Uniquely Davis Newsletter

Layton High’s student-produced stage production of “Elf the Musical" makes audiences laugh and cry as they watch Buddy the Elf head to New York City to find his father during Christmas.

Buddy is played by Layton High senior Beckham who happens to be a 2023 Utah Shakespeare Festival’s Larry Lott Award Winning Actor.

“Buddy is like a child and sees things through a whole new lens," Beckham said. "It’s all about maintaining that childlike wonder at Christmas time. Hopefully that character can help us remember that this year.”

Davis School District's online school, Davis Connect K-12, has received approval from the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) to serve as a statewide online education provider (SOEP). Davis Connect is one of only six such programs approved by USBE to offer online coursework to students across the state.

The SOEP program provides eligible students the opportunity to earn graduation credits by completing publicly funded online courses. Established by the Utah Legislature in the 2011 General Session, the SOEP program enables students to access online learning regardless of their school of attendance.

Davis Connect courses through SOEP are free to students and are mastery-based, meaning the course is considered complete only when the student achieves their desired level of mastery. All SOEP courses utilize open enrollment and a standards-based grading system.

As an SOEP provider, Davis Connect can offer its services to students statewide and collect Weighted Pupil Unit monies associated with the student for Davis School District.

Davis Connect also provides a variety of options to in-district students, including live online instruction courses, independent study courses tied to the term, and a la carte courses available for a full school year. Students can either fully enroll in Davis Connect or magnet to the online school to take courses as needed.

"We want families in the district to know that there are many options for taking courses through Davis Connect," said Davis Connect 7-12 Lead Administrator Stephanie Mouritsen.

For information on the SOEP program for interested students and families outside Davis School District, please visit the Davis Connect SOEP website or the USBE website.

For information on registration and program options for interested students and families within Davis School District boundaries, please visit the Davis Connect Online Program Options page on the district website.

Woods Cross High School has been awarded the Unified Champion School distinction for its commitment to inclusion through its Unified Sports programs, which bring together students with and without intellectual abilities through co-ed sporting activities.

Woods Cross is one of eight schools in Utah to have earned this honor.

Announcing the award at a special assembly, Utah’s First Lady Abby Cox took the stage with the school’s Unified athletes to explain the significance of the award to the entire student body. She shared that Woods Cross was selected because of the success of its Unified Sports programs, commitment of its student leaders and engagement as an entire school community to build a culture of belonging and inclusion.

Principal Deanne Kapetanov expressed her gratitude for the athletes who make the unique program flourish, as well as the students and teachers who enthusiastically support them on and off the field.

“If you haven’t been to Unified Sports, you need to go!” gushed Kapetanov. “It’s the best thing ever!”

Woods Cross offers track and field, soccer and basketball through the Unified Sports program. Earlier this year, the school's Unified Soccer team participated in the state Unified soccer tournament.

By all accounts, a trip to the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art (NEHMA) on the campus of Utah State University should have taken at minimum an hour to get there.

For students at Cook Elementary School in Syracuse, the trip took roughly one minute, amounting to a leisurely stroll across the parking lot.

The short trip—to the NEHMA mobile art truck—was made possible thanks to the Professional Outreach Programs in the Schools (POPS) endeavor. Managed by the Utah State Board of Education and sponsored by the Utah State Legislature, the program supports arts education in Utah’s public schools by bringing professional arts educational programs to schools for free or subsidized costs.

The display the students walked into, which is also currently being shown at the NEHMA in Logan, was titled Facing Fire, a display of thought-provoking photos and video showing how fire affects our lives.

Maria Lindsay, an educator with NEHMA, made sure students identified how their lives, and even their five senses—see, feel, smell, hear, and taste—are affected and can be used when a fire is nearby.

The lesson and discussion ranged from how students not only rely on fire in their everyday lives, —like roasting marshmallows and illuminating a birthday cake—but also how photographers document wildfires and turn them into pieces of art by capturing the beauty of flames, sparks and smoke. It also included how a photographer documented items that had sentimental value to her after being charred in a fire at her home.

“I hope they learn both about … some of the positive things that fire can do,” Lindsay said, “but also the way that fire affects people’s lives, and look at these art works and try to imagine how these artists experienced fire.”

Cook Elementary Prep Time Specialist Cyrrena Welch said the art truck allows students to experience different aspects of art, some which they may have never thought of.

“The fire exhibit was fabulous,” Welch said. “It showed different ways to do art with fire and it is just part of experiencing new parts of art.”

The traveling art show changes generally once a year based on available NEHMA exhibits.

Lindsay explained she and her fellow educators make contact with almost every school in the state through USU’s POPS grant. It’s through those funds that schools can be provided with a free Exploring Art Kit, a field trip to the USU museum or a free visit by the mobile art truck.

Mueller Park Junior High students were recently treated to a performance by Prince Ivan, who shared a high-energy show that had everyone on their feet.

The songwriting duo, Brydon Brett and Aaron Space hail from Branson, MO. They were invited to Mueller Park, North Davis and Syracuse junior highs to assist the district in its continuing efforts to build belonging, unity and inclusion among students.

Their effort, called Unity in Motion, seeks to unite people of all ages, ethnicities, background and cultures. They use a fusion of musical genres and bring in a dance party/live DJ set to help break down barriers while encouraging students to build meaningful connections with teachers and peers.

As beats echoed through the auditorium and everyone danced together, Prince Ivan left the Mueller Park Panthers with more than just a concert memory; they left behind a sense of unity and inspiration.

Bountiful Junior High's Madrigals recently filled the Christkindlmarkt at This is the Place Park and the Lightwalk at Tracy Aviary with holiday cheer, sharing their love for music and bringing joy to both performers and audience.

Congratulations to West Point Jr. High School's Science Department! It was named the Utah Science Teaching Association's 2023 Middle School Department of the Year, becoming the best Science Department in the state.

Davis Rydman, a senior at Layton High School recently took second at a National cross-country meet in California. His finish earned him all-American honors. He was the highest finishing athlete from Utah.

You can add an Emmy nomination to the list of accolades for Davis School District Digital Media Specialist Tom Laughlin.

Laughlin was nominated in the Diversity / Equity / Inclusion Short Form Content category for a 2023 Rocky Mountain Emmy. The Emmy nominated video was titled Rock Your Socks and can be seen at this link (2) "Rock Your Socks" - YouTube or by visiting the Davis School District YouTube channel.

Laughlin's video was competing against a pair of videos by Arizona Public Television and the National Football League.

Boulton Elementary joins the Apple Distinguished School Community. Boulton is only the fourth school in the state of Utah to receive this distinction and shares the honor with two other Davis School District elementary schools - Snow Horse Elementary and Sunset Elementary. This puts Boulton on the map with a global community of world-class educational institutions.

According to former Principal Tiffany Tuck, "Boulton signifies what it means to be an Apple school. The values, the traditions, the culture, the commitment and the dedication of the teachers and students are what is needed to exemplify the learning and growth that we are seeing."

Davis High School's Markham Hyde has been named the 2022-2023 Utah Coach of the Year for Boys Track and Field! This prestigious award, presented by the Utah High School Activities Association and the National Federation of High Schools, recognizes Hyde's exceptional leadership, dedication, and positive impact on his athletes.

A group of researchers at the University of Denmark conducted a study to determine the neurological source of holiday cheer. The researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machines to analyze brain activity while participants viewed a variety of images – some with holiday themes and some without. When participants viewed holiday-themed images, a specific area of the brain “lit up like … well, a Christmas tree” (Robertson, 2019).

Even though most don’t often – or ever – think about the neurological foundations of holiday cheer, the study identified a specific area of our brains which when engaged increases and solidifies positive feelings about the holidays. Engaging (or “lighting up”) this part of the brain is tied to the experiences we have (traditions, events, and giving). These experiences are particularly powerful when shared with friends and family.

Students and staff of Davis School District have worked to create a variety of opportunities for these positive experiences. We invite all to look at the ideas below and find ways to engage with students, staff, or schools this season to increase your holiday cheer.

Attend school activities

· Attend a band, choir, or theater holiday concert/show

· Attend a basketball, drill, swimming, wrestling, or cheerleading event

· Events calendars are on each school’s website (scroll down and click the “Full Calendar” button)

Read with young students

· Spend time at home reading your favorite holiday book to your own children, grandchildren, or the children in your extended family

· Contact your neighborhood elementary school and volunteer to read with students at school

· Review a few other ideas and resources here: https://www.pbs.org/parents/read

Be an emotional support for older students

· Talk to preteens and teens – ask about school, their friends, their holiday traditions. Ask what brings them cheer. Talk to them about anything. The connection is what matters!

· Engage children and teens in meaningful holiday experiences which build on their own cultural/family traditions. Seek also to expand their understanding of the culture/traditions of others in the community.

· Review the ideas and resources here: https://bit.ly/DSDParentFamilyResources

Encourage/thank an educator

· Ask a teacher, counselor, school administrator, custodian, bus driver or other educator about their work. How do they know they make a difference for students?

· Ask your child or grandchild about the adults they interact with at school? Who is making a difference in the life of your child?

· Send a simple thank you note expressing gratitude for the work educators do for the children & teens in your life.

Come work in Davis School District and make a difference every day

· Browse the many opportunities to come work at a school in Davis School District: https://dsdjobs.net/home

· Apply for a job yourself, or refer a job to a friend or family member.

Donate time, goods, or funds

· Make a difference by donating to your neighborhood school.

· Donate to a specific effort (teen centers, child spree, no hunger zone, scholarships, other), or make a general donation to the district or a school.

· Davis Education Foundation homepage: https://www.daviseducationfoundation.org

· Donation portal: https://www.daviseducationfoundation.org/donate/dsd-donation-portal

We wish each of you a safe and happy holiday season – enriched by experiences to increase lasting feelings of holiday cheer!

–Assistant Superintendent Dr. Logan Toone

We are thrilled to announce the successful completion of our Jr High Sub for Santa Child Spree last week. Because of your generous support, hundreds of students in our district will enjoy new clothes, shoes, and toys for the holidays.

We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to all the shoppers, teachers, counselors, and community partners who made this possible. You have truly made a difference in the lives of these children and their families.

As we celebrate the impact of our Sub for Santa program, we also want to invite you to join us in our next big project: the Teen Living Center. This is a facility that will provide safe and supportive housing for homeless and at-risk teens in our district.

The Teen Living Center is currently under construction and we hope to open it by the end of 2024. However, we still need your help to make this center of hope a reality. Imagine the collective impact of everyone donating $24 this year to help support this effort. That’s less than a dollar a week, but it could mean a world of difference for a teen in need. You can make a donation here.

We are asking you to open one more door in 2024 and help us finish this project. You can also contact us to learn about other ways to get involved. Every dollar counts and every donation makes a difference.

Thank you for your continued support and generosity. Together, we can create a brighter future for our students and our community.

Sincerely,

The Davis Education Foundation Team