Author: Kirsta Albert

Sure, school has barely ended, but preparing over the next few months for the upcoming school year can alleviate much of the stress that comes with sending the kiddos off on that big yellow bus on the first day back to school.

Research has shown that, on average, a student’s achievement scores can decline during summer vacation by one month’s worth of school-year learning, and that this decline is more pronounced at higher grade levels. Which means that summertime learning loss — also referred to as the “summer slide” — happens to most kids and it’s important to keep flexing the body’s most important organ (the brain) in a variety of ways.

To help mitigate the summer slide, Wasatch County School District (WCSD) suggests everyone (kids, parents, grandparents) sets a goal to read — or be read to — for at least 20 minutes every day. The district’s #WasatchReads initiative encourages “Every Child. Every Family. Every Night.” to participate in reading year-round, and summer vacation offers ample opportunity to set a total-books-read goal for June, July and August.

To help maximize reading experiences, WCSD’s Director of Elementary Education Eric Campbell recommends parents ask comprehension questions, which can include:

•   Where is the setting of this story?

•   What is this story about?

•   Who is telling the story?

•   What words describe the main character?

•   Does the main character have a problem? What is it?

•   How is the problem solved (what was the solution)?

•   What do you think the author wants you to know after reading?

Campbell also suggests embarking on educational adventures, such as visiting museums, parks, zoos or even the local library. Using flash cards and practicing multiplication tables during car rides can also help kids keep their math chops up over the break.

According to Wasatch County School District Director of Special Education Dr. Ben Springer, road trips offer the perfect opportunity to help kids use their brains all summer long. He suggests activities such as having kids create a map, calculating miles and time between set points along the way (or actually learning to read a map – a lost art in these days of GPS).

When it comes to screen time, Dr. Springer warns that the unstructured summer days can increase the amount of time kids are on their devices. Instead, he suggests parents allow screen time, but also implement structure and limits. And though parents tend to use screen time during long trips to help prevent a chorus of “Are we there yet?” on repeat, opportunities to enhance literacy abound, such as creating travel logs about pre-selected landmarks along the route.

Also, for students entering grades one through five at any WCSD elementary school, the district offers summer school at Heber Valley Elementary from June 10 to July 18, Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon. Reading, math and Dual Language Immersion (DLI) are offered for a nominal fee, with transportation provided from each of the other four elementary schools to Heber Valley Elementary. All fees are waived for students on free or reduced lunch for the 2018 – 2019 school year, and all students ages 17 and under – regardless of economic status – can receive free lunch daily, whether or not they are participating in summer school. Visit the WCSD site at Wasatch.edu for more information.

Summertime is built for fun, and kids’ brains do need a break, but they also need to be engaged in meaningful ways to stay sharp. School-year prep can be fun and fruitful — and can reap positive rewards for that first day back in fall.

Beyond keeping kids’ brains sharp, the following checklists will help parents with the administrative side of getting their kids ready for fall:

All Students:

 Returning students: Be sure to register at Wasatch.edu. ALL students must register every year; registrations do not carry over from the previous year.

 Beginning in August, before the first day of school, visit your child’s school with them to help with the transition between grades and schools.

 Review “lessons learned” with your student from the previous year and set goals and expectations.

Incoming Kindergarteners and 7^th Graders:

 Required immunizations must be completed and documented prior to registration.

High School

 Begin college admissions applications and essays (incoming seniors).

 Sign up to volunteer to build your resume (and to be a good human).

 Prepare for standardized tests (ACT, SAT).

 New students: Make an appointment for August to register; call the registrar’s office at 435-654-0640, x3712.

 Inquire about sports tryouts. A physical is often required to try out, so plan ahead.

And, because the next school break cannot come soon enough for many students, here are important dates during the 2019-2020 school year:

Aug. 21:                                   First Day for Students

Aug. 29:                                   Kindergarten and Preschool Begin

Sept. 2:                                    Labor Day

Oct. 17-18:                           Fall Break

Oct. 24:                                   End of First Term

Oct. 25:                                   Professional Development Day (no school for students)

Nov. 27 – 29:                        Thanksgiving Vacation

Dec. 23 – Jan. 1:                 Christmas Vacation

Jan. 9:                                      End of Second Term

Jan. 10:                                   Professional Development Day (no school for students)

Jan. 20:                                   Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Feb. 17:                                   Washington and Lincoln Day

March 19:                              End of Third Term

March 20:                              Professional Development Day (no school for students)

April 6-8:                                PCCR/SSP Days (no school)

April 9-10:                             Spring Break

May 25:                                   Memorial Day

May 28:                                   End of Fourth Term

“Most of us end up with no more than five or six people who remember us. Teachers have thousands of people who remember them for the rest of their lives.”  – Andy Rooney

Without question, teachers impact more individual lives than nearly any other profession. And while the Kati Fischer Teacher of the Year program is currently flourishing in each school, Wasatch County School District, along with Labrum Chevrolet, Buick and Ford, conceived of an additional way to thank the lifeblood of the district and launched Cool Teachers Care this past August.

Cool Teachers Care is program that runs throughout the school year and rewards teachers who’ve been nominated by fellow teachers, students and parents to receive recognition monthly in the form of small gifts, such gift certificates and cash cards. At the end of the year, one nominee from each school is entered to win the one-year lease for the Cool Teachers Care car.

According to Danny Labrum, owner of Labrum Chevrolet, Buick and Ford in Heber, expanding on the existing Cool2Care program — which awards whole ownership of a brand-new car to one Wasatch High School student annually — was the logical way to thank teachers, as well.

“Teachers matter to every kid,” explained Labrum. “It’s a way to give back; a way to show our gratitude to the teachers for what they do for the community.”

Shawn Kelly, Wasatch County School District Director of Operations and Human Resources, pointed out, “Cool Teachers Care has given us the ability to reward teachers similarly to students. Thanks to the Labrums, a teacher can drive a new car for a year.”

He further noted that the local Mountainland One Stop also donates $1,500 toward gas to the winning teacher. “What a fantastic program to recognize our hard-working teachers,” Kelly said. “We are hopeful that this program will continue to grow, and are currently seeking more funding to expand the program at all schools.”

Anyone interested in supporting the Cool Teachers Care program at their local school should contact Shawn Kelly at [email protected].

Nearly 15 percent of children in Wasatch County are food insecure, according to Feeding America. In hard numbers, that’s 1,350 kids under the age of 18 – 52 percent of whom are estimated to be ineligible for federal nutrition assistance.

To help curb that troubling statistic, Wasatch High School decided to try to make a tangible difference for the underserved in our community. This year, WHS launched its Community of Caring class in which the students’ main prerogative is to manage the WHS Food Pantry.

The pantry, which is located in the West Campus building, is a critical hunger relief program managed by students for students. It provides food items and toiletries for families in the school community who are struggling and in need of a little extra support.

“When presented with the opportunity to supervise this class and a food pantry, I was both excited and not sure where to begin,” confesses WHS AP Biology and Psychology teacher, Char Dawson. “I decided to look at it like a start-up not-for-profit company and take it a day at a time.”

Lending A Helping Hand

Community Action Services helped kick off the program, providing 4,000 pounds of food to the pantry before the school year started. The Heber City Police Department also pitched in with a large donation, as did the Deer Creek Ward. The pantry also relies on ongoing contributions from the community.

The program itself is fairly simple. Students in need can ask a counselor for a tag that includes a locker number and combination, or pick up a tag outside the pantry. The student then visits an online Google Doc and places his or her “order” using the given locker number and combination. This way, the students are able to remain anonymous, while also getting the items they need.

The Community of Caring students then make a list of items for each student from the Google Doc, gather the items from the pantry shelves and load them into the assigned locker. Students receiving the items can then retrieve their order from the locker at his or her convenience.

As for the Community of Caring students and their teacher, they couldn’t be happier helping their fellow classmates and community members. “My students have been amazing with their hard work and enthusiasm,” Dawson says. “The support from the community has been incredible and makes me love this valley even more.”

Want To Help?

Donations can be delivered to the pantry Tuesday – Friday from 2:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. For more information, please contact WCSD Communications Director Kirsta Albert at 435-640-1638 or [email protected].

What Students Are Saying

”I love that we become close to each other and our community — no one is left behind” (Brenda)

”What I like about the food panty is that it gives me the opportunity to make a difference in my community.” (Kayla)

”This class is the best way to start the day! On a sleepy Monday, carrying and sorting food donations wakes us up and makes us feel good. Community of Caring helps us make a difference and remember what’s important: to love on another.” (Angel)

”I love the feeling of being able to make a difference. It is so sad to me that people don’t even have enough food and so being able to help makes everything better. I always leave with a huge smile and so much happier than before I came to the food pantry.” (Katelyn)

”In this class we aren’t just sitting around waiting for someone to do something, we are the ones taking action to help other students and the whole community.” (Sierra)

”I love the opportunity to serve and help people. It feels good to make a difference in the community.” (Sydney)

”I love this class! It gives me the opportunity to help others.” (Venida)