elementary students come back to school this fall, many of them will realize one of their favorite teachers, Lynn Asay, is not returning. Asay, after 27 years at Monte Vista and two more at Oquirrh Elementary in West Jordan, retired at the end of the school year. “The biggest thing I’ll miss is the people,” she said before she packed her belongings. “I’ve been here through so many principals, secretaries and teachers, but it has been the children that have kept me going. They’re so cute; they have that innocence and sweetness and are eager to learn.” Asay graduated college in the days when “there weren’t computers” on school desks and student taught in Lyman, Wyoming, in 1977. She recalled getting purple fingers from the mimeograph machine used to make copies and having sticky fingers after using a lot of rubber cement with classroom projects. Paper was rationed so the teachers were relieved when overheads were introduced, and filmstrips made way to televisions that were rolled in on carts. “Now, every child has a Chromebook, and our curriculum and testing are more rigor-

ous,” she said. After taking a break to raise four kids, Asay said she was ready to return to the classroom. “When my youngest started kindergarten, so did I,” she said. Those were her years at Oquirrh. Asay came to Monte Vista in 1994 and since 2004, has taught first and second grades. Before leaving, she reflected how education has changed during her tenure. “Education is always changing, pushing you to learn,” she said. “We play and explore; we learn through the good and bad times and have so many more opportunities with technology. We read, write and think and work more in groups and use our devices to access information to enhance our learning. We loved putting on programs. We’d have a Halloween program and a Dr. Seuss program and one for the winter holidays. The class would sing songs for parents in our room.” Asay also has been known to have students learn their vocabulary and spelling words while singing. She may be one of the few teachers in the district who has had a piano in her classroom, said her 26-year colleague,

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Tracy McCurdy. “Lynn always finds ways to enrich students’ education,” McCurdy said. “She has a strong science background, so she teaches them about it with music. She has rock cycle songs, weather songs, even songs about math rules. I teach next door, and we hear her play and them singing. It’s a great tool for their memory.” Asay said for longtime teachers, they had to step up to be able to provide learning virtually during the pandemic. “Kids are more tech-savvy,” she said. “But using technology really has enriched their learning.” However, even though students have more information at their fingertips, and they were able to hold class virtually when the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools, she also realizes the negative side of using technology. “Students are on their screens a lot more instead of outside playing; they’re not learning as much social interaction,” she said. Asay said in her early years, school used to be a time when students dressed up more and were more proper addressing teachers. “Students have always appreciated their teachers and have been respectful,” she said. “They still have the desire to learn even though this year has been harder than ever for them to pay attention. It’s been a hard year for everyone in education during the pandemic.” Asay also recalled when owning a box of 64 crayons that came with a sharpener was a treasure. McCurdy remembers Asay taking advantage of crayon remnants to melt them to create an igneous layer and sandwiching it between other layers to represent sedimentary rocks. She then added a song that taught students about difference of rocks. McCurdy said many families have realized “what is special about Lynn is her patience and kindness. She may plan ways to help students who need a challenge or who are struggling by reteaching it. She finds activities that work and then, models them to the rest of us so we are able to reach our students at our school and across the district. She has projects about everything. I remember she used Oreos to model the phases of the moon, and another time, she’d use butterfly paintings to have students record their lifecycle in their science journals. It was ingenious how she integrated art into scientific learning and like her songs about subjects, it stuck with the students.” Asay always held her students to a higher level of learning, McCurdy said. “Lynn set her standards higher, and they’d work hard, which prepared them for higher grades.,” she said. “They became the ‘experts’

Monte Vista second-grade teacher Lynn Asay retired this summer after teaching 29 years. (Photo courtesy of Monte Vista Elementary website)

in everything and were more capable than they thought they could be.” For example, McCurdy remembers Asay introduced blueprints to her youngsters. “Why just learn how to do area and perimeter when they could apply it to real life?” McCurdy said. “She had them figure out the perimeter of the classroom. It was more rigorous and no longer just math problems, but they understood the concept and were able to apply it.” Asay also had students learn Utah history with a hands-on approach. “They’d dress up, shake and churn butter, make bread, learn the Virginia Reel and create button spinners and do their work using chalkboards,” McCurdy said. “It was those extra things that made connections for students.” What has meant a lot to Asay through the years is the students’ hand-written notes of appreciation and the special gifts they have made and given her. She read some as she cleaned out cupboards and files and gave away some books in her classroom, although she didn’t have many takers for VHS or cassette tapes. “I’ve cherished the kids’ notes,” she said.” They’ve written, ‘You’re the best teacher ever,’ ‘I love you so much’ and ‘You are so funny.’ I didn’t think I was funny, but they’ve kept me laughing.” Many of those students have grown and married. Some came to say hello, or rather, good-bye to their teacher. “Something has always drawn me to kids,” Asay said. “I love to see them learn. I love preparing and planning lessons and seeing them progress every year. The classroom is the best place in the world to be. It’s been a wonderful ride. Now, I’m ready for a new chapter.” l

S outh Jordan City Journal

Essential school bus drivers, nutrition, custodian staff needed for upcoming school year By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

s the school year approaches, many students and their families may be wondering who will open the door and greet them at the start of the school year as they board a big yellow school bus. Some area school districts also may be wondering as websites and signs across the Salt Lake Valley are posted, advertising bus driver positions. As of July 1, in Canyons School District, there were 40 positions open for bus drivers or 18% of its staff who transport about 20,000 students. In addition, 35 of the 55 attendant positions were available. Canyons School District Transportation Director Jeremy Wardle has worked in the industry the past 14 years, working his way up from driving while putting himself through college. “There’s always turnover,” he said. “I think the difference this year is COVID and the fallout from that.” Wardle said that a large number of the district’s drivers are on a second career, but with the extra protections during COVID-19 pandemic and drivers’ possibly health issues, there just were not enough drivers returning. Plus, he said the area has changed, which means more drivers are needed to transport schoolchildren. “Twenty years ago, Draper was more farmland than it was houses and now it’s the complete opposite; we’ve seen a huge population boost not only in our district, but in other districts. We’re becoming more of an urban setting. It seems to be the same way in all districts across the country,” he said. Jordan School District also has a need for drivers. “We always are short bus drivers; Every school district in Salt Lake County, or probably in the state, there’s high turnover,” said spokeswoman Sandra Riesgraf. “And we’re a growing school district, so we always have more routes.” To attract more drivers, Canyons has boosted their salaries to $21.19 per hour for starting pay. Attendant pay is $14 per hour. Wardle said there are part-time and full-time positions available for the 180-day school year and full-time contracts come with benefits. Murray School District spokesman Doug Perry said Murray’s district also may be down a few drivers at any given time, along with the same numbers of nutrition services staff and custodians; the district also increased pay for those positions. “We only have about a dozen or so regular bus drivers and about four dozen lunch workers and a couple dozen custodians in total so our shortages might be two-three positions at any given time out of those three groups, which is pretty manageable,” he

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A friendly wave and smile is what students and parents expect this fall from their bus drivers, but some school districts are still hiring people to fill the vacant positions. (Photo courtesy of Canyons School District)

said.

Pay in Murray District for bus drivers is $22 to $25 per hour; nutrition service, $13 to $18 per hour; and custodians are $11 to $15 per hour. Granite School District also continues to see “traditional vacancy challenges” in transportation and custodial departments as well as classroom and school aides, said spokesman Ben Horsley. “Part-time para-professionals continue to be difficult to find in this economy,” he said. “One strange challenge is the amount of open school psychologist positions we still have at this point in the year.” Starting salaries are about $21 per hour for bus drivers; $18 for custodians and $11 for hourly para-professionals. In Canyons, commercial driver licenses are required before bus drivers take the wheel, however, there is free in-house training and testing, Wardle said. Drivers also are expected to perform a pre-trip “look over” that ranges from brake check to light cleaning. Eight mechanics on staff are responsible for repairs. Additionally, there are trainings for the position from first aid and CPR to student management and emergency evacuation.

Attendants also have additional training for working with students with special needs and learn how to load a wheelchair and strap it securely, he said. Flexibility and schedules being similar to schools attract many personnel to the position. Wardle, when he was a driver, was able to study in between routes and said the position is attractive to parents, who start and end their day at about the same time of their kids and have the same school vacation schedule. “The kids are the highlights from drivers. They get to know them. They’ve seen them from kindergarten through high school. Some of them work well into their early 80s because they love the kids,” he said. While Riesgraf said Jordan School District has a “moderate” need for nutrition services staff, Canyons District is looking to hire 34 kitchen staff and 23 cashiers in schools for the upcoming school year, said Sebasthian Varas, nutrition services director. Starting wages increased for those positions in Canyons with starting pay at $15.50 per hour for kitchen staff who typically prep and cook meals and deep clean the kitchen afterward; and $12.16 per hour for cashiers, who are responsible for ensuring student meals meet with the USDA guidelines for

reimbursement of the meal. There are advancement possibilities, he added. Canyons positions include training in equipment, first aid and district policies; each employee is responsible for having a food handler’s permit. Ideal candidates should be able to follow directions, work as a team, be able to meet some of the physical demands of the job and have a high school diploma or are working to earn a GED or equivalent, Varas said. He said that it’s an ideal position people who want day-time positions and especially, for parents. “If your kids are at the school, you work the time when they’re at school and you’re at home when they’re home. You don’t work any weekends or holidays and we provide you with a lunch and you’re making some extra money,” he said. “It’s a fun job. You get to interact with the students, which I think is fantastic. This is a great opportunity to make a difference in a student’s life. I think one thing that we’ve learned from the pandemic is how essential the nutrition services workers are. So, if they truly want to make a difference in someone’s life, come and work with us. It’s hard work, but it’s a very rewarding position, knowing that we’re feeding students.” l

August 2021 | Page 23

Nearly 60 South Jordan Elementary students made up the cast and crew of their musical, “Mary Poppins,” which got interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo courtesy of Jennifer Gardner & Diane Witt Roper)

Just a spoonful of confidence makes the ‘Mary Poppins’ cast shine By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

outh Jordan Elementary fifth grader Ashlyn Gardner approached her teacher Diane Witt-Roper in early May and talked to her in a British accent. “She told me she’d be talking with her accent and would stay in character until the play was over,” said Witt-Roper, who along with teachers Scott Knight and Alan LeFleur oversaw the school’s

production of “Mary Poppins.” Ashlyn performed as Mrs. Banks in cast T—T meaning tall (as opposed to cast “S” for short). All the lead characters were double-cast and the musical cast had double the time than usual to prepare—sort of, Witt-Roper said. “The musical was very successful,

and it was two years in the making. We were three weeks away from performing it when the world shut down,” she said, adding that the 2020 cast was able to sing some of the songs for legislators at the capitol rotunda in February before the pandemic hit. Still, the cast practiced virtually during spring 2020 when schools were

put on soft closure in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Knight even continued to hold virtual rehearsals during the summer, hoping the cast could perform it when students returned in the fall. After learning that wasn’t a possibility, they directors approached Jordan School District officials to see if they could begin masked rehearsals in 2021.

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By February, they were allowed to resume, and students were welcomed back to their auditioned roles. Sixth graders in 2020 now were in middle schools; some returned to their parts, some didn’t. Others may have sat out because of pandemic concerns or other reasons, and Witt-Roper found she didn’t have a full cast. “We basically recast and started over again,” she said. “The biggest thing is to see their diligence to come and to perform, to sing, to dance, day after day in masks. It was just phenomenal. They were still willing to give that much effort even though they knew their faces wouldn’t be showing.” For three months, the cast practiced two hours each Monday through Thursday, increasing their rehearsal lengths and adding in some extra days as the production drew near under the direction of their teachers. “We’ve been collaborating together for years,” Witt-Roper said. “We do this because we love it. It brings us joy, and we love to see the kids and their growth. It translates to the classroom, with literacy, teamwork and building their confidence.” She said one cast member’s reading ability increased eight levels during the run with reading, memorization and other literacy skills. Knight said he received a letter from a mother of one of the lead cast members. “She wrote that before the play, the student struggled with school, grades, friends and confidence,” he said. “Since then, the student has [high academic marks], is popular at school and is more confident because of this experience.” The students also learned a bit about social studies and history of the time period and the importance of the songs, Witt-Roper said.

“Mr. Knight went over the songs, so they understood the time frame of what was happening and why,” she said. For example, Knight walked them through why Mr. Banks sings “I treat my subjects: servants, children, wife with a firm but gentle hand” in “The Life I Lead” or why he encouraged his children to put money in the bank and not spend it to “Feed the Birds.” Students also learned about women suffragists, first through a video about Susan B. Anthony, then by learning how Mrs. Banks was going out to get women to vote in “Sister Suffragette.” Maybe it was a smidgen of Mary Poppins’ magical powers, like her ability to slide up a bannister or use her umbrella as a parachute, that instead of the 58 students taking the stage with their midJune 2021 performances in masks, they were allowed to opt out of wearing face coverings as Gov. Spencer Cox lifted the mask mandate. “We were prepared to perform in masks; our whole musical and school year was led by decisions surrounding the pandemic,” said Witt-Roper, adding that they fortunately didn’t have any issues with the cast concerning the disease. After the performances, she has heard compliments from the audience similar to what she has heard year after year. “We often hear that they expected to see an elementary play, but they are so surprised when it’s performed like a high school level production. Our students take pride in it and have a lot of hard work and dedication,” Witt-Roper said, adding that parents’ appreciation also came in notes, gift cards, treats and a clock made from a record that featured a die-cut of Mary Poppins and says, “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun.” “It’s just been amazing.” l

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eachloss year 1. Memory that than disruptsbreast cancer and prostate cancer combined, and is the daily life prostate cancer combined, and is the 2. Challenges in planning or 4th leading cause of death in Utah. problem solving 4th leading cause of death in Utah. 3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, More than 104,000 people in Utah More than 104,000 people in Utah work or at leisure 6.2for millionsomeone people are living with Alzheimer’s provide living 4. Confusion withunpaid time or care disease in the United States. Over provide unpaid carepeople for insomeone living34,000 place Utah alone. This disease kills withunderstanding Alzheimer’s disease. The impact is 5. Trouble more people each year than breast cancer with Alzheimer’s disease. The impact is visual images and special and prostate cancer combined, and is the widespread and can be devastating to 4th leading cause of death in Utah. relationships widespread and can be devastating to 6. New problems with words families. More than 104,000 people in Utah proin speaking or writing families. vide unpaid care for someone living with 7. Misplacing things and Alzheimer’s disease. The impact is widelosing ability to Forthemore information, aboutto families. spreadto and learn can be devastating For more information, to learn about retrace steps Together we can work to findor a cure support groups or other resources, 8. Decreased or poor and ultimately have our first survivor! support groups or other resources, or judgment Join the fight and lend your to to get from helpwork immediately contact thevoice 9. Withdrawal or this critical cause by attending the to get help immediately contact the social activities Walk to End Alzheimer’s this fall. There Alzheimer’s Association’s free 24/7 are eight Walks throughout the state 10. Changes in mood Association’s Alzheimer’s free 24/7 of Utah: and personality Helpline at:

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Fifth-grader Ashlyn Gardner plays Mrs. Banks in South Jordan Elementary’s production of “Mary Poppins.” (Photo courtesy of Jennifer Gardner & Diane Witt Roper)

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Jordan District opens a new chapter in literacy education By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

tudents in Jordan District schools will be learning to read in a whole new way this fall using a new curriculum based on the science of reading. With this more balanced literacy approach, students learn to recognize letter sounds and letter patterns and then decode them within words. “I feel like it’s the piece that we’ve been kind of missing for a while—how to teach them the basic skills in the most logical sequence,” second grade teacher Laurie Ferrini said. For the last several years, children have been taught to read more by guessing than by identifying. The focus was on comprehension and wasn’t effective for many kids. “We just created a lot of guessers,” said Mandy Thurman, a district Elementary Language Arts consultant. “Now we’re really trying to give them the phonics skills so that they can come across a word, and even if they don’t know what it is, they can use these skills, and now they’ll know [how to read it.]” In addition to a focus on phonics skills, the new curriculum also introduces direct assessments that reveal specific holes in a child’s skills and provides targeted interventions to fill them. The district has increased funding this year to provide additional aides (with increased hours) to work with students in daily targeted intervention groups, using curriculum-provided materials to address students’ specific needs. “I’m excited for kids to read,” said Michelle Lovell, a former kindergarten teacher

who works for the district as a K-3 language arts consultant. “There’s nothing I want more than to know that all of our kids are leaving third grade with the reading skills that they really need, that we’re not letting any students by without giving them those skills.” The intervention time, which will be held for 30 minutes each day, will also benefit students who are proficient readers. “Often we’ll spend so much time focused on the kids that are struggling, that our kids that are really needing more challenge become unengaged and bored,” Thurman said. “And so we’ve been working with the Gifted and Talented department so that those kids get what they need as well in terms of extension and enrichment.” Educators at Heartland Elementary have been piloting the curriculum for two years and have seen measurable performance gains on reading assessments. “Last year for the first time ever, we saw kids maintain—or even go up—by the middle of the year,” Heartland Principal Buddy Alger said. “They were acquiring skills faster than they really ever had on the measures that are in [the state reading assessment.]” Ferrini credits the new phonics and targeted intervention programs for the gains her students have made. “Using the [curriculum] as a screener really is a good diagnostic of what they’re missing,” Ferrini said. “So it really takes the guesswork out of what they’re missing and where they need help. It’ll point you in the right direction, so you’re really saving a lot of time. This tells us right away and we can

Heartland Elementary teachers have seen improved ready skills in students with targeted intervention reading groups, a part of the new literacy program. (Doug Flagler/Jordan School District)

get started on that intervention quickly.” Reading aides at Heartland also reported increased student confidence. “There’s power in knowledge and seeing kids being empowered by that knowledge,” Alger said. “It’s been really powerful and inspiring for our school.” “As a teacher it’s exciting to see kids want to read,” Ferrini said. “They’re excited to read and to go to their groups to read and to learn the new skill that they’re working on. They’re taking ownership of their own reading now.” Teachers said parents will notice a difference in how their students are reading at home. “What parents will see is that their students are able to do more problem solving in their reading,” Heartland first grade teacher Amy Harvey said. “They’re going to be able to use the patterns that they have learned in the classroom when they sit down to read at home. They can break words apart and sound it out and they will be able to do that on their own.” Students will become independent decoders through a new way of teaching reading skills in Jordan District classrooms. (Doug Parents will see Flagler/Jordan School District) less of a focus on guid-

Page 26 | August 2021

ed reading levels, reading comprehension passages, memorizing sight words, and sounding out words one letter at a time. Rather, students will learn the different types of syllables, how to predict what sound a vowel will make, and hand gestures to help identify patterns within words. Parents are encouraged to continue to read to and with their children often. Equally important, said Lovell, is for parents to continually expose their children to new experiences and places to help them build vocabulary and background knowledge. “You do that by talking to kids, having great conversations, reading with kids and taking them to explore places,” she said. Thurman said kids can read words but can’t truly comprehend what they read without having a basic understanding of what things are. “If they have solid word recognition and decoding ability, and they fully understand the language, and they have lots and lots of background knowledge and a high vocabulary, that’s really what will make reading comprehension,” Thurman said. The new curriculum launches this fall. Every K-6 teacher in the district received two full days of training over the summer to understand the science of reading and learn the curriculum tools. Thurman said it’s part of Superintendent Anthony Godfrey’s vision for the district to ‘be united, be intentional, be curious.’ “It’s the first time in my career of 19 years that I feel like we are united as a district, where every single teacher will have two days worth of training on all of these parts and pieces,” Thurman said. l

S outh Jordan City Journal

CEO speaks to residents at South Jordan Legacy center about gap in senior care By Rachel Aubrey| r.aubrey@mycityjournals.com

iding a bike 9,000 miles around the country may seem like a daunting task for some. For CEO Jeff Salter, it was a chance to bring awareness to a deficit in senior citizen care. On June 24, Salter spoke to a group of residents at Legacy Center in South Jordan and explained his purpose and mission in riding his e-bike across the country, stopping in at least 40 cities to identify the gap in senior care. “The movement’s name, close the gap, is symbolic because, in cycling riders close the gap between themselves in order to draft off each other,” Salter said. “That concept epitomizes what our company does and how all of us can work together to help seniors safely and happily age in place.” The founder of Caring Senior Service, Salter embarked on the trek across the country to celebrate 30 years of his company providing care solutions and maintaining active involvement for seniors. In those 30 years, Salter and his colleagues have identified a trend they are hoping to bring awareness to and prevent. According to the Center for Disease

Control and Prevention, falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths among adults age 65 and older. Alongside the close the gap movement is the “grab the bar” campaign. The campaign is focused on raising funds to purchase and install grab bars in senior living facilities or in personal homes. The campaign has raised $31,982 to date. Salter began his journey in his home base of San Antonio, Texas, on April 5. He moved from state to state along the Midwest, the East Coast and eventually rode into the Salt Lake Valley. His bike tour will end on Aug. 1 back in San Antonio. “It’s exciting to get to see the country at 15 miles per hour,” Salter said. “I’ve gotten to feel the warmth of the people we’ve met along the way.” Salter opted to ride an electric bike to help with those more arduous parts of his journey. Pulling a small trailer behind his bike with his camping supplies, and stopping for several days per location, Salter admitted that the small breaks help to break up the monotony. The company Caring Senior Service has a local franchise located in Midvale

Riding his electric bike across the country, Jeff Salter rides to close the gap in senior care. (Photo courtesy of Veronica L. Yankowski)

where owners Brandy and Wade Andersen run a staff of ¬¬approximately 58. The Andersen’s were eager to hear Salter address the Legacy residents. “We are so proud of Jeff,” Brandy Andersen said. “He has inspired us. He is so attainable, even at the upper management level.” Both Brandy and her husband, Wade, have a background in caring for those who often are unable to care for themselves. Brandy began her work for Caring Senior Service in Arizona before returning to her native Utah to open a franchise of the business. Her husband Wade, a 20-year Army veteran, has spent many years fos-

tering veterans who needed a place to live. The couple has the only franchise of Caring Senior Service in Utah and are very hands on. “Aging in place at home is our goal,” Andersen said. The grab the bar campaign in on-going and the goal is providing grab bars in homes and senior centers across the country for those who are most at risk. To donate to the cause, visit www.caringseniorservice.com/grabthebars. For more information about Caring Senior Service Wasatch, visit www.caringseniorservice. com/wasatch. l

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August 2021 | Page 27

JATC students bring home gold, silver, bronze medals By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

Tinh Nguyen and James Davies earned Silver in Web Design at the National SkillsUSA competition in June. (Melinda Mansouri/JATC)

ayla Basic brought home the gold for Utah and for Jordan District with her performance in nail design at both the SkillsUSA state competition in the spring and again in the national competition this summer.

Basic learned nail tech skills from classes she took at the Jordan Academy for Technology and Careers her senior year. She practiced her nail design for the competition for five months.

“I think it was important to learn how much progress you can make by just working on something,” Basic said. “I think that’s why I did earn the gold, because I took so much time and effort, and, honestly, I was hard on myself when I was doing it, and I put my all into it.” Basic’s nail design stood out from the other competitors, many who created nail patterns, with her intricate images of the Santa Monica Pier, Golden Gate Bridge, beach, and lighthouse. Basic said the competition was challenging because of the time factor-- it normally took three hours to create her complex nail design—the competition gave her one. However, because it was a virtual competition this year, she said it wasn’t as stressful. She wasn’t surrounded by competitors in a foreign environment but in her JATC classroom, where she’d been practicing her design for months. She said placing at the top of the competition has given her confidence. Preparing for the competitions also gave her a much-needed boost this spring, when she was feeling low due to the pandemic and an unusual senior year. “That was the one thing I did have motivation for so I really tried hard at it, and I’m

glad I did because it got me out of that weird state,” she said. Basic’s nail instructor, Shannon Mechling, encourages her students to participate in competitions because they are a great opportunity for students to further their skills. “The competition arena is probably one of the best places to learn because competitors are not afraid of sharing tips, techniques, different things to do or try,” she said. Additionally, students get feedback from judges on ways they can improve. JATC web design instructor Melinda Mansouri requires her students to participate in competitions to help them develop work skills, as well as grit, determination and teamworking skills. “The students leave with better skills— they just walk out better web developers,” she said. “They just walk out with confidence that they didn’t walk in with. And anytime you are starting a skill set, that confidence, being able to really produce that in that amount of time, just changes everything about what’s next for them.” Mansouri noticed a difference in her students who weren’t able to participate in the SkillsUSA 2020 competition, which was canceled due to COVID-19. They were less confident heading into their spring internships.

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SERVICES WESTERN PROVIDERS OFFER: Layla Basic used the nail care skills she learned in her JATC classes to win state and national competitions. (Photo courtesy of Shannon Mechling.)

This was one of the few years any of Mansouri’s students have qualified for nationals, which only accepts one team from each state. And it was the first year she had students finish in the top 10. James Davies and Tinh Nguyen earned Silver in Web Design. Together, they designed and coded a website from scratch in just 12 hours, a project Mansouri said would normally take 50 man hours. The two-member team also earned gold at the region and state competitions, where their final scores were well above the second and third place winners, said Mansouri. “These are amazing kids,” Mansouri said. “They just have such skill and talent. It’s exciting for me to send them out and see what happens next. I’m always watching to see what they’re doing post graduation.” For more information about JATC classes available to add to high school schedules, visit jordanteach.org.

Medalists for the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference:

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Medalists for the SkillsUSA Utah state competition:

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Jesse Gavino and Daniel Gross, Silver in Web Design Eternity Draper, Bronze in Pin Design Ethan Stott, Bronze in T-Shirt Design Hayley Arnold, Gold in Criminal Justice Kaitlin Beck, Gold in Customer Service Brock Lauitzen, Gold in Fire Fighting Giovanni Mammano, Silver in Fire Fighting Bryton Orgill, Bronze in Fire Fighting Dannon Sumsion, Gold in Job Skill Demonstration O Kari Barclay, Silver in Job Skill Demonstration A Kelsie Rowe, Bronze in Job Skill Demonstration A Katelyn Andrus, Bronze in Job Skill Demonstration O Lily Watterson, Bronze in Job Interview Ezekial Tatum, Gold in Barbering Sarah Eddwards, Silver in Cosmetology Layla Basic, Gold in Nail Care Jessica Hernandez Sandoval, Silver in Nail Care Brogen Astle, Gold in Welding Sculpture Forest Curtis, Silver in Welding Sculpture Taylor Wood, Zach Smith and Troy Dailey, Silver in Welding Fabrication l

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U of U, SLCC break ground on new joint campus By Justin Adams | justin.a@thecityjournals.com

epresentatives from the University of Utah and Salt Lake Community College gathered in Herriman on July 15 to break ground for a new campus that the two institutions will share. The $57 million campus will be built along Sentinel Ridge Boulevard, to the northwest of Zions Bank Stadium and RSL Academy. It’s expected to be finished by 2023. Future students will be able to work on an associate’s degree through SLCC as well as a bachelor’s degree through the University of Utah in fields such as teaching, health care, information systems, business, social work, criminal justice and engineering. “It’s been no secret that this southwest quadrant of Salt Lake County has been growing and growing fast,” said SLCC President Deneece Huftalin at the groundbreaking ceremony. “In the face of this growth, higher education officials, state lawmakers, local municipality governments and local education leaders all knew that providing current and future residents with affordable access to higher education would be critical.” Huftalin said the land for the new campus was acquired by the state 10 years ago, with the thought of building some kind of higher education facility there. Then for the last five years, they have been more actively

“dreaming and planning” for what the space could be. Throughout that time, city leaders have been doing everything they could to make the dream a reality. “This has been a long, long time coming. It’s been tough to get all the pieces in place over the last 10 years,” said City Councilman Jared Henderson. According to Henderson, the city has spent “millions and millions” of dollars on infrastructure improvements like water and roads that were required if the project were to ever materialize. For the city, it was a bit of a leap of faith to invest all that money, not knowing for sure if it would ever pay off. Henderson said he even gave up hope at moments, and wondered if the city should use the money for other purposes. But through the efforts of city officials and staff, everything came together and the investment paid off. Rep. Candice Pierruci, who represents the Riverton and Herriman area at the state legislature, said she’s excited for the opportunities that residents of the area will have to start or continue their education close to home. “What I especially love about SLCC is that it’s a place for first-time opportunities

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but also second chances in education,” she said. “We’re going to see people fresh out of high school coming here and we’ll also see those moms who took time off, but they’re coming back in their 40’s to finish off their degree. I’m really excited about both stories

Government and education leaders, from both the state-wide and local level, break ground on a new joint-campus to be shared by the University of Utah and Salt Lake Community College. (Justin Adams/ City Journals)

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that we’re going to see here.” The campus will not only be a source of educational opportunity for locals, but also a much-needed employment center for this part of the valley, noted Henderson. l

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Government 101: Form of government in cities

n Utah, there are two possible types of government: Council-Manager or Council-Mayor. There’s a possible third type of government, a Charter, but none of the cities in which City Journals publishes has one. Council-Mayor The mayor is elected every four years and represents the entire city. They are the head of the executive branch, like a CEO (Chief Executive Officer) in a private business. All department heads within the city report to them. When a new mayor takes a seat, they can hire or fire department heads, but council advice and consent is required. City council members are also elected every four years, though usually not at the same time. This prevents the city from having an entirely new council at once. Each council member represents a portion of the city (district), or the city as a whole (at-large). The council is the decision making body but does not have any power over city staff. The council makes decisions for the city: budget, property, code, planning and zoning, etc. The mayor may be invited to attend, speak and contribute. Council meetings, usually twice a month, are run by city council members. The mayor is responsible for carrying out the decisions made by the council. The mayor can veto if they disagree with any legislation passed by the council. The council elects its own chair who conducts the public meetings.

By Erin Dixon | e.dixon@mycityjournals.com

Council members do not have any administrative powers to direct staff. Council-Manager The mayor is elected and represents the entire city. They are part of the council. In this form of government, the council appoints a city manager to be the CEO. Department heads answer to the manager and the manager can hire or fire department heads, though hires are subject to council advice and consent. Council members are elected every four years, though usually not all at the same time. In some cities, the mayor votes with each decision. In others, the mayor only casts a vote if there is a tie. The mayor is chair and the face of the council. The manager attends council meetings, gives reEach city government operates differently, and elected officials have ports and advises council in decision making. different responsibilities depending on the form. (infographic/Erin Council meetings, usually twice a month, is run by Dixon) the mayor. The city manager is responsible for carrying out the decisions made by the council. The mayor does Riverton: Council-Manager, mayor is tie breaker not have veto power. Sandy: Council-Mayor Council members do not have any administrative South Jordan: Council-Manager, mayor always votes powers to direct staff. South Salt Lake: Council-Mayor Cottonwood Heights: Council-Manager, mayor alSugar House: Council-Mayor, governed by SLC ways votes Taylorsville: Council-Mayor Draper: Council-Manager, mayor is tie breaker West Jordan: Council-Mayor Herriman: Council-Manager, mayor always votes West Valley: Council-Manager, mayor always votesl Holladay: Council-Manager, mayor always votes Midvale: Council-Manager, mayor is tie breaker Murray: Council-Mayor

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August 2021 | Page 31

Alleviating (at least some of) the post-pandemic social awkwardness By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com

020 was an extroverted social butterfly’s nightmare. As we developed proper Zoom-tiquette while in varying degrees of quarantine, many of us lost touch with our in-person social skills. Many of the friends and colleagues I have seen in-person recently shared a laugh with me over not knowing how to social anymore: yes, as a verb. And man, if you thought a room full of writers was socially awkward before the pandemic, imagine us now. I wanted to share some quick tips and tricks to improve social interactions this month. Before I do, I’d like to emphasize if trying to remember suggestions for social interaction detracts from engagement, forget it. The most important thing for any social interaction is to be completely engaged in the moment. Authenticity is what we seek in social interactions. Think about it. We instinctively know when they’re not. We notice when someone stops listening, even if they tune back in. We can sense when another is either too bored or too amped to be fully present. Even some of our commonplace language is indicative of our societal value of authenticity. “Fake” and “basic” are insults. “True to your heart; you must be true to your heart” are lyrics in a very catchy Disney song. (Daa

da-da da.) I digress. Take these suggestions only to store in the running background programs of your cognition. (I must add that these suggestions are highly Utah specific, socially and culturally. For 2021, the importance of facial expressions may be (re)discovered. We developed habits after realizing, even subconsciously, the majority of last year dragged on without others being able to fully perceive our faces. As the masks come off and the Zoom meetings become nostalgic, our faces are fully public again. Meaning, if you adapted to only smiling with your eyes, it’s time to retrain those smile muscles. Courtesy smiles are back. Speaking of faces, maintaining eye contact has become a new struggle for many. It’s natural for humans to look around when recalling a memory, formulating a lie, trying to find the right word, or simply taking in our environment. Instead of feeling pressured to maintain constant eye contact for the majority of a social interaction, try maintaining eye contact for only what feels comfortable and appropriate for the social interaction. (Someone once told me that if you’re uncomfortable with eye contact, stare at the person’s nose directly in between their eyes, as to gives the

same effect.) Most of our communication is nonverbal (60 to 95%, depending on who you ask). That means, pay attention to your body language, positioning, tone, and nonverbal cues. Maintain an open body language. (Is any part of your body slouched, crossed, or otherwise reserved?) Consider the positioning of your body in the specific environment. (Are you close to the door?) Feel the tone of your voice. (Are you speaking monotone?) Mind your gestures. (Are you speaking with your hands?) Lastly, show genuine interest in others. It’s likely we are interacting with humans who we want to spend time with, for differing reasons. Communicate valuing their time and relationship through both nonverbals and verbals. Ask questions that go beyond small talk, really listen to their answers, ask thoughtful follow-up questions about barely mentioned details or their own interpretations, make mental notes of any upcoming important events of dates, and allow for laughter. Okay, really lastly, be gracious with yourself. Any amount of social interaction after over a year of distancing and quarantining can feel draining. Our energy storage for socialing might deplete more rapidly. It’s okay to only want to go out one night per week,

In 2020, a group of writers mingle over Zoom…. will they remember how to social when distancing is no longer required? (Cassandra Goff/City Journals)

when we used to go out multiple nights per week; and to feel like going out to dinner was equivalent to running a marathon; and to accept a more introverted lifestyle. It’s okay to feel a little socially awkward. Because we all do. Research from: Aragon, Bandura, Bargh, Burgoon, Darics, Duffy, Cherry, Clark, Dunbar, Ekman, Friedman, Guerrero, Guyer, Hendriksen. Houpert, Navarro, Nguyen, Pease, Perry, Rosenthal, Skinner, Thompson, and Willard. Dang. I’m not the only one who wrote about this phenomenom: “It’s not just you…” by Bonos; “We’re all socially awkward now,” by Murphy. l

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Theater company seeks community help to restore fire damaged theater by Alison Brimley | a.brimley@gmail.com

round 5 p.m. on the evening of Thursday, June 24, fire crews were called to the campus of Early Light Academy, a K–9 charter school in South Jordan. The roof of Early Light Academy’s theater facility, home of the local Kensington Theater Company, had caught fire. First responders worked quickly and were able to contain the fire to the exterior of one section of the roof, said Stephanie Schmidt, Early Light Academy’s executive director. It appeared that the fire had been caused by lightning. Fortunately, no one was on the school’s campus at the time of the fire, so no one was harmed. And though the fire damage was contained to the roof, reports Kensington Theater Company’s website, the large amount of water used to douse the flames into the stage area soaked the lighting, curtains, sets, flooring and more. Today, the project of cleanup and restoration is nearly complete. This included repairing the fire-damaged roof, as well as removing water and debris and drying the interior of the theater. “We are confident that all cleanup, restoration, and construction work will be completed before school begins mid-August,” Schmidt said. Currently the school doesn’t have a clear idea of how much the repairs will cost. However, they are working closely with their in-

surance and contractors to ensure that the cost is fair and will be covered by their insurance company. Kensington’s website reports that they’ve seen an “overwhelming response” from community members hoping to help restore the theater. The best way to do so is by purchasing a “legacy seat.” Legacy seats can be purchased for $75, $150, $225, or $300 and each one allows donors to put their names on the chair of their choice in the theatre. So far, Kensington has sold a few legacy seats but hopes to sell more. Schmidt said, “Their theater family has been quick to help by rolling up their sleeves; they’ve been cleaning and doing simple repairs to theater equipment so we can use it again soon.” Kensington Theater Company has its origins in 2007, when the Daybreak Community Council, in response to the requests of residents, put on “The Wizard of Oz.” That production involved over 200 community members and sold out many performances. Some “Wizard of Oz” cast members then proceeded to form Daybreak Community Theatre, an independent community theatre. South Jordan City soon embraced the company, which then became South Jordan Community Theatre. Seven seasons later, the company moved

into a new location, on the campus of Early Light Academy, and changed its name to Kensington Theatre Company (named for Kensington Gardens, where Peter Pan was performed for the first time.) Early Light Academy and Kensington Theatre Company have worked together since 2009. But after the academy built a new junior high, at the beginning of the 2015–16 school year, Kensington began to use the theater space for their performances. “The theater was designed to be a stellar performing arts space that includes an orchestra pit, a fly system, an expanded stage to hold a large cast, and stadium seating,” Schmidt says. And Kensington has made many improvements to the school’s theater facilities too. “The school is able to use Kensington’s equipment for the school’s performances and daily operations. Kensington supports the school’s theater program in various ways, and Kensington provides valuable opportunities for students to get experience working on their performances.” Before the fire, Kensington had just closed its run of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” Their Teen Theater Boot Camp had a recital scheduled for June 25—the day after the fire. The recital was moved to Mountain Ridge High School, who kindly allowed

While the fire on the roof was quickly contained, the water used by fire crews caused extensive damage to the interior of Early Light Academy’s theater facilities. (Photo courtesy Stephanie Schmidt)

the company to use its theater space at the last minute. Other scheduled performances will be able to proceed as usual. Kensington’s next production, “Urinetown,” will take place in ELA’s Black Box Theater, which was untouched by the fire. “Princess Academy” is scheduled to begin shows in December. “Early Light Academy appreciates and wants to publicly thank the fire department for responding immediately and doing such a great job of putting the fire out,” Schmidt said. “The school and Kensington Theatre Company appreciate the support and encouragement they have received from the community.” l

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August 2021 | Page 37

Making sense of your property tax statement Did you get your property tax statement and feel overwhelmed trying to understand it? Every year we get calls from residents who need help making sense of their tax statement, so here is some info that might be useful. The county treasurer is responsible to collect taxes for over 70 different entities, not just Salt Lake County. That means that your city/township, school district, water districts, and other entities show up on your property tax statement. Once we get the money, we distribute it to the different taxing entities. The Salt Lake County assessor oversees the assessment of your property value. Once your value is assessed, then the tax rate is applied to that amount. If you think your assessed value is incorrect, you can appeal it between August 1 – September 15. Just go to slco.org/tax-administration/how-to-file-an-appeal/ to see instructions. One great thing about our state is that Truth-in-Taxation is required. That means you will be notified if a government entity is trying to raise your taxes. My property tax notice, for instance, showed an increase with my school district and two of the water districts. It also shows when the public hearing will

Aimee Winder Newton Salt Lake County Council | District 3 be held so government officials can hear from you. Just because a tax rate stays the same, doesn’t mean your taxes won’t increase. After your property is assessed, the county adds in additional growth and

then divides all the property values by the proposed budget amount. That is how we get the tax rate. Government cannot collect more than what they did the previous year without a Truth-in-Taxation hearing. If property values and growth are going up, your tax rate would go down if there was no additional tax increase. When taxing entities tell you the rate hasn’t changed, that still could mean a tax increase from that entity. Don’t worry, though… it should be crystal clear on

your property tax statement if it’s an increase. If there is a public meeting, that entity is raising your taxes this year. If you find yourself falling on hard times and need some tax relief, you can apply to the Treasurer’s office for a few different programs designed to help. The programs are as follows: Circuit Breaker– 66 years old or surviving spouse with household income below $34,666. Indigent – 65 years old or disabled with household income plus adjusted assets below $34,666. Hardship – Extreme financial hardship at any age with adjusted household income plus assets that do not exceed $34,666. This limit is increased by $4,480 for each household member. There are also programs to help veterans. Visit slco.org/treasurer for details. Although paying property taxes is not pleasant for anyone, keep in mind the many services that our cities, counties, school districts, water districts, and even the mosquito abatement district provides. And don’t hesitate to get involved in these government entities. The more that people get involved, the more taxes stay in check.

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