Jordan Supercast

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Episode 332: Majestic Elementary Arts Academy Music Teacher Marches in Pasadena Rose Parade Jan 15, 2026

Show notes

It is a high note in the very successful career of a Jordan School District music educator. On this episode of the Supercast, meet Majestic Elementary School music teacher Lisa Blodget who just returned from marching in the Pasadena Rose Bowl Parade.

Find out why Blodget was one of more than 300 band teachers and directors from across the country selected to march in the prestigious parade, and what it felt like to be on the national stage cheered on by thousands along the five-mile route.

Audio Transcription

Transcription coming soon.

Episode 331: Legendary Football Coach Ron McBride and His Lifelong Passion Caring for At-Risk Youth Jan 08, 2026

Show notes

He is known for his winning ways at the helm as head football coach at the University of Utah, leading the Utes to historic success over 12 exciting seasons. We’re talking about Ron McBride, or Coach Mac as many have come to know him over the years. On this episode of the Supercast, we have the honor of sitting down with the legend and hearing first-hand about his time coaching, recruiting, and giving young athletes opportunities they never thought possible. Find out how Coach Mac is continuing his passionate work in our schools today with the Ron McBride Foundation, making sure at-risk youth have every chance to succeed. Plus, hear how Coach Mac impacted the life of one of our very own, Valley High Principal Jacinto Peterson. Audio Transcription Coach McBride:The world is about adversity and how you handle adversity and you got all this social media where all these kids are very mean to each other. You've got to get beyond that so somebody doesn't get their self-image spoiled. Anthony Godfrey:Yeah, and the negativity sticks with you. [MUSIC] Anthony Godfrey:Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. He is known for his winning ways at the helm as head football coach at the University of Utah, leading the Utes to historic success over 12 exciting seasons. We're talking about Ron McBride or Coach Mac as many have come to know him over the years. On this episode of the Supercast, we have the honor of sitting down with the legend and hearing firsthand about his time coaching, recruiting, and giving young athletes opportunities they never thought possible. Find out how Coach Mac is continuing his passionate work in our schools today with the Ron McBride Foundation, making sure at-risk youth have every chance to succeed. Plus, hear how Coach Mac impacted the life of one of our very own, Valley High School Principal Jacinto Peterson. [MUSIC] Anthony Godfrey:We're talking today with Coach Ron McBride. Mac, thank you so much for being here today. Coach McBride:Absolutely, Superintendent. Hey, I'm glad to be here. Anthony Godfrey:It's a real thrill. I've been telling my friends I get to talk to you today. [LAUGHTER] Coach McBride:You got to tell that to my wife. Anthony Godfrey:We have felt your support in Jordan School District through your foundation, and I think it was high time that we just talked with you about the great things that you have going and all the support that you give to our kids in need. So we just wanted to talk with you about the foundation and where that came from. Coach McBride:Actually, Lavell Edwards and myself started it nine years ago. The thing was to help the underserved kids and to give them a chance to see a brighter side of life. Basically, from the time I was in high school, junior high, I was always very involved, particularly with my teammates that were underprivileged because I came from a lower middle East LA neighborhood. So I understood, and my parents were month to month trying to keep afloat. Anthony Godfrey:So through your own experience and your experience with players who were underprivileged, you've always had this focus on helping people. Coach McBride:Absolutely, yeah. So I've always been. So when I retired from Weber, then and Lavell and I were doing the radio show on Fridays. So we said, "Let's start this foundation." West Jordan Middle was one of our first schools. Anthony Godfrey:You've done a lot of work with them consistently over the years. Coach McBride:Oh ya, lots. First of all, the principals, the vice principals, the people that worked there were outstanding. The librarian was outstanding. Anthony Godfrey:She really is. Coach McBride:Oh, yeah. And she cares. I mean, I think we did a book club was the first thing we did over there, right? Anthony Godfrey:Yeah. Coach McBride:This was many years ago. She was so appreciative and loved the kids so much. She was so excited about what we were doing, you know. Then I loved the principal, you know, and she was awesome. Anthony Godfrey:When you're able to bring resources to a school, and you see that the school has these caring adults that are trying to do their best for kids, it's got to feel good that you know that those resources are going to the right place. Coach McBride:Well, West Jordan Middle always followed up with whatever, you know. I mean, you go over there and check with their . . . watch the after school program. The lady that ran it, Ivy Erickson, one of the best people in the world. Anthony Godfrey:Yeah, she's done like it. Coach McBride:But first of all, she the kids, she's all into the young people. Anthony Godfrey:Right. Coach McBride:She's all into the young people that have problems and she's a good listener. Anthony Godfrey:Yeah. Coach McBride:And so she's excited about what she does. Anthony Godfrey:Yeah. Coach McBride:So it's easy to go there and watch her in action. Anthony Godfrey:Well, I'm thrilled that you picked West Jordan Middle and they really are amazing people there. Coach McBride:Yeah. Anthony Godfrey:There's been some turnover since you started. Coach McBride:Well, yeah, Dixie was a principal and she's at a bigger job. Anthony Godfrey:That's right. Coach McBride:And I tell you what, she's, first of all, her dad, I think, was a principal at that school. Anthony Godfrey:Right. That's right. Coach McBride:And she has a real history in education. Anthony Godfrey:Yes. Coach McBride:She's a great lady. You know what I mean? The great thing about when she was at West Jordan, it was always open anytime. Anthony Godfrey:Yeah. Coach McBride:We would go by to check out what they were doing or talk to the kids or whatever, but it was always very open to us. I think it was, that was the first school that, when Jerry Sloan was sick, we kind of dedicated that school to Jerry back then to begin with. So we called it “Jerry's Kids” to begin with over there. Anthony Godfrey:Wow. Coach McBride:And then, of course, Jerry had problems and finally, his problems took his life. It was too bad. Anthony Godfrey:Yeah, it is. You were really instrumental in helping those after-school programs happen at West Jordan Middle School. Coach McBride:Oh, absolutely. Anthony Godfrey:That made a huge difference for those students. Coach McBride:Oh, yeah. I mean, they had-- And they had a lot of things going on. Besides sports, you know, they had Pokémon and they had chess club, it's ceramics club. So they had a lot of things. Anthony Godfrey:Yeah. It was all this pent-up need from the kids and interest from the adults in providing those opportunities. Yeah, yeah. And when you come in with those resources with caring adults and needy kids, it was just an-- it's an incredible combination. Coach McBride:And they-- Anthony Godfrey:And you've allowed us to do things we couldn't do on our own. Coach McBride:Oh, absolutely. And you know, they have a lot of-- since they've kind of redid West Jordan Middle, they have a whole bunch of access to things they didn't have before. Anthony Godfrey:Yeah. Coach McBride:The shop classes are really good. Anthony Godfrey:Yeah. Coach McBride:Because, you know, in today's economy, it's important that young people know how to do a trade. Anthony Godfrey:Right. Coach McBride:Because that's where all the money is right now. Anthony Godfrey:That's right. Coach McBride:Trade-- so more young people need to go into trades because they're paying a good wage, you're going to make a good living, and you're going to be working every day. Anthony Godfrey:AI doesn't fix things or remodel things or repair things, you know? Coach McBride:Yeah, but we have a huge need in that sector. Anthony Godfrey:This feels like an extension of what you were able to do as a football coach. Coach McBride:Yeah. Anthony Godfrey:You gave kids opportunities as a football coach. Talk to me about the relationship. Coach McBride:Well, I always-- you know, we always divided the locker room into three segments because of red, yellow, and green. So the red guys were about 10% of your football team and these are guys that were underappreciated, needed academic help, needed structure help, you know? Just needed to put them on a different line. So we would put our red guys with our green guys and therefore, then they would get them to thinking a different process. Anthony Godfrey:I see. Coach McBride:The idea is to take the red guys and get them to the yellow and get the yellow to the green. So you hopefully, by the time they graduate from college, that they were all into the green zone where they could take care of their own problems, take care of their own situations, handle adversity, do things that people have to do to be successful. Anthony Godfrey:There's a lot of work off the field to help them become everything they can be. Coach McBride:It's a lot of brainwashing. [LAUGHTER] Coach McBride:So, yeah, you just have to change the way people think. Anthony Godfrey:Right. Coach McBride:And if you put them around people that think different, then they slowly buy into it. What I find now with these red people, when I go to different places in Hawaii or in the South or anything, all these kids that play for me are academic people now. That's all they want to talk about is, "Oh, my kid's in college. He's doing this. He's doing this." And all of a sudden I says, "Well, I guess you got the message a long time ago." Anthony Godfrey:Yeah, it definitely worked. So, the message was, "There's more than football, and we need to prepare you for that." Coach McBride:Yeah, football is a vehicle. And if you don't do what I say, then I can take football away from you. So therefore, the kids, they want to play football, so if they want to play football, they have to get an education, they have to become the kind of citizens you want them to become. Anthony Godfrey:Let's figure that out, yeah. Now, you coached one of our principals. Coach McBride:Oh, yeah, Jacinto. Anthony Godfrey:Yeah. Coach McBride:His story is unreal because I can still remember going to that high school, and then he was living with his grandparents in a trailer out in the middle of nowhere. I said, "Well, how do I find the trailer?" "Well, go down this dirt road, turn right at where you see this dog tied up, and then turn left, and then you'll see the trailer, right." Anthony Godfrey:Wow. Coach McBride:They were beautiful people, you know. And Jacinto's had so much success here, and I'm so proud of him because he's always been a stand-up man. Anthony Godfrey:He's an incredible leader. Coach McBride:Yeah. Anthony Godfrey:He’s a great educator and he's saving a lot of kids. Coach McBride:Yeah, well, he understands it all because he lived through it. Anthony Godfrey:Yeah, absolutely. When you first met Jacinto, what were your impressions? Coach McBride:Oh, I loved the kid. You know, he was easy to talk to, good communicator. I loved his grandparents, his grandma, you know. They're all just great and all they were interested is in getting this kid in a better spot for his life. Anthony Godfrey:Yeah. Coach McBride:So they all wanted the same thing. Anthony Godfrey:You accomplished that, and he's changed a lot of lives as a result. So thank you for that. You did me a big favor by sending Jacinto our way. Coach McBride:I'll tell you what, he did me a big favor by coming here. So he's the best, that kid. Anthony Godfrey:Yeah, absolutely. Well, tell me about the foundation now. Tell me about your operations and how people can help if they wanted to. Coach McBride:So we started out with nothing, basically. And then we're up to, I think we got 32 schools now we support, between Ogden, Salt Lake, Canyons District. We got schools in all those places and so we gave away a little over $400,000 last year. Anthony Godfrey:Amazing. Coach McBride:In different schools. And everybody on our foundation has a school that they're responsible for. And we got, when we have our meetings, everybody reports on their schools, what's going on. And then I visit as many as I can. Anthony Godfrey:You've been very visible. Very hands on with us. Coach McBride:Yeah, because what you want to do is you can't have a foundation and then the guy's name on it, you know, who's that guy? But I love the kids because the kids are so much fun. Anthony Godfrey:Nobody says, “who's that guy?” I've seen you in school so many times, interacting with the kids, interacting with the adults. Coach McBride:Oh yeah, we have a lot of laughs when we go and then getting to know different kids and watching them go through the system. Anthony Godfrey:Sure. Coach McBride:Yeah, it's all fun. Anthony Godfrey:Middle school kids in particular, you can't help but have a good laugh when you're around middle school kids. Coach McBride:Well, middle school kids are making some decisions that are important to their lives. Because that's kind of that age group where you kind of start thinking, you know, a little more than you really should know, or you think you know more, and you're starting to question things, and you call it a growth spurt. So you got to make, you got to try to get these kids to think a little different and think beyond where they think they can be. Anthony Godfrey:They're having a growth spurt in every aspect of their lives, really. It's a big time. Coach McBride:Well, it's a huge time. Anthony Godfrey:Yeah, you're right. Stay with us when we come back. More with Coach Mac and he talks with us about the recent coaching changes at the University of Utah. Male Voice:Never miss an episode of The Supercast by liking and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform. You can find transcripts for this episode and others at supercast.jordandistrict.org. Female Voice:Are you looking for a job right now? Looking to work in a fun and supportive environment with great pay and a rewarding career? Jordan School District is hiring. We're currently filling full and part-time positions. You can work and make a difference in young lives and education, as a classroom assistant or a substitute teacher. Apply to work in one of our school cafeterias where our lunch staff serves up big smiles with great food every day. We're also looking to hire custodians and bus drivers. In Jordan School District, we like to say people come for the job and enjoy the adventure. Apply today at employment.jordandistrict.org. Anthony Godfrey:There have been a lot of changes in the football world lately. What do you think of all the coaching shifts? Coach McBride:I'm in the middle of most of it every day because every time somebody gets leaves or something they call and say, “I'm going.” Obviously, some of those guys that Kyle took with him to Michigan were guys that played for me. A lot of staff have played for me. With Lewis Powell leaving, Doug LSI leaving, Jim Harding leaving, Jason Beck leaving. Those guys all have a history with all those guys. That was tough. I talked to most of them before they left and tried to talk them into staying. Now Morgan has hired some really good people. So it looks like Jordan Gross is going to be the old line guy, which is a great take. I think they're bringing back Noki who worked for me up at Weber as one of the D-line guys. They just hired Bumpus back as a wide receiver guy, which is a good hire. Then Colton Swan, who was my defensive coordinator at Weber, he's now the defensive coordinator. Luther's back, which is good. Colton is good. Sharif is good. Jordan will do a nice job with the offense. Ke…

Full show notes at the publisher

Episode 330: Multilingual Students Celebrate Success in Special WIDA Graduation Jan 01, 2026

Show notes

They have worked hard learning the English language trying to be the best they can be, making change in their own lives and the lives of generations to come.

On this episode of the Supercast, we take you to a very emotional WIDA graduation. WIDA stands for World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment. Listen as we talk to graduates about the great pride they take in their achievement, becoming proficient in the English language; listening, reading, speaking, and writing. Find out what the milestone means to the multilingual students and their families now and well into the future.

Audio Transcription

Transcription coming soon.

Episode 329: Elk Ridge Middle School Principal and His Huge Passion for Painting Works of Art Dec 24, 2025

Show notes

He is a middle school principal who loves working with students, bringing out the best in them every single day. But there is a secret talent that keeps Bryan Leggat going long after the last bell of the day at Elk Ridge Middle.

On this episode of the Supercast, we find out about Mr. Leggat’s longtime passion for painting and creating beautiful works of art. Hear how he finds inspiration as an artist, sometimes thanks to his meaningful and impactful work as a school principal and the relationships he has built along the way.

Audio Transcription

Transcription coming soon.

Episode 328: Joel P. Jensen Students Present “Sounds of the Season” Dec 18, 2025

Show notes

It is a showcase of student talent, musical magic, and seasonal joy.

On this episode of the Supercast, we take you to Joel P. Jensen Middle School for a holiday music program that will make your spirits bright one note at a time. Listen and enjoy.

Audio Transcription [MUSIC PLAYING]

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It is a showcase of student talent, musical magic, and seasonal joy. On this episode of the Supercast, we take you to Joel P. Jensen Middle School for a holiday music program that will make your spirits bright one note at a time. Listen and enjoy. We're in Ms. Johnson's classroom just after the performance. Tell me about this group of students.

Ms. Johnson:
Yeah, this is our concert choir. So it's our students who are taking choir for their second or third year here at Joel P. Jensen. We have a few students who are seventh graders as well who just came to boost our numbers.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about the process of taking them from not knowing these songs and some of them not having experienced singing, to being at this point. They sounded great.

Ms. Johnson:
Yeah, we do a lot of learning up front, doing rounds where students have to really get used to singing their part independently and start learning how to read music. Then it takes us about two months to learn our concert. So usually each class is learning about four or five songs. We start with just learning the notes, and then we try to make it more musical, add dynamics, the louds and softs, and make it more interesting and emotional from there.

Anthony Godfrey:
I'm always amazed at how music teachers, both instrumental and choral, are able to have each individual practice their part and then bring everyone together and blend all of that so it's a unified sound. Talk to me about that process.

Ms. Johnson:
Yeah, we work with just the altos or just the sopranos, and then sometimes we'll spend like 20 minutes just working on eight measures. So just a really small portion of the song, making sure everyone understands how their part fits in with the rest. Yeah, it's fun to see how everyone is able to find their note and by relying on the other people who are on their part, but then still have that independence from the other parts in the group. It just all comes together so beautifully at the end of the day.

Anthony Godfrey:
So to blend without being lost.

Ms. Johnson:
Yeah, exactly.

Anthony Godfrey:
I always get lost. Tell me about your journey to becoming a music teacher. How long have you been here and what made you interested in music from the start?

Ms. Johnson:
Yeah, this is my second year teaching at Joel P. Jensen and ever. I graduated from college in 2024. So it's been a fun journey to have my first choir. I actually decided to teach music because I had a wonderful middle school choir director and several wonderful piano teachers who made me love music and see the benefit that it could have to my life personally. I felt like I really found a place in choir. It's nice to be able to offer other students now those same opportunities to have connections socially and to understand their emotions better by working through them in music class. It's really rewarding to pass that forward.

Anthony Godfrey:
There's a huge personal benefit. Tell me about one of those instructors who had such an impact on you.

Ms. Johnson:
Yeah, so I lived in Pennsylvania when I was in middle school and my choir teacher was named Mrs. Farrell. She had really high expectations for us as a choir class and made us better musicians and better people, teaching us to really care for each other and always seek to do our best at anything we did.

Anthony Godfrey:
Do you find yourself doing some things that you experienced in her class, using some of that now as a teacher?

Ms. Johnson:
Yeah, for sure. I learned so much from her, from my professors at college and I've found some great mentors here in the District as well, high school and middle school choir teachers that I've been able to steal some of their best ideas from.

Anthony Godfrey:
Good.

Ms. Johnson:
Yeah, it's been great.

Anthony Godfrey:
We love that. Well, whatever you're doing, it's working. They sounded wonderful and I just really appreciate everything you're doing and we're excited to have you here at Joel P.

Ms. Johnson:
Thank you. This is "Beautiful December" by Amy F. Burnin.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Now when the garden awaits, the return of spring.

Now when the silence is deep and blue.

Now when the winter has cast its spell again.

Beautiful December, beautiful December.

Here where the snow is as soft as the woolly land.

Here where the sky falls deep and blue.

Here where the stars are so bright you reach for them.

Beautiful December, beautiful December.

Child, may sleep in peace tonight.

Dream of songs that rise on silken leaves.

When you wake enchanted by snow's fun light.

Sing the songs that came to you in dreams.

Your beautiful December dreams.

When the storm awaits, the return of spring.

Now when the garden awaits, the return of spring.

When the silence is deep and blue.

Deep and blue.

Blue now.

When the winter is cast as spell again.

Beautiful December, beautiful December.

Beautiful December.

Blue.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're talking now with students who are in concert choir here at Joel P. Jensen Middle School. Tell me, what's it like being in concert choir? What do you love most about it?

Students:
It's good being at Joel P. Jensen in the choir because you get to do concerts and it's fun singing.

I get a lot of opportunities to socialize with other students and reunite as one class and then work on projects altogether.

I feel like I get to express my emotions through my voice while I'm singing and it's just really fun to do that.

It's really fun and Miss Johnson's like the best teacher.

I really like singing in choir with the other choir kids. It helps me feel more united with them and to become best friends with them and there's like lots of opportunities to just go and perform and sing your heart out and it's great.

This is “Like It's Christmas” by the Jonas Brothers arranged by Mac Huff.

[music]

Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us when we come back more Sounds of the Season from Joel P. Jensen Middle School.

Music]

Male Voice:
Never miss an episode of The Supercast by liking and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform. Find transcripts for this episode and others at supercast.jordandistrict.org.

[Music]

Female Voice:
Are you looking for a job right now? Looking to work in a fun and supportive environment with great pay and a rewarding career? Jordan School District is hiring. We're currently filling full and part-time positions. You can work and make a difference in young lives and education as a classroom assistant or a substitute teacher. Apply to work in one of our school cafeterias, where our lunch staff serves up big smiles with great food every day. We're also looking to hire custodians and bus drivers. In Jordan School District, we like to say people come for the job and enjoy the adventure. Apply today at employment.jordandistrict.org.

Ms. Johnson:
This is the Bells of Christmas Medley arranged by Greg Gilpin.

[Music]

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, tell me about Miss Johnson. What's it like being in her class?

Female Student:
She's an amazing teacher. She's very patient and sweet when it comes to her students. If you're ever struggling when it comes to a certain section of the song, you can tell her that, and she will help you out.

Female Student:
She is very kind and she never makes you sing something you don't want to, but she still helps you develop your singing skills and become a better singer.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now you sang some great songs, Jonas Brothers and Medley, all of that. What is your favorite holiday song, winter song, or Christmas song, whatever you choose?

Female Student:
I personally really like to sing the Jonas Brothers song because it's more energetic and it's easier to sing those higher notes since it's more... yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Although I'm not a good dancer, I wanted to move to that one. You guys had me going.

Male Student:
My favorite is "Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel." Specifically, I like the version with For King and Country “I Need to Breathe." I feel like their voices work really well together.

Female Student:
I like "Silent Night" because it's so peaceful and it's so pretty.

Male Student:
My favorite song is "Wings the Bells It's Christmas" because it has a lot of Christmas spirit and a lot of joy.

Female Student:
I personally like "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" because I think it's for adults and kids and families to just sing together, and it's really easy.

Female Student:
I personally like the J I N G O Bells because it's a fun version of Jingle Bells. I also really like "Silent Night." It just brings a lot of peace when you're having a hard time.

Ms. Johnson:
This is "Ring the Bells. It's Christmas" by Douglas E. Wagner.

[music]

♪ Ring the bells and spread the cheer of sing noel, noel ♪

♪ Christmas time returns and all around us we can tell ♪

♪ Colored lights upon the tree, gifts for you and me ♪

♪ Herald song in harmony, noel, noel, it's Christmas ♪

[music]

♪ Ring the bells and spread the cheer of sing noel, noel ♪

♪ Christmas time returns and all around us we can tell ♪

♪ Golden lights upon the tree, gifts for you and me ♪

♪ Herald song in harmony, noel, noel, it's Christmas ♪

♪ Sing, noel, noel ♪

♪ Christmas time returns and all around us we can tell ♪

♪ Golden lights upon the tree, gifts for you and me ♪

♪ Herald song in harmony, noel, noel it's Christmas ♪

♪ It's Christmas

♪ Golden lights upon the tree, noel, noel noel ♪

♪ Christmas time returns and all around us we can tell ♪

♪ Golden lights upon the tree, gifts for you and me ♪

♪ Herald song in harmony, ring the bells and spread the cheer ♪

♪ Sing, noel, it's Christmas time ♪

Anthony Godfrey:
Have a great break! Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, “Education is the most important thing you will do today!” We'll see you out there and we hope you have a wonderful winter break.

[music]

Episode 327: Snails Help Students Fast Track Their Knowledge in AP Environmental Science Class Dec 11, 2025

Show notes

They are less than an inch long, weigh mere grams, and move incredibly slow with average speeds of 0.03 miles per hour. We are talking about snails, a soft-bodied mollusk called the Gastropoda. On this episode of the Supercast, we take you to an Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science class at Mountain Ridge High School where small snails are having a big impact on students studying the ecosystem. Find out the role snails are playing in the AP course, and how the class is capitalizing on the snail-based learning. Audio Transcription Anthony Godfrey:I heard that Miss Craig has described your particular project here as being healthy and gross at the same time. Chase Barlow:Yeah so basically she's talking about the fact that our tank is thriving a lot like we have a lot of activity going on in there and if you just look at it it's it's not a very clear water it's very murky and kind of gross. It doesn't smell very good either. Anthony Godfrey:Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They are less than an inch long, weigh mere grams, and move incredibly slowly with average speeds of 0.03 miles per hour. We are talking about snails, a soft-bodied mollusk in a class called gastrocato. On this episode of the Supercast we take you to an advanced placement biology class at Mountain Ridge High School where small snails are having a big impact on students studying the ecosystem. Find out the role snails are playing in the AP course and how the class is capitalizing on the snail-based learning. (music) Anthony Godfrey:We're talking now with Miss Craig here at Mountain Ridge High School about her AP environmental science class. Thanks for taking a few minutes with us. Ms. Craig:Yeah of course anytime, thanks for coming out. Anthony Godfrey:Tell us about the project that has been going on and what's happening today with students. Ms. Craig:So in AP environmental science we're learning about the biogeochemical cycles. So things like carbon and nitrogen and phosphorus and water cycles and we started this project six weeks ago. So each group got a little aquatic habitat and each group got between six and eight snails depending on the group. They've just been monitoring the nutrients, keeping track of dissolved oxygen, trying to keep their snail habitats as healthy as possible for the last six weeks. Anthony Godfrey:So they've had to test hypotheses and figure out how exactly to do that. Ms. Craig:Yes. So each group after the two-week period after we collected some baseline data each group made a modification to their tank so they changed something that would impact the nutrient cycle and then we continued to collect data for four more weeks so that they could see how that change impacted the lifestyle of the snails. Anthony Godfrey:The only cycle that I really caught was the water cycle. Ms. Craig:Yes. Anthony Godfrey:So all of these different cycles — The phosphorus cycle, was that one of them as well? Ms. Craig:Yes. Anthony Godfrey:So all of these cycles are aspects of environmental science that they'll be tested on as part of the AP test. Ms. Craig:Exactly. Yep. Anthony Godfrey:So tell me about some of those other cycles. The water cycle I'm familiar with but tell me about some of the others. Ms. Craig:So nitrogen and phosphorus are critical nutrients that every living thing needs in order to be able to survive. It's part of your DNA, it's used in cellular functions. So we're measuring those critical nutrients. We're measuring dissolved oxygen levels as well which can help us keep track of the rate of photosynthesis and respiration rates, and how well the quality of overall quality of the water. Anthony Godfrey:Tell me about what's happening now today. They've each had their individual biome where they've been experimenting adding different factors into the environment to see how it impacts the snails. Anthony Godfrey:What happens now? They're combining everything together and what is that going to demonstrate to the students? Ms. Craig:So basically we've had a few unfortunate fatalities and some of the water is getting kind of murky. There are no filters on these biomes so at this point, after the six weeks is over, we're gonna combine them into one big habitat. We're gonna put a filter on there and then I have some students that are interested in earning their Sentinel Service Hours diploma, which is 80 service hours outside of school time, and they have volunteered to monitor the snails and try to keep that bigger tank as healthy as possible. Anthony Godfrey:So the snails who were part of the experiment now get to live on in a more regulated community environment. Ms. Craig:Yes, they're moving on up, they'll be living in a mansion, they'll have maid service that will come and take care of their water and clean it and everything. Anthony Godfrey:The survivors now get the reward of having the better environment. Ms. Craig:Yes. Anthony Godfrey:And is this something that you've done in years past? Ms. Craig:So this is only my second year teaching this class and I did do this experiment for the first time last year and this is the second time. Anthony Godfrey:How did the mansion stage of the snail experiment go last time? Ms. Craig:It was pretty good. We didn't have as many snails to begin with but they some of the snails survived long enough that I had to rehome them over the summer. Anthony Godfrey:Oh, so they made it through the entire school year? Ms. Craig:Yeah, some of them made it through the entire school year. Anthony Godfrey:How exactly does one rehome a snail? Ms. Craig:Well, you make friends with middle school teachers. Anthony Godfrey:Okay, and you help persuade them of the varied uses they might have for these snails. Ms. Craig:Oh, they were excited to have them. They're like, "Oh, snails clean my tank, yes I'd love to take them." Anthony Godfrey:Oh, great, okay, so snails with a purpose. Ms. Craig:Yes. Anthony Godfrey:I love that. Is there a particular variety of snail that you're dealing with here? What exactly, just so for folks who might say, "I wonder what kind of snail that is? I need to Google that.” Ms. Craig:Yeah, so we have two different varieties of snails. We have pond snails, which our principal lovingly refers to as swamp snails. And then we also have the mystery snails. So they're the bigger ones that you can really see them moving around. Their antenna come out and they're a lot more active and fun to watch. Anthony Godfrey:The mystery snails? Ms. Craig:Mystery snails. Anthony Godfrey:Is that the actual term for them? Ms. Craig:There's a scientific name for them, but if you go shopping for them, you'll want to look for mystery snails. Anthony Godfrey:Mystery snails? Yes. Wow, okay. Snails with something to hide? Ms. Craig:Yes. Anthony Godfrey:Now, tell me just about AP Environmental Science overall. What do you hope, besides trying to do well on the task which is important, what do you hope students take away from this class? Ms. Craig:For me, the environment has always been something that I felt very passionate about, especially living here in Utah with our air quality and the Great Salt Lake levels diminishing. I feel like we, it's really important that we train some students to be able to work towards solving some of these problems and tackling some of these tough issues. Anthony Godfrey:With some know-how and with experiments that teach them that they can figure things out, perhaps that will be the result. Ms. Craig:I hope so. Anthony Godfrey:Maybe these students and these snails can solve those problems. I'd love to have those problems fixed. Ms. Craig:Yes, I would too. And I know these students are really, really bright and capable and they're passionate about what they're doing. So I have the ultimate confidence in their abilities. Anthony Godfrey:Now you say you've taught this class for two years now. Where were you before? What were you doing before? Ms. Craig:Physics, full-time physics. Anthony Godfrey:Full-time physics? Ms. Craig:Yep. Anthony Godfrey:And how do you like the switch from physics to environmental science? Ms. Craig:I love it. I still have four physics classes and two environmental science classes, so it's nice to branch out and do something different. I'm learning too and I've always loved to learn. I'm a lifelong learner, so this has been keeping me engaged as well. Anthony Godfrey:So as a physics teacher, you overcame the inertia that beset some of us and moved to something new. Ms. Craig:Yes. Anthony Godfrey:Alright, well that's impressive, and I know you're doing a great job. The principal, as I was walking to your class, had so many nice things to say and when I walked in it was instantly engaging for me and I didn't even know what was going on. But you can tell that great things are happening. So thanks for everything you're doing. Ms. Craig:Thank you. Thanks for coming by. Anthony Godfrey:Stay with us when we come back. More at Mountain Ridge High School. Male Voice:Never miss an episode of The Supercast by liking and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform. Find transcripts for this episode and others at supercast.jordan district.org. Female Voice:In Jordan School District we like to support students in and outside the classroom along with their families. That's where the Jordan Family Education Center comes in offering support services and a wide variety of classes for students and their families free of charge. You can take a class called "Bluesbusters" for children feeling sad or worried. Just Breathe is a class that helps students reduce stress. Or how about a class that supports parents in helping their children make and keep good friends. There are also support groups and free counseling all provided by Jordan School District school psychologists and counselors. To find out how you can benefit from free family support services offered by the Jordan Family Education Center, call 801-565-7442 or visit guidance.jordandistrict.org. Anthony Godfrey:Hi guys. How's it going? We're talking with three students today from Mountain Ridge High School about their snails. Tell me, introduce yourself, tell me what grade you're in and tell me about these snails a little bit. Sophie Burdette:I'm Sophie Burdette. I'm a senior. Kamelalila Lilo:I'm Kamelalila Lilo. I'm a junior. Clark Fowler:I'm Clark Fowler and I'm a senior. Chase Barlow:I'm Chase Barlow and I'm a junior. Anthony Godfrey:Did you know each other well before this or have the snails brought you together? Chase Barlow:I think definitely the snails have brought us closer together to this unit. Anthony Godfrey:Okay well that's a beautiful thing. So tell me about what this unit has involved and what you've learned. Sophie Burdette:So this unit was mostly about aquatic biomes and the factors that affect the biomes and to make this snail biome we started with an empty tank and we added gravel, algae, elodia which are aquatic plants, micro crustaceans, two mystery snails and then four smaller pond snails. Anthony Godfrey:Oh I see the micro animals right there. They are very active. It's kind of like when my dog sees us packing and they know they're going on a trip, these guys seem to know that something is up. Something's happening today. Sophie Burdette:They're attracted to attention. Kamelalila Lilo:Yeah they want it. Then afterwards, before we change any factor about the tank, we kind of just like test it out how the water is before and how like the control system is before you change anything and then we decided to add like more micro crustaceans to see like how that would change the aquatic biome. Anthony Godfrey:What are some of the changes that you've noticed as you introduced to other factors into the biome? Sophie Burdette:Well as you can see they're a bit dense of population. Anthony Godfrey:Yes, yes. Sophie Burdette:And highly active. Also the water has gone a lot murky which is not a good factor but the snails seem to be hanging on. Anthony Godfrey:Yeah. By hanging on you mean still alive. Surviving. Sophie Burdette:Yes. Surviving. Anthony Godfrey:Yes. Surviving this apocalyptic biodome that you have created. So tell me more about the snails. Kamelalila Lilo:Our two mystery snails that we have in there are Shaquille O'Sneil and then Brinley's Snail. Brinley's Snail was brought into our tank after her beloved partner died and she was left with a clutch of babies and so she brought, she was brought into this tank to kind of have the babies have them hatch. And also — Anthony Godfrey:Oh wow. Chase Barlow:You see him? Anthony Godfrey:Am I supposed to say that it's cute? Chase Barlow:I don't you know that's up for your — Anthony Godfrey:Here I'm gonna use my phone to get a little bit closer. Anthony Godfrey:We could also put them under the microscope. Anthony Godfrey:Yeah. Oh yeah that is very cute. Sophie Burdette:Paco. That's Paco. Everyone is Paco. Every baby's name is Paco. Anthony Godfrey:Where did that come from? Sophie Burdette:Two minutes ago when I made it. Anthony Godfrey:Okay. Sophie Burdette:Yeah. Anthony Godfrey:So you went with what felt right? Kamelalila Lilo:Yeah. Anthony Godfrey:I get Shaquille O'Sneil but why Brinley? Kamelalila Lilo:We weren't the ones to name her. So she kind of just came in. Anthony Godfrey:She was Brinley. The name chose her. You didn't choose the name. Okay fair enough. Sophie Burdette:We had a shell like Presley. Unfortunately he passed away pretty early on. Anthony Godfrey:That's unfortunate. You know big stars sometimes shine bright and then burn out. I heard that Miss Craig has described your particular project here as being healthy and gross at the same time. Tell me what that means. Chase Barlow:Yeah so basically she's talking about the fact that our tank is thriving a lot. Like we have a lot of activity going on in there. But the ammonia levels are probably way too high to be healthy. And if you just look at it it's not a very clear water. It's very murky and kind of gross. It doesn't smell very good either. So yeah. Anthony Godfrey:How do you think the snails feel about their environment this morning right now? If I could understand snail thinking. Clark Fowler:Well really putting myself in the snail's shoes, I'd say, “Like dude, it's way too like crowded in here, you know. Maybe we should get some more room.” And maybe give them some more algae too because they look a little, they look a little pale and a little stark. Anthony Godfrey:I would guess though that they appreciate your efforts to this point to make sure that their life is not only enjoyable but meaningful as well. Clark Fowler:I would have to concur. Anthony Godfrey:There is a lot of meaning to it. On that note what exactly have you learned from this? About science, about snails, about the world and about each other. Clark Fowler:Well first of all I think it's really cool that our teacher was willing to let us do this and kind of find out all about habitats on our own, because our tank was doing really poorly. We had a snail die and then we had super high levels of ammonia which is what happens when something dies. So we said we can fix this and so we added a bunch of other elements. We added micro crustaceans. We added the new snail. And we saw the change that came from it. So I just think it's cool that we got to see that first-hand and do it ourselves. Anthony Godfrey:So you apply some scientific knowledge of your own with some help and you're able to…

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Episode 326: Finding Kindergarten Reading Success with Out of This World Program Dec 04, 2025

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It is a unique program that is helping students achieve huge success in reaching their reading goals, and students and teachers alike are having a blast in the process. On this episode of the Supercast, we take you to Riverton Elementary School where kindergarten students and teachers are dressed as astronauts to celebrate their incredible accomplishments in a Districtwide initiative called “Planet Kindergarten.” The space-themed program is helping students reach for the stars in achieving their literacy goals and we’re about to hear from some of the amazing educators behind it all. Audio Transcription [MUSIC PLAYING] Michelle Lovell:Planet Kindergarten is a movement that we've started in Jordan School District where teachers are working to have their kindergartners know all of their letters and sounds by the 1st of November. I love the sense of community that has come from this school and just getting everyone involved in the success of these youngest learners. [MUSIC PLAYING] [BELL RINGING] Anthony Godfrey:Hello, and welcome to The Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It is a unique program that is helping students achieve huge success in reaching their reading goals, and students and teachers alike are having a blast in the process. On this episode of The Supercast, we take you to Riverton Elementary School, where kindergarten students and teachers are dressed as astronauts to celebrate their incredible accomplishments in a districtwide initiative called Planet Kindergarten. The space-themed program is helping students reach for the stars in achieving their literacy goals, and we're about to hear from some of the amazing educators behind it all. [MUSIC PLAYING] Anthony Godfrey:We're talking now with two of our literacy gurus in the District. Introduce yourselves and tell us why we're here today. Michelle Lovell:I'm Michelle Lovell. I'm the literacy consultant for Jordan School District for grades K through 6. Lori McCarty:And I'm Lori McCarty, a literacy specialist, specifically for kindergarten. Anthony Godfrey:And we are here for Planet Kindergarten. Tell us about what Planet Kindergarten means. Michelle Lovell:Planet Kindergarten is a movement that we've started in Jordan School District, where teachers are working to have their kindergartners know all of their letters and sounds by the 1st of November. Anthony Godfrey:And this has made a huge impact. We've seen big increases in literacy among kindergarten students, specifically for years running. We have had our best scores ever, year over year and this is a big part of that. Tell us about some of the success we've seen lately. Michelle Lovell:Well, so last year, we had three kindergarten teachers who made that goal, and we were so proud of them. But this year, we're happy to report we have 13 teachers who have made the 100% goal. Anthony Godfrey:And that's every student in their class, regardless of where they started out-- Michelle Lovell:Exactly. Anthony Godfrey:--and every letter and sound by the 1st of November. Michelle Lovell:And we have over 25 teachers who are in the 90% range. So huge amount of growth from last year to this year. It's been really exciting to watch the data come in. Anthony Godfrey:And that's out of how many kindergarten teachers total? Lori McCarty:140-ish. Anthony Godfrey:So that's a whole lot of kindergarten students that are reading better than ever. Michelle Lovell:Exactly. Exactly. Anthony Godfrey:Now, there are some students who may come to kindergarten already knowing letters and sounds. Talk to us about what we do to help make sure that we're meeting their needs as well. Lori McCarty:So in Jordan School District, we don't have ceilings. So if kids are already reading, if they already know their letter names and sounds, we want to make sure that they're challenged as well. And one of the pieces that we have in place in our structure with Walk to Read is all of the students who need extensions should be getting extensions. Anthony Godfrey:And extensions are for those who are advanced beyond-- Lori McCarty:Exactly. Anthony Godfrey:--the expectations for that grade and age. Lori McCarty:Accelerated reading, accelerated experiences with both reading and writing and so we want to make sure that that differentiation is still happening. I really believe that a good, solid phonics program, having kids know-- have that experience of having a structured phonics program as they go through, even if students are reading, is really beneficial for them. Because they may be able to read, but they may not know how the language works. And so I think that knowing how all the language structures put together, how all of the syllable types work together, will strengthen their reading and their writing abilities. Anthony Godfrey:Now, beyond this, there's an additional goal for whole words read by the end of kindergarten. And I think these benchmarks have made a big difference in making sure that our pacing on kindergarten instruction is exactly what it ought to be. Michelle Lovell:Exactly. And this isn't the end goal. This is just step one. This is the beginning. Because the goal is that we want to have all of our kids being able to blend words automatically by the end of kindergarten. We want them to really be reading sentences. We want them to be writing fluently and knowing their letter names and sounds early in the school year gives them time and opportunity to practice throughout the school year and to gain that automaticity that they need in actually putting it all together and reading words and writing words. We're hopeful that by the end of the year, if we have all of our kindergartners reading closed syllable words, those consonant, vowel consonant words to automaticity, by the time they hit first grade, they'll be ready to take off running in first grade. So this is a trajectory getting us to that spot. Anthony Godfrey:Tell us the number of words that a kindergartner should be able to read, ideally, by the end of the year. Michelle Lovell:Michelle Lovell:Well, as we've been looking through data and we've been analyzing this, not just our district but other districts, what we're finding is if a student can read at least 10 whole words read, that they're more solid in those blending skills, which are the precursors to being able to read fluently. If they have at least 20 whole words read, we find that they don't lose any of those skills over the summer. So somewhere between 12 and 20 words is where we're aiming for. If we could get to 20 whole words read for every student, that would be amazing. It would set them up for success in first and second grade. Anthony Godfrey:Then when first grade teachers start with those students, they're able to hit the ground running. Instead of doing so much review, they're able to take off and really start at a place where they normally wouldn't be for a few weeks into the year. Michelle Lovell:Exactly. They don't need to go back and review kindergarten skills. They'll have kids that are ready to just jump in to those first grade skills. They'll be able to teach long vowels, vowel teams. They'll be able to jump into more complex sentence structures and hopefully just have the kids in books. That's the most important thing. Any time we learn a new skill, whether it's dance, learning to play an instrument, learning to read, practice is key. So we want the kids reading. We want the kids in books. We want them to practice these skills that they're learning. Anthony Godfrey:Well, practice didn't help me with dance, but I do take your point. Whatever it is you're learning-- Michelle Lovell:It didn't help me either. Anthony Godfrey:Yeah, it does make a big difference when kids are able to learn these skills and then practice them. And this celebration is really exciting because even kindergartners have a very clear understanding of what their goal is and the celebration when they've met it. And really, it gives them a sense of their own learning and their own progress, even as a five or six-year-old. Michelle Lovell:Absolutely. I think what's been really fun is when I've talked with schools, the whole school is involved. It's the fifth graders, the sixth graders, the fourth graders who are all aware of this goal for kindergarten. And they're all helping the kindergartners. I've talked to schools and they say, during morning announcements, that they've got the sixth graders who are at the end of morning announcements holding up letter cards saying, all right, kindergartners, here we go. We're going to practice. We've got kindergartners who are walking around the fifth grade classrooms with all the fifth graders holding sticky notes on their hands with a letter. And the kindergartners are giving them a high five and saying the letter name and sound. They're all just working together. So I love the sense of community that has come from this goal and just getting everyone involved in the success of these youngest learners. Anthony Godfrey:What can parents do to help support these goals? Michelle Lovell:Again, I think practice is key. And so if your students are learning letter names and sounds, practice with them at home. It doesn't have to be hours. It can just be a few minutes here and there and practicing in different ways. It could be a chart that you go over that's on the wall. It could be flashcards that you're working with. It could be games that you're playing that have letter names and sounds. Reading to your child is really an important piece. If it's 10 minutes a day, if you can spare that, I think that's fantastic. Anthony Godfrey:We all live on Planet Kindergarten. Michelle Lovell:We do. Anthony Godfrey:Yes. All right. Well, thank you for everything you're doing. I appreciate the research you've done to just know where those benchmarks are that are going to give our students rocket fuel for everything that they need to learn going forward. Michelle Lovell:Thanks. I love it. I'm excited for what's coming these next few months to these next few years. [MUSIC PLAYING] Anthony Godfrey:Stay with us when we come back. We'll hear from the students at Riverton Elementary School. [MUSIC PLAYING] Male Voice:Never miss an episode of The Supercast by liking and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform. Find transcripts for this episode and others at supercast.jordandistrict.org. [MUSIC PLAYING] Hello. I'm Sandy Riesgraf, Director of Communications for Jordan School District, and we want to invite you to connect with us. So many exciting things are happening in your child's school, your neighbor's school, in every school here every day. Don't miss out on following the fun or simply staying informed when there's important information we need to share. Join us at jordandistrict.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @jordandistrict. We can't wait to connect. [MUSIC PLAYING] Anthony Godfrey:We're here at Riverton Elementary talking with two of the kindergarten teachers who have taken that journey to Planet Kindergarten. Introduce yourselves and tell us about that journey. Janae Barron:My name is Janae Barron. I am so fortunate to work here at Riverton Elementary with Julie George and Tiffany Rappleye. This is my third year here in kindergarten. I came from fifth grade. Tiffany Rappleye:So I am Tiffany Rappleye and it's my first year here at Riverton Elementary. I was at Bastian last year and doing other things before that and I'm so excited to be here and get our kiddos to Planet Kindergarten. We've worked really hard and included parents in engagement and worked in small groups. Every chance we get, we're just throwing those letters at them to make sure that they are getting them down. Anthony Godfrey:This has been the theme as you've talked with students along the way. We're working to get you to Planet Kindergarten and the way you arrive is by knowing your letters and sounds by the beginning of November. So what are some of the activities that you have done in order to make that possible? Tiffany Rappleye:Well, our walk to read has been awesome. We are doing the Planet Kindergarten steps, where we put them in different groups based off of the letters that they know and work on. So we're spending small group time focusing on a certain set of letters and then once they pass those letters off, they can move up to the next ones. We're also including the parents, sending flashcards home, letting them know exactly what letters and sounds their kiddos are working on. Janae Barron:Dr. Godfrey, you have the most amazing literacy staff. They made this happen. Lori McCarty and her group--Lori McCarty is the kindergarten specialist for those of you who might not know throughout the District. She cut out thousands of paper bags with her team to make Planet Kindergarten happen all over the District, not just here at Riverton, but all over the District. She did a literacy launch during the summer and then at the very beginning of the year-- I was so fortunate to go at the beginning of the year and jump in. But I know that Tiffany and Julie George, they went during their summer. These dedicated teachers took time off their summer to go and receive more training about how to get our kids to Planet Kindergarten. There were games. There were activities that was data driven and that information allowed and directed our instruction. So we were very effective in being able to do this. As a school, I think we decided we were 92% successful on getting all our kids on Planet Kindergarten. Anthony Godfrey:That's amazing and it's a great launch to all the other things that they need to learn throughout their lives, really. The time in kindergarten is so important. I really appreciate all the efforts you're making and the reference you made to paper bags, that's cutting out paper bags so they can be helmets that the students decorate for their trip to Planet Kindergarten once they've learned their letters and sounds. Tiffany Rappleye:And they looked so cute. Anthony Godfrey:They looked fantastic. Janae Barron:And our reading buddies, who were paired with upper grade reading buddies, they were the ones who have been working with us throughout the year. Every Friday, they come in and they help us as well. So having a peer mentoring that takes place, they helped us decorate our helmets, our paper bags that we were looking so sharp when we landed on Planet Kindergarten. Tiffany Rappleye:We've also had buddies come other times, not just during that time, to work with our kids that were struggling to get to Planet Kindergarten and just work with them playing different games. Like we played “Memory” and we played different things with their peers and small groups to help them get to Planet Kindergarten, too. So it was a whole school effort. Janae Barron:Very much so. Anthony Godfrey:I know they have a whole solar system of learning that awaits beyond Planet Kindergarten. So thank you for getting them there and doing such an incredible job and doing it with such a joy and excitement. I love the blend of just the research, the fun, and just the intentionality around making sure they reach that goal. So thank you for your hard work. Tiffany Rappleye:Of course. Thanks for coming and visiting. Janae Barron:Yes, thank you. Tiffany Rappleye:It was fun to have you at our party. Anthony Godfrey:Oh, I'll come to Planet Kindergarten any day. Tiffany Rappleye:Awesome. Anthony Godfrey:Hi, tell me your name. Charlotte:Charlotte. Anthony Godfrey:Charlotte, what is your favorite lett…

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Episode 325: Experience of a Lifetime for JSD Employees in Mongolia Focused on Fostering Education Nov 26, 2025

Show notes

They traveled thousands of miles away on a mission to foster education and share knowledge with fellow educators in Mongolia. On this episode of the Supercast, find out what inspired three amazing Jordan School District employees to spend much of their summer providing training to English teachers in Mongolia. We’ll hear about the incredible lessons they learned and the life-changing impact they discovered, learning about another beautiful and very different culture. Audio Transcription [MUSIC PLAYING] Krista Mecham:Chanar and I, we started talking and Chanar expressed her interest in having a collaboration between us as educators and Mongolian schools. Chanar Conley:And I had the opportunity to give back, especially in this important times of our lives. [MUSIC PLAYING] Anthony Godfrey:Hello, and welcome to The Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They traveled thousands of miles away on a mission to foster education and share knowledge with fellow educators in Mongolia. On this episode of The Supercast, find out what inspired three amazing Jordan School District employees to spend much of their summer providing training to English teachers in Mongolia. We'll hear about the incredible lessons they learned and the life-changing impact they discovered, learning about another beautiful and very different culture. [MUSIC PLAYING] Anthony Godfrey:We're talking now with three educators from Jordan School District who spent their summer in Mongolia and we want to find out more about that. So introduce yourselves and tell us about your role in Jordan before we get into learning more about your trip this summer. Chanar Conley:My name is Chanar Conley, and I'm a school counselor at Terra Linda Elementary School. This is my fourth year being an elementary school counselor and I am from Mongolia originally. I came to this country in 1996 when I was 20 years old. Learning English has been kind of hard, but still learning. So that's my background and I have been here almost 30 years. Anthony Godfrey:And how do you like being an elementary school counselor? Chanar Conley:Oh, I love it. I love all my Terra Linda Elementary kids. I love my staff and I love, love my administration. Love Yajaira Martinez. She is the best. Anthony Godfrey:It's been a role that's new in just the last few years in Jordan to be a counselor at the elementary level and now feels essential. Everywhere I go, people say we couldn't do it without our counselor. Chanar Conley:Oh, I love to hear that because it is so amazing. I think it's my passion. I think I found it. I'm just going to do my best to just help my little kids to feel needed and included and wanted. That's one of the things that I love about Jordan School District. Because when I talk to other people about other districts, they don't have elementary school counselors. We are so fortunate to have all of our elementary school counselors filled with school counselors that's essential. Anthony Godfrey:It's really important. It makes a huge impact. Chanar Conley:Yes. Krista Mecham:My name is Krista Mecham and I've been in Jordan since the 1900s. Now I'm working in Language and Culture Services as a teacher specialist at the elementary level. Anthony Godfrey:Talk to us about what that means for those who don't know what an elementary teacher specialist does. Krista Mecham:So we have close to 6,000 multilingual learners. They come from many different countries. They speak about 58 different languages. We want to support those students and they come with so many assets. So we want to support those assets, add to that, and teach them English and the content so that they can be as successful as their English speaking peers. Anthony Godfrey:You were recently announced as a WIDA fellow. Talk to us about that. I know it hasn't even started yet. But talk to us about what WIDA is and what it means to be a Jolly Good Fellow. Krista Mecham:WIDA is World Class Instructional Design and Assessments and it is the assessment that we use to test English proficiency. It's a philosophy. It's a background. It's strategies that we use to teach English as a second language. Anthony Godfrey:And we've had more and more graduates that have been able to level up their English language skills and it's been really great to see that trend. Krista Mecham:Last year, we actually had over 500 students test proficient on WIDA. That's a lot of work to learn the curriculum in a second language and learn English at the same time. Anthony Godfrey:Yeah, it's about academic language, not just conversational language. Krista Mecham:Exactly. Leah Davis:My name is Dr. Leah Davis and I'm a culture and diversity specialist in Language and Culture Services. So Krista and I sometimes collaborate and work together. My role is to support all of our diverse students across our schools and support teachers and administrators and culturally responsive teaching practices. So I'm out and about like our fellow educators here and supporting all of our students across Jordan. Anthony Godfrey:When we do have students that maybe need some education about how the way they've acted or things that they've done may be hurtful in ways they didn't understand, you've been really instrumental in helping educate, which is really what we're all about. Leah Davis:Thank you. Yes. We're really trying to also empower educators to support their students and understand their own cultures as well so that we are all reflective and all students feel supported in our schools. Anthony Godfrey:And all three of you really are focused on helping our students be at their very best. That's really the bottom line. So you did this in Mongolia this summer as well. So talk to us about how that came to be. Krista Mecham:So I teach the ESL endorsement and we did a cohort for just counselors, which was great, because we want our counselors to have the strategies on how to teach English as a second language. So Chanar signed up to be in that cohort and Leah was invited in to do a presentation. Leah had actually done Model UN at BYU. Is that right? Leah Davis:Um-hum. Krista Mecham:And she loved Mongolia. So she came in. She was meeting-- Anthony Godfrey:Did you represent Mongolia in the Model UN? Leah Davis:I did. I did at the National International Conference in New York City. Anthony Godfrey:How did Mongolia fare under your leadership? Leah Davis:Oh, we won lots of awards. Anthony Godfrey:OK. Leah Davis:So we did just fine. Just fine. Anthony Godfrey:I'm very glad to hear that. Krista Mecham:So with her love of Mongolia, she met Chanar and was so excited to meet someone from Mongolia and then they connected. Leah Davis:Yeah, and the rest is history. So yeah, that was a great opportunity. Chanar and I, we started talking and Chanar expressed her interest in having a sister school or starting a collaboration between us as educators and Mongolian schools. So she really took the lead in the first steps of this plan and we got it rolling. Anthony Godfrey:That's very exciting. So talk to me about what the trip looked like. What was the purpose? And where did you go? Chanar Conley:So first of all, I really am grateful and appreciative about how I got the opportunity to get the education in America. I always, back of my head, I want to give back to my own country. And the things that I've learned in this country, especially in education-- and I think education is power and it's key. Because our country has been developing our country and has been for a long time, I wanted to make sure that what I've learned in this country can maybe go to Mongolia and help what we need help with, especially in social-emotional learning and English as a second language. But as a country, Mongolia now is becoming more-- walking with the world. So the English is the language that they decided to maybe learn. And there's a huge need of ESL learners that need the help and also the social-emotional part of it. And as a counselor, I really wanted to give back what I've learned here. It's amazing the enthusiasm that was there when we went and visited Mongolia. I just was happy to collaborate with these wonderful ladies, and especially with the Jordan School District. Because I love this district for sure. And with my passion, it's my first time ever being in education and I'm learning so much. And especially, I am in the MTSS member team, member now and I'm also in the TSI. My principal also knows that I am from a different country, and I told her, “Hey, I really want to learn all about education.” She involves me in all of those meetings and I'm learning so much. Anthony Godfrey:That's really exciting. Krista Mecham:Can I speak to Chanar's enthusiasm? Anthony Godfrey:Sure, yes. It's obvious. Krista Mecham:It is. So teaching her in the ESL endorsement with those counselors, she always had great input and great things to say. So it was so obvious that she was a great teacher. But it was so fun to see her speaking her language and presenting. And she's so enthusiastic about social-emotional learning. She taught about a calm corner. And those Mongolians, mind blown. They were so excited to just a simple calm corner and to hear it from somebody in their own language and to have evidence that it actually works. “I can tell you how it works. I can show you.” And they were so excited to hear from her. Anthony Godfrey:That doesn't surprise me. Because when you're in a class learning how to teach English, it's really wonderful to hear the perspective of someone who has learned English and is so eager to learn more about education. So tell me what your trip looked like. Where did you go? What did you do? How long were you there? Leah Davis:Yes, so we were in Mongolia for about 10 days. We went in July so our trip included multiple components. So we spent two days with the school in Mongolia and provided professional development. That was an amazing opportunity for us because we spent about six months or so before our trip meeting with the school virtually to understand their needs and plan for this professional development. So we planned our professional development to focus on English language instruction and parts of SEL. But we also went in understanding that we had not been exposed to Mongolian schools recently or ever. So we went in with humility and wanted to learn, too, from the teachers. We wanted this to be a reciprocal relationship. So through our training our first day, we did what we planned, but we also received a lot of feedback from the teachers as to what they wanted to learn from us. So we were able to really chart the course through the next day of the training to adapt to what they wanted to learn from us. Anthony Godfrey:Wonderful. So what were some of the things that you learned from your experience? Chanar Conley:For me, it was interesting because I'm teaching all the time in English. And I know how to chunk things. But I've never had to work with an interpreter. In fact, I've usually been the interpreter. And so that was interesting, especially now because in our department we've been doing trainers for interpreters, trainings for interpreters. And it was interesting to have an interpreter not be the interpreter. And I learned a lot from being on the other side of that. Anthony Godfrey:So did you have to pause at certain points just to give them a chance to catch up? Chanar Conley:I did. And I really tried to chunk it up. I think we did really well from our experience that we were able to chunk it and then wait for an interpreter. But that also is interesting because there's a little loss of the-- it's not as organic as if you're just delivering it in one language. That's why Chanar's presentation was so beautiful. Because it was Mongolian to Mongolian speakers. But it still went well with the interpreter. Anthony Godfrey:So can you speak some Mongolian for me here? Chanar Conley:Yes. Anthony Godfrey:OK. Let's hear Chanar. Chanar Conley:I'm going to say-- [SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE] Anthony Godfrey:Oh, thank you very much. It was a gift. Chanar Conley:Yes. [LAUGHTER] Anthony Godfrey:I'm just pretending like you complimented my tie. Tell us what you just said. Chanar Conley:I just said that I love this opportunity to speak with the Jordan School District podcast here. And I am so grateful to help my fellow Mongolians back home what I've learned. It's the concept of not just me learning and being affected, but I want to also give back and want to teach them how to fish, not give them the fish. That's really my-- that's just really what's driving me to go back and give back. It's not just me only learning. I want to just share what I've learned in this country. Anthony Godfrey:Set them on that path. Chanar Conley:Yes. Anthony Godfrey:That's wonderful. Stay with us when we come back more with the educators from Jordan School District who visited Mongolia. Male Voice:Never miss an episode of The Supercast by liking and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform. Find transcripts for this episode and others at supercast.jordandistrict.org. [MUSIC PLAYING] Female Voice:In Jordan School District, communicating and connecting with parents is really important and that's why we're very excited about ParentSquare. ParentSquare has replaced Skylert as the District's new communication platform. With ParentSquare, you'll receive all District and school communication via email, text, and/or the app based on your preference. All messages can be translated to your preferred home language indicated in Skyward and it takes less than a minute to set up your notification preferences. You can use the ParentSquare app on any device. The app is available at parentsquare.com/sign-in. We look forward to connecting with you through ParentSquare. Anthony Godfrey:So what else did you do beyond the two days? Chanar Conley:So after we provided the PD, we also had many opportunities to network and meet with local education leaders on the district level and the national level. So we had several meetings with really the equivalent to you in the Mongolian school system. The Mongolian school system and the way districts are built are a little different because education is a branch of their government. So some of the leaders we met with were over education but also other areas of government, which was really interesting to learn about and navigate. Krista shares a really funny story. Anthony Godfrey:What pairs well with education? What other responsibilities did they have? Leah Davis:I'm trying to think. But we had a moment where we were meeting with, in the capital city, a district within that city. And you should tell the story, Krista. Krista Mecham:This is a good one. I thought we were meeting with the Anthony Godfrey of Mongolia and I was really excited. He seemed passionate about education and, of course, there were interpreters. So I thought maybe I wasn't understanding everything because he said, “My goal is education.” And I was very confused because I thought-- Well, yeah. Anthony Godfrey:Yeah. Krista Mecham:I think, “Godfrey is all about education.” But then I learned that it's a government position and so that's just a branch of it. So then it made more sense. Because I can't imagine you saying, “My goal is education,” because that's your life. Anthony Godfrey:Seems fairly obvious. So they have multiple responsibilities. Is it a nationwide education system? Or do districts have some responsibility as well? Chanar Conley:I think I've been out of my country for almost 30 years…

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Episode 324: Students Go from the Classroom to the Front Line Fighting Fires in Utah Nov 20, 2025

Show notes

They were high school students already getting up close and personal hands-on experience at the Jordan Academy for Technology and Careers (JATC) in their quest to become firefighters. On this episode of the Supercast, meet some recent Jordan School District graduates who spent this past summer on the front line fighting wildland fires in Utah. Hear how they got a jump start on their careers in high school, enrolled in the JATC Fire Science program. Find out what advice they have for current students eager to don their turnout gear and start their own careers as firefighters after graduation. Audio Transcription Sean Garrett:This program is working and this is exactly what we designed it to be. Full-time firefighter EMTs for Unified Fire Authority that come from this program. All home grown. Dalton Hendricks:If you want to do this job, it's a really good opportunity to come here and further yourself and put yourself ahead of other people that also want that same job. Place just has so many of the aspects of the real job that we got to practice for two years. [Music] Anthony Godfrey:Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They were high school students already getting up close and personal hands-on experience at the Jordan Academy for Technology and Careers in their quest to become firefighters. On this episode of the Supercast, meet some recent Jordan School District graduates who spent this past summer on the front line, fighting wildland fires in Utah. Hear how they got a jump start on their careers in high school, enrolled in the JATC Fire Science Program. Find out what advice they have for current students eager to don their turnout gear and start their own careers as firefighters after graduation. [Music] Anthony Godfrey:We are here at the Jordan Academy for Careers and Technology at the South Campus, talking with the Fire Science and EMT Program Coordinator. Go ahead and introduce yourself. Sean Garrett:Yeah, my name is Sean Garrett, and I am the Coordinator for the Fire Science and EMT Program at JATC out here at the South Campus. I'm a full-time firefighter with the Unified Fire Authority and with just under 19 years full-time experience. Anthony Godfrey:You were here previously and now you're back. Tell us about that. You were part of the original program. Sean Garrett:That's correct. So I actually graduated high school in 2002 at Riverton High myself and took this class there. It was just called South Jordan Fire Science. It was taught at the South Jordan Fire Department Station 61 at that time. Then with all the changes to districts and everything else, the Jordan School District didn't have a program for a number of years. It was 2012-13, and the principal at the time, Jason Skidmore, reached out to us because we had an internship program that we were running in the Valley for all the work-based learning and CTE students, and he wanted to start a Fire Science Program. So that's all she wrote. So myself and a few others built the program, put the curriculum together, and we started teaching at the North Campus and that first class was 2013. Anthony Godfrey:We're going to talk to some former students now who are firefighters. Talk to me about that. Sean Garrett:So I'm staring at them right now and, you know, these three buttheads, they were high school students here. I believe it was two years ago. Those kids were successful in this program. They graduated high school, moved on to our Camp Williams seasonal wildland program, worked on getting, finishing, testing, getting their EMT certification. Then once they had their two years seasonal, they ended up hiring on full time with UFA. Right before I came out here as a coordinator, I was a fire training specialist so I also got to be one of their lead instructors for their 16-week recruit school that they had when they hired on full time. So we brought them back here. They're, you know, obviously not just the story piece for sure, the recruiting piece, but just this program is working and this is exactly what we designed it to be. It was to give us these three over here that's standing over to your right. Like that's what we're supposed to have. Full time firefighter EMTs for Unified Fire Authority to come from this program, all homegrown. Anthony Godfrey:What a huge benefit to them and their families and to the community at large. Sean Garrett:And to be 20 years old and to start this career is, you know, it's not for the faint of hearts. It's hard on your body. It's hard on your mind. So, to start early on like that and to have a healthy 25-year career and get out of it with a pension and enjoy your life, like there's so many, so many takeaways from starting early and getting after it while you can, especially programs like this just taking advantage of the opportunities that are given. Anthony Godfrey:Well, it all comes down to the instructors. So thank you for making this opportunity possible. Sean Garrett:They're the ones that do the work, but 100%. Anthony Godfrey:We're talking now with three former students who are now firefighter EMTs. It's very exciting to have you here today. Just introduce yourselves and tell us about your current situation, where you are. Dalton Timothy:My name is Dalton Timothy. I graduated in 2023 from Mountain Ridge High School and attended JTech here for two years. I currently work with Unified Fire Authority and I'm all over the valley working on all the stations. Carson Russell:I'm Carson Russell, a firefighter EMT with Unified Fire Authority. I've been doing that for about a year. Currently right now I am all over the valley. I don't quite have a station to call my home yet. I graduated from Mountain Ridge High School in 2023 and did JTech for two years. Dalton Hendricks:My name is Dalton Hendricks. I am a firefighter EMT with Unified Fire Authority as well. I'm currently just roaming around all of the stations. I graduated in 2022 at Riverton High School and I attended JATC for my junior and senior year. Anthony Godfrey:Now tell me what it means when you are part of Unified Fire but you are not assigned to a specific station. How does all of that work? Dalton Hendricks:So how it works is you bid for stations and right now we don't currently have a bid. So that just means they fill you in at wherever they need a firefighter EMT, which is our rank right now. So, wherever somebody needs help then they will just fill us in. That's how that really goes. Anthony Godfrey:And you've worked on some wildfires. Talk to me about what you've been doing out there. Dalton Hendricks:So currently this year I was just on the Forsyth Fire down in Pine Valley. We were down there for 14 days. The work that we put in down there was pretty labor-intensive. We did a little bit of everything in the wildland world. We dug some hand line in the dirt. We put some water on some fire. And on top of that we also did some structure protection. So just wrapping structures, spraying them with water, making sure the fire didn't impact them at all. Anthony Godfrey:What do you wrap them in? Aluminum foil normally. Dalton Hendricks:Yeah, yeah, yeah. We'll do aluminum foil. We'll set up sprinklers on the roofs and stuff. So yeah, just stuff like that just to protect them. Carson Russell:You do a lot of mitigating around properties too as well in wildland. And we do that a lot here throughout the valleys. Just cutting down trees around, brushing, and getting rid of those things that could cause the house to spark up. Just to protect it a little more for those harsh conditions. Anthony Godfrey:And you talked about the digging that you do. What does that look like? Carson Russell:It's depending on the fuel type. So it could be from 8 to 6 inches and you're just getting down to mineral soil. So you're just getting all the duff and the grass kind of out of that way so that the fire has a place that it will kind of stop if there's nothing else to burn basically. Anthony Godfrey:Tell me about what it has been like to be assigned to your first fire after completing all of your training here and being hired as a firefighter. Carson Russell:It's pretty cool. Your body kind of goes into this, “I know what to do, and I know my role.” And then your kind of mind shuts off a little bit and you just go back to your training and kind of do what you remember. And then the wow factor just comes after. I just went into a house that was on fire and did exactly what I was supposed to and everything I needed to do, and got the fire out. Anthony Godfrey:You say that pretty casually. “I went into a house that was on fire.” That is the sentence I've never said. So you really do get into a mode where your body is just saying, "Alright, here we go. This is what we do." Carson Russell:Yep. Anthony Godfrey:You're not really evaluating. You're just doing what you know to do. Carson Russell:And there's always the little voice in your head that says, "Oh, make sure you're checking for this. Make sure you're doing this." And so you're still kind of with it, but your body just feels like it just knows what to do. Dalton Hendricks:Yeah, the first fire, once you kind of get out, there's a part of you that you have that moment where you're like, "Oh, this is happening." And then once you get there, it just becomes a task and you're just going at it step by step on what we're doing now to then what the next project is to what we're doing here. And eventually the fire's on. You're like, "That just happened." That's kind of crazy. Anthony Godfrey:And then you process all that for a long time after that. Dalton Hendricks:And you tell stories. Carson Russell:It's definitely for the first time because we go throughout training and we have props out at the fire training in Magna where we practice fires all day long. And you get used to— Anthony Godfrey:Out of the tower. Carson Russell:Out of the tower. You get used to those props. You're still doing the training and everything, but you go into these houses you've never been into before and it's completely blacked out inside. And you can't really see. You just have to rely on your instincts and your training that you went through to locate the fire and put it out. Yeah, it's definitely a whole other world. Anthony Godfrey:When you look back at your first fire and you think about your time here at JATC, did it give you the foundation you needed to be successful? Carson Russell:Yeah, it definitely was a start on the basics and when you get in those high stress moments when you're in that house fire where you can't see, you just got to go back to your basics. And it just becomes just like a habit. You don't really think about putting your jacket on in the morning. So when you do all these repetitions here at J-TEC and you keep doing that throughout your career, it really just becomes second nature. Dalton Hendricks:You're doing a lot of the stuff that you're doing out at the training tower, which we did for three months. You're putting on gear. You're getting on air. You're doing search drills. So you're following the hose. When you can't see inside of a house, you have one thing you can follow, and that's the hose. So if you don't know your way out, you can follow the hose. Anthony Godfrey:Follow the hose. Okay. Dalton Hendricks:We did a lot of that stuff here. We did search drills. We had a fire engine that we could practice on and do training. We pulled the hose off the engine, flowed the water out of it, just like the real thing. And we have a forceful entry door here. We have to force our way into houses. This place just has so many of the aspects of the real job that we got to practice for two years. When we went into fire training, we already knew how to put on our gear. We already knew how to do it in time. We knew a bunch of aspects. If you want to do this job, it's a really good opportunity to come here and further yourself and put yourself ahead of other people that also want that same job. Anthony Godfrey:A really strong head start. Fantastic. I'm so grateful for what all of you are doing. And I'm really glad that you came through this program and that you're out there keeping our community safe. So I am excited to continue to watch your careers grow. And thank you very much for taking time today. Thank you. Dalton Hendricks:Thank you. Carson Russell:Thank you for having us. Anthony Godfrey:We're talking now with one of the current students in our Fire Science Program. Tell me your name, introduce yourself, and tell me what interested you in being part of this program. Jaden:I'm Jaden. I've been interested in this for like a while. I've been wanting to be a firefighter since I was a kid. And my dad, he works in the military, and they have to like do fire operations there. And I just thought it was super cool. And I just thought I should be a part of it. Anthony Godfrey:So you were interested in this from an early age. And has your dad, as part of his military service, been a part of fire operations? Jaden:Yeah. He like really like lately, he's been sending me videos of him putting out fires on a truck. I just think it's super cool. Because he mainly did like the military stuff back then. He like showed me. And now he's like being more a part of it. Anthony Godfrey:How does it feel to him that you're in this Fire Science Program? Jaden:He thinks that I'm working a lot harder than he did back in high school. He thinks it's way better. Anthony Godfrey:Yeah. I like the sound of that. That you're working hard. There's a lot of discipline involved in this program. Talk to me about what that feels like. Jaden:So like in the mornings, we have to go in and they have to check our whole uniforms. We have to stand perfectly. There can't be any hairs, and they can dock us points for that. And like you can't be slacking like when we're pulling hose or doing anything. Because that can also dock you points and they will deal with you. Anthony Godfrey:Tell me about some of the lessons that you're already taking from this, about yourself, and just about life in general. Jaden:It's having me look like more forward. And not like kind of just like go by. You know and try to like make up my future instead of just let it happen. Anthony Godfrey:So you're a little more intentional about things and more thoughtful about what you want to do next. And what is that? Jaden:I think wildland. I plan on applying for this summer. It seems really fun. I hope I can deal with these guys. Whatever works. Anthony Godfrey:And that's some specialized training for wildfires. Jaden:Yes. Anthony Godfrey:And that takes place in the summer following this program. Do you think you want to be a firefighter perhaps? Jaden:Yeah. I think, I mean especially like I was saying with my dad. It goes from that and it just moves on up to Hazmat and all that. And I think I just want to keep going up. Anthony Godfrey:Fantastic. Well congratulations and I'm eager to see what happens next for you. Jaden:Thank you. [Music] Anthony Godfrey:Stay with us when we come back more with the firefighters trained at the Jordan Academy for Technology and Career. [Music] Male Voice:Never miss an episode of The Supercast by liking and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform. Find transcripts for this episode and others at supercast.jordandistrict.org [Music] Female Voice:Does your student want to become a veterinarian, commercial pilot, programmer…

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Episode 323: Valley High School’s Long Time Tradition of Celebrating Day of the Dead Nov 13, 2025

Show notes

It is a long-time tradition at Valley High School thanks to the hard work and dedication of two incredible teachers. On this episode of the Supercast, we take you to Valley High’s Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos celebration, a touching and colorful commemoration, remembering lost loved ones though family photos, favorite foods, and so much more. At Valley it’s also an opportunity for students who participate to benefit academically through the school’s credit recovery program. Audio Transcription Graham:Today is the fourth annual Dia de los Muertos activity at Valley High School. Anthony Godfrey:This is experiential learning at its best and I would suggest that these are some of the most memorable experiences that students will have. Who are some of the people that you're honoring and remembering today personally? Sylvia:Celebrating my grandparents, two aunts, one uncle, and a student who passed in April. [Music] Anthony Godfrey:Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It is a long time tradition at Valley High School, thanks to the hard work and dedication of two incredible staff members. On this episode of the Supercast, we take you to Valley High's Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos celebration, a touching and colorful commemoration, remembering lost loved ones through family photos, favorite foods, and much more. At Valley, it's also an opportunity for students who participate to benefit academically through the school's credit recovery program. [Music] Anthony Godfrey:We're at Valley High today. It's a Friday and we're talking with Graham about what happens on Fridays at Valley. Graham is a friend of the Supercast. Graham, talk us through why we're here and what's going on. Graham:Well, Valley High School is a very special place that we are actually celebrating our 50th anniversary, kind of, sort of. Fifty years of graduations, 50 years of serving students and ensuring that we are helping as many kids get across that finish line as possible. I do not know the exact year that Friday activities started, but Friday activities kind of serve this purpose of bringing students into our building, giving them an opportunity to recover credits that they have previously not earned for a variety of reasons, engaging them in some sort of creative, fun, good activity, giving them some nuggets of knowledge, bringing them together, and helping them get that step closer towards graduation. It is one of the most important things that we do here at the school. Because of our schedule four days a week, teachers will volunteer their time, sell packets, create these experiences that are only as limited as our imagination and willingness as teachers. Anthony Godfrey:And experience is the right word for it. This is experiential learning at its best. I would suggest that these are some of the most memorable experiences that students will have as part of their secondary education. Just being able to delve deeply into some very meaningful opportunities. Graham:It is the most important part of everything that we do. Some of these students have not had experiences that have been very positive with schools, and they haven't had as much fun as they should have been having. So being able to really center everything that we do around bringing them in, having fun, giving them something that is going to serve them, and then pushing them towards where they need to get to. It's the best part of the job. Anthony Godfrey:Elective credit is an important part of it, but it's an enriching experience. That's what I think of most of all. Graham:Exactly. And we create and we write these packets so we can do any sort of credit that the teacher is licensed for. We align it to standards and we get to do so in a way that isn't just textbooks, lecture, it's projects, it's field trips, it's fun. Anthoy Godfrey:And it's not just showing up. There's work expected beyond Friday of students in order to earn the credit. But this is the interactive aspect of it that really makes it stick. Makes it sticky and makes it something that students will retain for a long time. Graham:And beyond even just retaining, it makes them want to be a part of school more. Anthony Godfrey:Yeah. It's motivating. Graham:Exactly. Because they can't do Friday activities if they're not passing. They can't have these opportunities if they're not doing what they need to do to be getting towards their goals. This is a privilege for them, but it is the most fun part of the job. Anthony Godfrey:It's rocket fuel. That's what it is. Graham:Exactly. Anthony Godfrey:Tell us what today's activities focused on. Graham:Today is the fourth annual Dia de los Muertos activity at Valley High School. It started a couple years ago with a different teacher. People have kind of come and gone and we just keep on building this activity on top of itself every year. It started with a small group of students, and now we have the ability to offer this to over 100 students, which is about 30 percent of our entire student population at the school. Every year during the week, we set up the "ofrenda" and we place photographs of our loved ones that have passed, of animals that have passed, or the people that matter to us. We come together. It is the most emotional part of this activity, seeing the people that we care about and the people that we honor in our buildings. Students, grandparents, spouses, children, and we dedicate a large amount of our space to this, and we keep this up because this is the important thing. It is not inherently just about what we want to do, what we're thinking about. It is honoring everyone in the building, everyone that has helped and supported this place, everyone that has brought everyone in this building to where we are at, and provided us the ability to serve or to learn or to have the opportunities that we have in life. So this is a very meaningful day for a lot of people in this building. And being able to offer credits to students who need those opportunities is just the cherry on top. But this is a day that is about so many things that are bigger than just us, and being able to serve the students is far and beyond the most important thing. Anthony Godfrey:Is there someone you're honoring and remembering today? Graham:I have grandparents, friends, and students. Anthony Godfrey:Thank you, Graham. Thank you for making this possible for all of these students, and it will be memorable for everyone involved. Graham:It always is. Anthony Godfrey:Thank you. Eva:Welcome to our "Dia de los Muertos ." For those of you who don't know me, my name is Eva. I've been teaching here at Valley for a while, six or seven years. We are going to, in this activity, explore the deep roots of this particular holiday with the symbols and the food and the music, and we are thrilled that you are here to participate in it. We have an amazing crew that has been here nights. We've been cooking for two days. Sylvia Wilkerson. Erica Hernandez, who is our nursery manager, is an artist who put together all of our ofrenda, your photo booth, the backdrop for our speakers and musicians that's in the lecture hall. We're going to start with the pan de morto. They're going to explain what that's about, why it's important, and we're going to share breaking bread together. Breaking bread together is an extremely ancient way of being a part of a community and acknowledging our common human needs and our communal understanding of each other. Owner, Cakes by the Bakery:Thank you guys so much, Valley High School, Eva and Sylvia and Erica, for continuing this relationship with Cakes by Edith. My sister and I, we are owners of a bakery called Cakes by the Bakery, and we're a Mexican family-owned bakery. So we focus on a lot of pastries and traditional breads that we make throughout the year, this being one of the most popular ones. This one is called "Pan de Muerto," which translates to "Bread of the Dead," in celebration of Dia de los Muertos. I don't know how much you guys know about Dia de los Muertos, but it's a really big, . . . I think one of the biggest holidays that Mexican culture celebrates, and it's a day or a couple of days to celebrate and honor your loved ones. So once again, thank you guys. [applause] Anthony Godfrey:We're talking now with Angelica, a student at Valley High School. Angelica, who are you honoring today? AngelicaI have family members and I have friends that passed away. They were all very sweet, and they were always just a good person in your life. Anthony Godfrey:So when you think about these people that we've lost, what does that make you think about your own life? Angelica:That you really have to value every moment because you never know what can happen the next day, because you’re never promised if you're going to wake up in the morning. Anthony Godfrey:You have to make the most of the time you have. Angelica:Yep, makes every moment count. Anthony Godfrey:The impact they had in your life is the same type of impact you can have in the lives of others. Angelica:Yeah. Anthony Godfrey:We're talking now with Jose, who is a former student of Valley. Nice to meet you, Jose. Jose:Nice to meet you. I'm coming here to help teach about Dia de los Muertos, about some of the historical significance and the significance behind the different kinds of symbolism from the bread of the dead, for example. Anthony Godfrey:Tell me about some of the people that you are honoring and remembering on Dia de los Muertos. Jose:We recently lost my grandmother, so that is someone that is heavy in my heart, that we are also honoring at home within our memorial. We also have lost other members of the family in the past, like my mother's uncle. That's someone who we hold close and dear. And other than that, we thankfully have been blessed not to lose many members of our family. Anthony Godfrey:Well, thank you for talking with me. It's nice to meet you. It's exciting to hear the positive impact Valley has had on you, and I wish you well on your continuing education journey. Jose:Thank you. Anthony Godfrey:Thank you. [MUSIC] Anthony Godfrey:Stay with us when we come back more with Valley High School's Day of the Dead. [MUSIC] Male Voice:Never miss an episode of the Supercast by liking and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform. Find transcripts for this episode and others at supercast.jordandistrict.org. [MUSIC] Female Voice:They're out on the job in the rain, sleet, snow, ice, and in the sunshine. As Jordan School District students navigate their way to and from school every day, we are truly grateful for our city crossing guards, always vigilant and looking out for students to ensure everyone's safety. Because they work so hard protecting our kids, let's give those crossing guards a hand. If you're driving near or around schools, slow down, pay attention, watch for students and staff, and follow instructions from the school crossing guards, and know our cities are always looking to hire crossing guards. If you like kids and need some flexible hours, contact your local city and apply to be a crossing guard today. Together, let's make this a safe and successful school year. [MUSIC] Anthony Godfrey:We're talking with Sylvia and Erica at the heart of Dia de los Muertos today. Thank you very much for talking with us. Sylvia:Sure, thank you. Erica:Thanks for coming. Yes, thank you. This means a lot. Anthony Godfrey:I think this is a really exciting activity just because of the deep personal meaning this has for every individual involved. Tell us about Dia de los Muertos for those who may not know exactly what this tradition means. Sylvia:So the celebration, we celebrate the lives of those that we have loved, whether they're family members or pets, friends, some of our students that have passed. And we just remember them because we believe that death is part of life, the circle of life. And as long as we don't forget those that we love, and we actually dedicate a specific date. It's focused on them and the memories we have of them. Anthony Godfrey:What have you seen this mean to the students of Valley as this has happened over the years? Erica:They have loved it. Every single time we've done it, they have always liked to, when we're getting all the decorations and everything together, they have always loved to help and just be part of it. Anthony Godfrey:Who are some of the people that you're honoring and remembering today personally? Erica:My father, my grandfather. Sylvia:I'm celebrating my grandparents. Two aunts, one uncle, and a student that passed in April. Anthony Godfrey:Tell me about what the display is and how that helps us remember those who have passed on. For those who can't see this beautiful display here. Sylvia:First of all, it's not a religious. It has no connection to religion. But in one way or another, we need to dedicate some time just to reflect on who they were to us. And also, we like to sit around, have dinner on Dia de los Marcos, and eat the food that they loved. So that's why we dedicate one day of the year, not saying that we don't talk or remember them any other year. For example, the flowers. We believe that the aroma of the flowers guides their spirits to come see us and give us some comfort. We believe that the light, the candles and stuff, represent the light that they need to come to us and then to go back. Anthony Godfrey:That's a beautiful way of expressing a connection to those who have passed on. And what I see is lots of marigolds. Is that what they are? Sylvia:Yes. Anthony Godfrey:Marigolds in bright orange and yellow strewn along the floor with candles lining each side and with butterflies on the floor. Tell me about the symbolism of the butterflies. Sylvia:The butterflies, they're the monarch butterflies. There's a town in Mexico that on Dia de los Muertos, where whatever day it is, whether it's a Monday or a Wednesday, they get to that town. And so it's always on Dia de los Muertos. You just see them. And we believe that there is a, you know, we like to associate the butterfly with the spirit of the person. And, you know, that it's free to come see us and just the sign that they love us just as much as we love them. Anthony Godfrey:I didn't expect to come to the podcast today and think about my own friends and relatives who have passed, but... Thank you for helping me remember them. Sylvia:We would love to invite you and the people that work with you to send us pictures, and we would be more than honored to add the pictures to our celebration. Anthony Godfrey:Thank you for helping me remember them, and I will do that in the future. I will send you pictures. Sylvia:Thank you. Anthony Godfrey:Well, thank you so much. This has been a really... Sylvia:No, thank you. Really, thank you for taking time out of your schedule because we know that, you know, you had other things to do, but this really does mean a lot to our community. Our students, just to know that you are here in the building. Erica:Yes. Sylvia:And I don't know if you know this, but we have a few parents that have volunteered. They volunteered to bring us food, too, because they want the younger generations to not disconnect themselves from traditions. Anthony Godfrey:Well, thank you for providing this opportunity. It's very important, and we'll be back. Erica:Thank you. Sylvia:We are so excited. We're happy to see you. And this is our fourth year, and I think it grows every year. Erica:Yes. Anthony Godfrey:Wonderful…

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