MANTI—Schools are back in session and after having a couple weeks under their belts, four principals were invited to school board meeting on Wednesday, September 14 to share their plans and concerns with the board.
Board member Gary Olson said he knows that the start of school is a huge process and there is so much to do and he along with all board members appreciate everyone for their efforts and all the good things they are doing.
“When we see our schools earn rewards and recognition from the state it shows that good things are happening and it’s a reflection of each schools hard work,” Olson said.
Karen Soper, principal at Manti High School expressed her appreciation to the district for all the new things the high school received over the summer including the gym floor and lights and the parking lot.
“I have noticed a difference in our students and how they are taking better care of the new improvements our school has received,” Soper said. “When the students see an investment to their school, they seem to show more respect.”
She said the goal for the year is to help give students a voice. Teachers and students will be working together throughout the year to see what works and what doesn’t work.
“Often times kids come to me and say, we have already tried this and its not working,” she said.
The staff and Manti High School wants to know what is going to work and if its not working how they can fix it. Soper said that she feels kids will respond better to rules and activities in the school if the kids have a voice.
“Once students feel like they have a voice they feel like they belong,” she said. “That’s what we want to do, we want students to all feel like they belong.”
Principal Jeff Bartholomew from Gunnison Valley Middle School told the board the new airconditioning units that were placed on the building over the summer have been a nice addition. “It feels so much better,” he said.
At the middle school they are focusing on learning, not to grade, but giving students choice in ways to demonstrate mastery.
“We want to refocus on learning the part and allow the students a choice on how to learn it,” he said.
Along with focusing on learning, the school is focusing more on helping students to be well rounded individuals teaching them how to be respectful and kind.
“Kids are going through hard things and one kid being unkind is one too many in my book,” Bartholomew said.
He said he feels that when kids are kind it will help students become more successful because they will want to come to school.
A problem he is having in his school and is hoping to get some help with is there is nothing for his students to do outside during lunch and breaks.
“We have one basketball hoop,” he said. “When students go outside, they have to find something to do, and it usually turns into things they shouldn’t be doing.”
He proposed to the board a plan to add pickleball courts outside of the school. He has already talked with Todd Alder to get a quote and is hoping to get some assistance in giving students something to do.
Gunnison Valley High School is working on helping kids get motivated Principal Gene King said. Teachers will be working with students on goal setting during advisory on Mondays.
“Each week students will have a canvas assignment and they will set S.M.A.R.T goals,” King said.
SMART is an acronym for giving criteria to guide in the setting of goals and objectives for better results. It stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time based.
“We want to help the students become motivated because of their success, great or small.” King said.
He said the goal setting to this degree is new and hasn’t been done to his knowledge before at Gunnison High School. He is hoping to install something into the students that they can use their whole life.
Something that has been a struggle at GVHS for King is watching the Latino population struggle over the years. He said the male population is not graduating, they are leaving school in their sophomore year.
The high school has now teamed up with Snow College and created a Latino’s in Action group that will help these students become more successful and hopefully want to stay in school. A class has been added for Spanish speaking students to write in their own language.
“This class will hopefully be a great asset to those students.” he said.
Gunnison Elementary School is growing according to Principal Arleen Jensen and especially the kindergarten.
Jensen said that one of the things new to the school this year is the no rewards program.
“We were handing out skittles and treats for every little thing, and the older the students got, the bigger of an award they expected,” she said.
The school has decided intrinsic rewards are the best. This does not mean that the kids wont be rewarded for the good things they are doing, things are just done a little differently and so far according to Jensen it seems to working well.
The elementary school also has a slight struggle with students who know no English, but thanks to the help from some new hires the school is bridging the language barrier.
Next month the remaining schools will be to board meeting to report on how they’re doing and the great things happening at their schools.
