June 2018 | Vol. 28 Iss. 06
FREE
PARENTS RISE UP TO LIFT STUDENTS’ SPIRITS By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com
N
ews of the sixth Herriman High School student to take his or her own life this year hit parents hard. Many felt helpless. Others decided to act. PTA President Denise Christiansen quickly responded with a campaign to get parents into the school to support students just two days after the latest tragic passing. “I’m here because I’m tired of sitting on the sidelines,” said volunteer Kristine Anderson. “I wanted to come and try and just give any kind of assurance to these kids that they’re loved and noticed.” Anderson, who admitted she’s never been very involved with the PTA, decided to help at the school rather than wallowing in sadness at home. She was one of many volunteers enthusiastically welcoming students to the school, wishing them a good day and offering them mints and candy. Volunteers committed to flank every school entryway, every morning, through the end of the school year. “As parents, we kind of feel helpless—no one knows what to do,” said Shanae Freeman. “But we’re going to try with a smile and a greeting—and candy always helps.” Kim McCann made sure she smiled at every student who passed her on their way into the school. “I’m hoping to make a connection with teenagers and brighten their day,” she said. “I think that’s what we’re missing—real connection.” Shandie Evans said her son, a senior, feels Herriman High School is so big, he sometimes feels lost. Parents said the rapid growth of the area and the subsequent influx of new students make it difficult for teens to get to know each other. Garret Evans graduated three years ago. “The school has grown a bunch since I’ve been here, and it was hard even then,” he said. He signed-up to greet students
: Herriman High students were enthusiastically welcomed into school every morning for the last few weeks of the school year. (Jet Burnham/City Journals)
because he knows how it feels to lose a classmate. “It felt only right to try and make a difference, to try and help, because I’ve gone through it.” He hoped a smile would start the teens with the right attitude for their day. Junior Hannah Freeman said students were grieving and didn’t know how to react. When parents were there to greet them, it made a difference. “It feels like a better environment than it was yesterday—it feels really positive,” she said on the first day of the campaign.
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Christiansen said her initial Facebook post was fueled by frustration—she rarely gets help from more than a few PTA members. “When we have 3,000 students, four parents are not enough,” she said. She was thrilled when volunteers quickly committed to continue helping at the school for the remaining weeks of the year. Parents signed up for “What’s Up Wednesday” to seek out and talk to students in the cafeteria. They implemented a kind words campaign, flooded social media with up- Continued on page 5...
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