Kids Cause Shop With A Cop Activity Takes Place at Spanish Fork K-Mart

 The Kids Cause Organization, a service attached to Bonneville UniServ in Utah County, sponsored its traditional Shop With A Cop at the Spanish Fork K-Mart, also known as Big K.  Children who might not have the opportunity to receive Christmas presents without this activity were selected by the Kids Cause Board of Directors to participate in this yearly activity.  Local police officers, Kids Cause Board members, and Bonneville UniServ staff were present to support child participants as they drove carts through the store before it opened for business on Saturday, December 17.  The look on the children's faces was thanks enough for the policemen and other attendees to know that they were doing the right thing for children.

Provo Education Association - State Superintendent, Mayor, Moms and Dads Read to Amelia Students

About 550 adult volunteers showed up to Amelia Earhart Elementary to read to students one-on-one for a half hour, including Utah State Superintendent Larry Shumway, Mayor John Curtis (dressed and ready in his Cat in the Hat pajamas and hat), Provo City Police Chief Rick Gregory and about 10 of his officers and best of all, hundreds and hundreds of moms, dads, grandmas and grandpas.

Before we got started, each teacher instructed the adults on how to properly read with children. Thank you, teachers! While we all know proper punctuation pronunciation, these insights were really helpful, such as animating your voice, being good listeners and asking the student what they think about the story and what they predict will happen next. (I’ve attached the list at the bottom of this post for anyone interested.)

I got to read Encyclopedia Brown with remarkably smart 3rdgrader, and we had a great time. He was such a good reader and I’ll have to ask him if I can borrow the book when he’s done because I have to know how it ends.

This was a great opportunity for parents and adults to show children just how important reading is. Thank you Amelia Earhart for the making than Read-a-thon and annual tradition. Can’t wait for next year!

Alpine Education Association Hosts FREE Movie Day For Members & Their Families

Alpine Education Association members and their families were treated to a FREE movie day and discounts on concession treats at Thanksgiving Point Theaters on Saturday, December 10.  A variety of movies were offered for participants to be able to choose the movie that was just right for their needs.  Members enjoyed a rare opportunity to take their entire family to the movies for FREE and buy treats at a discount to make a cost-effective and fun outing for them and their families.  This popular AEA tradition will most likely continue due to member request in future years.

Nebo Education Association Hosts FREE Movie Day For Members & Their Families

Nebo Education Association hosted their annual FREE movie day for Nebo Education Association members and their families on Saturday, December 3, at Spanish Fork 8 Theaters. All eight theaters were reserved to allow Association members to choose from various featured movies, and enjoy them in a relaxed manner.  Discounts were given on food and beverages to make this recreational experience be a welcome treat for members and their families.  The Nebo Education Association Board members were present to greet members, and assist them in choosing the movie that they wanted to view.  All participants had a wonderful time, and this annual tradition is likely to continue as a FREE benefit to Nebo Education Association members and their families in future years.

Provo Education Association - Provo High Students Collect 15,000 Cans of Food to Donate

Not only did Provo High students reach their goal of collecting and donating 10,000 items of food to donate, but they smashed it by collecting 15,232. Way to go, Provo High!

Students were promised that if they met their goal, they would be rewarded with an assembly where their teachers would perform various embarrassing stunts, such as the math teachers hula hooping, the coaches and Principal Jeff Schoonover dancing in tutus, teachers break dancing and shaving beards and many other student-pleasing antics. Everyone came through on their promises.

Silliness aside, Schoonover said this was a great opportunity for the students to participate in some service learning, to see a need in our area and then work hard to help fill that need.

While this post focuses on the efforts made at Provo High to collect food during this season, many schools throughout our district have made significant contributions to our local food banks as well. Everyone is invited to share their food-collecting experiences in the comments section below.

Thank you to all the students and staff in our district who have helped the season be a little brighter for many of our neighbors this year.

Carbon County Education Association - Wellington Elementary Students Collect Food Bank Items

2,219 items and 2,282 pounds!!!!

Check it out!!!

Wellington Elementary in Carbon School District raised 2,219 items for the Food Bank!  We donated 2,282 pounds!

Thank you, parents, students, and everybody who helped feed the people in our community.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Alpine Education Association Members Honored With National Awards

Lois Johnson, AEA Board Member

Lois Johnson, AEA Board member and choir teacher at Lone Peak High School in Alpine School District, was selected by the National Federation of High Schools Music Committee to receive a Section 7 award representing Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah. This program recognizes deserving high school or college band, choral or orchestral directors, supervisors and adjudicators who have had a significant impact on high school activities programs.  Nominees must exemplify the highest standards of ethical conduct, and carry the endorsement of their respective state high school association.  Lois will be presented with her commemorative plaque from the NFHS at the UMEA Mid-Winter Conference in February.

Gay Beck, 2011 Utah Teacher of the Year

Gay Beck, AEA member and kindergarten teacher at Highland Elementary School in Alpine School District, has been named as one of the 35 public school educators in America who will receive the California Casualty Awards for Teaching Excellence, one of the nation’s most prestigious awards for public educators.  These educators will be honored at the NEA Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Education Gala to be held in Washington, D. C. on February 10, 2012.  Known as the Academy Awards of public education, the gala attracts more than 850 of the nation’s leaders from public education, philanthropy, and the private sector.  In addition, the educators’ schools will receive awards of $650. Gay is the 2011 Utah Teacher of the Year.

JoDee Sundberg & Sherl Miner Honored at UEA 'Superstars in Education' Banquet

Utah Education Association and Arch Coal Foundation honored Alpine School District's JoDee Sundberg  and Sherl Miner at the recent 'Superstars in Education' Banquet.  This prestigious event was held on Thursday evening, October 20, during the UEA Convention.  

JoDee Sundberg, Alpine Board of Education member and Utah State School Boards Association president, was an Honor Roll award recipient for her work as an ardent defender of public schools and public school teachers. She has been an ardent defender of public school teachers, and has testified many times on their behalf at the Utah State Legislature. JoDee continually reaches out to the Public, Alpine Education Association and Bonneville UniServ for input on educational issues.

Sherl Miner, fifth grade teacher at Mt. Mahogany Elementary School in Alpine School District, was honored with a 2011 Arch Coal Foundation Excellence in Teaching award. A ‘Traveling Show’ program performed by Sherl Miner’s fifth-grade students each year creates excitement throughout the school and the community. Other grade-level teachers assist in preparations.  Miner focuses on the Twentieth Century when writing and producing the programs. “Each student is welcome to dance, sing, narrate or perform,” wrote a fellow teacher. “I especially love this aspect of the program. Children gain confidence being in front of others. The production is amazing!”

Mitch Cudney, Nebo Education Association Member, Inspires Students

Mitch Cudney, Nebo Education Association member at Springville Junior High School, has inspired students at his school through his art skills. Mitch wanted to motivate students at the school and maintain a theme that used the school's knight mascot. He selected the painting "God Speed" by Edmund Leighton to create at large six-by-nine foot mural for Springville Junior High School. The mural shows a lady tying a favor around the arm of a knight as he rides off into battle. Mitch thought that the lady and the knight would inspire both young women and young men at Springville Junior High School. Mitch, a local artist and art teacher at the school, chose the painting two years ago. He and his students have been working to complete the mural ever since then. Students recreated the painting by using one-inch square sections during a twenty minute daily enrichment class. Over a two-year period, Mitch Cudney and his students spent one-thousand hours to create the beautiful mural that now hangs in the center of the main hallway facing the entrance doors.

Lynnell Fox, Alpine Education Association Member, Receives Classroom Supply Gifts

Lynnell Fox, Alpine Education Association member, was recently surprised with a bouquet of flowers and a huge box of school supplies for her 1^st grade classroom at Greenwood Elementary School in Alpine School District.  These surprise gifts were donated to Lynnell in the Office Max program entitled “A Day Made Better – To stop Teacher-Funded Classrooms.”  Lynnell was one of 1,000 educators teaching throughout the country who received these unexpected classroom supplies and flowers.  She was nominated to receive the educational materials in this program by her principal at Greenwood Elementary, Jason Benson, with the following comments:

“Mrs. Fox is an amazing teacher!”  She is a great representative of Greenwood Elementary, has spent tons of her own time and money to create memories for her students, and makes learning fun!  Her students are always engaged, and she ensures that they leave 1^st grade prepared!  Greenwood is filled with great teachers, and Mrs. Fox is the cream of the crop.  She is a shining example of excellence in education.  Her passion and caring are evident in her teaching.  We are fortunate to have Mrs. Fox as a first-grade teacher, as a team player, and most importantly as a great role model for our community.”

Mrs. Fox ran a preschool for 19 years, taught in Davis County for 4 years, and is now in her 7^th year of teaching at Greenwood Elementary School.  She said she teaches “for the children.”  She subscribes to the philosophy that “childhood is a journey, not a race.”  Mrs. Fox wants each student to reach his or her own potential, and hopes to instill in them the ability to be individuals.  She has lived in American Fork all of her life except when she was a college student in Ogden.

UEA Road Trip Visit To Carbon County Education Association On 9-29-11

On September 29, the Carbon County Education Association and a UEA Road Trip team visited two schools in Price during the lunch hour. Part of the team visited Mont Harmon Junior High, and the rest shared lunch with teachers at Carbon High School.  During the meeting at Carbon High, UEA President Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh covered issues of concern for teachers. Asked about charter school educators joining the UEA, she indicated that she would like to see more join. Other issues discussed were teacher merit pay, legislative issues and concerns with state Supt. Larry Shumway. “(Shumway) doesn’t seem to be the best advocate for teachers,” said one educator.

About 40 educators and their families, including Carbon School District Superintendent Steve Carlsen, attended a barbecue hosted by CCEA in the courtyard of Carbon High School. Carbon County Education Association President Caroline Barrington welcomed everyone, and then turned the time over to Kory and Sharon. They discussed the importance of attending caucus meetings, and shared insight into education-related issues.

UEA Road Trip Visit to Alpine Education Association on 9-28-11

The evening could not have been nicer for Alpine School District teachers and their families gathered at the Scera Park Main Pavilion in Orem. The Alpine Education Association (AEA) hosted a dinner event, which included a catered barbecue, music, prizes, and comments from UEA Vice President Tom Nedreberg.

In responding to a question about working with the Utah legislature, Nedreberg said, “We all went into teaching because we care about the kids. We didn’t realize when we started that politics plays such a big role in everything we do.” He encouraged teachers to become politically active if they want to make a difference in their classrooms.

AEA President Mike Gowans thanked teachers for their efforts and shared insight into Alpine teacher contracts. “Right now, Alpine has probably a better relationship between our teachers and administration than any other district in the state,” he said. “While budget cuts have made (contract negotiations) difficult, we have been able to negotiate a better contract than pretty much any place else.”

UEA Road Trip Visit to Nebo Education Association on 9-14-11

The Nebo Education Association and UEA Road Trip team members hosted a meeting for all educators at Salem Hills High School. Those attending discussed various proposed bills, the Ogden City School District situation, and the importance of teachers, administrators, superintendents, and parents working together to improve education. Following the meeting, UEA President Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh, Vice President Tom Nedreberg and Communications Director Mike Kelley met with Nebo Education Association Board members to discuss issues, including messaging and ways to increase membership.

UEA Road Trip Visit to Provo Education Association on 9-13-11

The Provo Education Association hosted a luncheon at the Provo City Library for key public education

organizations. Those attending included representatives from the Provo Board of Education, the Provo Chamber of Commerce, the Parent Teacher Association and the Utah School Employees Association. UEA President Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh addressed the group.

“Promise me you will try to read every day,” was the request made by Gallagher-Fishbaugh when she read to K-3 students at Provo Peaks Elementary. She made the same plea to the entire student body at Provo’s Lakeview Elementary when she read there. Her reading of Dr. Seuss’ Cat in the Hat was followed by a visit from the famous cat himself.

About 50 teachers attended a teacher meeting that evening at Provo High School prior to a Provo School District Board of Education meeting. Teachers enjoyed sandwiches while discussing a range of topics including the situation in Ogden City School District, legislation being discussed by the State Board of Education and the need for superintendents, administrators, school boards, teachers and others to work together for the

benefit of public education and our students.