Uniquely Davis Newsletter

Davis School District wasn't just about twinkling lights and sugar plums this past holiday season. It was a whirlwind of giving! From food drives to stuffing stockings and service projects, students, staff and families combined forces to help those in need.

⛄For 13 days, students at Clearfield High School donated pennies, dollars and dimes and scoured the community for donations during their annual "Falcons are Fabulous" fundraising effort. This year, the recipient of their efforts was the Pioneer Adult Rehabilitation Center in Clearfield. Culminating in a festive, competitive and joy-filled assembly in which students threw creme pies, shaved heads, bid on administrator parking spots and bid on a plethora of donated items, among other things, students ended up raising more than $98,000. Congratulations Falcons. You are Fabulous.

Ellison Park Elementary students weren't just naughty or nice this year – they were Santa's super helpers! Through their incredible efforts, they raised a whopping $6,030 for the "Sub-for-Santa" program, ensuring no family at its school went without Christmas magic. 🎄

🎁This holiday season generosity bloomed at Sunset Junior High. They went above and beyond expectations, raising a remarkable $18,321 to provide gifts for children identified by Davis Behavioral Health. Extra funds were used to tackle school lunch debt and address individual student needs identified by counselors and administration.

Centerville Junior High spread Christmas cheer far beyond carols and decorations. Their hearts overflowed with the spirit of giving raising over $6,000 to ensure 12 Centerville families had a special Christmas. 🎅

❄️Davis High rocked Sub-for-Santa this year. Building a teen center fueled everyone – silent auctions, silly shaves, door-to-door service, it all snowballed. "Save it or Shave it" slayed, raising $40,000 alone! And the final tally? Over $78,000, with even more expected.

At Oak Hills Elementary, warmth wasn't just a holiday wish – it was translated into the form of blankets. Led by its student council, classrooms tied fleece blankets that were donated to families on the Navajo Reservation in Southern Utah. 🤶

⛄Farmington Junior High jingled with generosity during the holiday season. Its "Sub for Santa" fundraiser raised $12,000 worth of holiday magic. The student Santas (also known as SBOs), wrapped Christmas presents for over 30 local families.

Bluff Ridge Elementary's Junior Hope Squad organized a winter service project. Its undertaking was to collect $10 gift cards to feed unaccompanied minors in the district throughout the winter break. The project amassed a whopping $730 in gift cards helping support Bluff Ridge students and families. 🎄

☃️Woodcross Elementary spread some warmth this winter. The school community recently came together to donate a whopping 153 blankets to families in need.

Hill Field Elementary students filled Christmas cards with festive wishes for patients at Primary Children's Hospital, sending them messages of love and reminding them they're not alone during the season of giving. 🎁

🎄District and school leaders loaded school buses and headed to the Salvation Army warehouse in Ogden on Dec. 14. The district leaders helped put together Angel Tree Christmas packages for families in need. The annual event, organized by the Davis Education Foundation, is always a fun occasion for leaders and provides a chance to give back and serve others.

Davis High Teen Center was the recipient of the "Columbia Cares" project, led by Columbia Elementary’s Hope Squad and student council. It spanned three weeks and students delivered $1,200 in cash and gift cards to the teen center and 400 stocking stuffers amounting to 1100 toiletry items. 🤶

🎁Meadowbrook Elementary fifth-graders bundled up Davis County. They collected 20 yards of fleece, hand-tied 140 scarves and sent them with love to Open Doors for those experiencing homelessness.

Syracuse Junior High's halls echoed not just with holiday cheer, but with a resounding show of support for an organization close to their hearts - Primary Children's Hospital. Witnessing a growing number of peers battling illness and receiving treatment at the hospital, student officers sprang into action. Throughout December, they spearheaded fundraising efforts, raising an impressive $7,000 for the facility. 🎄

🤶Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff united at Millcreek Junior High for the school's annual Harry Potter-themed food drive.

At the end of food drive, students at Millcreek contributed more than 3,750 pounds of food to the Bountiful Food Pantry. They also raised a cumulative $7,500 to support the school's Sub-for-Santa program.

At Bountiful Elementary, small change made a big impact! Its "Pennies for People" campaign saw the effort of its classrooms as students brought in spare change to donate to the Bountiful Food Pantry. Ultimately swelling to a donation of $579 to help families struggling with food insecurities. ❄️

☃️No milk necessary. Creekside Elementary’s student council delivered a tidal wave of cereal. Its service project, "Donations for Dominoes”, saw 488 boxes flowing in for the Layton High Food Pantry. The culmination? An astounding event on December 15, where hallways were lined with students eagerly watching cereal boxes topple over one another.

Lincoln Elementary School set a goal this season of collecting 200 lbs. of coins to support Lincoln Elementary families in need. The school smashed its original goal reaching 250.6 lbs. of coins equaling a generous $1,574.37. 🎁

Because Lincoln surpassed its fundraising goal, Special Education teacher Paul Rawlins and Principal Regina Oechsle took on the fiery inferno of the One Chip Challenge.

🎄Layton High School's recent fundraiser delivered a whopping $17,786.22 in support of two amazing causes: Unified Sports and the school's very own Teen Center.

Viewmont High School Vikings delivered Christmas magic to the tune of $58,000.

“Vikings Give” raised money to provide Christmas for 231 children from the Grandfamilies Organization, Christmas dinner for 105 families, appliances and supplies for its new Valhalla Student Center and resources for Viewmont students in need.

Student volunteers helped raise money through collection nights in the Viewmont community, The Yuletide Tree Fest, The Vikings Give Carnival and a Save or Shave activity. ❄️

🤶Bountiful Junior High’s recent hygiene kit drive, aimed at supporting the Davis Education Foundation, saw five overflowing boxes packed with essential supplies like toothpaste, deodorant and shampoo.

West Clinton Elementary tackled hunger head-on this holiday season. Spearheaded by its Junior Hope squad, the school's annual food drive, now in its fourth year, exploded with generosity, collecting over 6,700 items for Clearfield High and Syracuse High food pantries. ⛄

🤶Northridge High went big for Christmas. This year it selected Lincoln Elementary as recipient of its Sub-for-Santa program. The school filled a whopping 700 Christmas stockings - one for every student at the nearby school.

The district's 8th annual Elves and the Shoemaker Event once again surprised over 600 kindergarten students from Adelaide, Antelope, Fremont, Hill Field, Holt, South Clearfield and Wasatch elementaries when Christmas elves came to their school with the gift of a brand-new pair of shoes.

The collaborative effort was organized by Community Schools Davis and supported by the Davis Education Foundation and its generous donors - America First Credit Union, Mountain America Credit Union and Ascent Credit Union. 🎄

❄️West Point Junior High's halls were filled with the holiday spirit. Its month-long holiday campaign, fueled by waffles, chicken sandwiches, and festive spirit, amassed a whopping $10,638.29 for the Syracuse High Teen Center.

Holt Elementary's December food drive was filled with generosity. The school collected over 1,100 items, which was enough to make 200 meal kits for Holt families. 🎅

☃️Windridge Elementary's halls were buzzing with holiday cheer. Second graders and their fifth-grade buddies teamed up for some blanket-tying fun. The blankets were donated to Farmington Community Christmas for families in need.

Mrs. Valencia's third-grade class at Antelope Elementary assembled hygiene kits for the Clearfield Teen Center. Kits were filled with water bottles, granola bar, socks and personal hygiene accessories along with uplifting notes from the students. 🤶

Gwen Cannell from Syracuse Junior High for being named the 2024 World Language Teacher of the Year from the Utah Foreign Language Association (UFLA).

Each year UFLA selects one secondary world language teacher for this award. It is given to teachers who:

* demonstrate outstanding language teaching,

* have had a positive impact on student language learning,

* take on leadership roles in the language teaching field and

* advocate for language learning

For many years the Superintendent Message has been a staple article in the monthly Uniquely Davis newsletter. The Communication Department has decided to change things up a bit for 2024. The Superintendent messages will now be presented as videos. Just like the articles, the videos will still be an opportunity for the superintendency to share their vision, thoughts and hopes for the district, but they will be more visual and provide an opportunity to hear directly from our district leaders.

The Davis Education Foundation is happy to report the success of our holiday service initiatives for 2023. With the help of our community, we served more than 4,000 students and families in need this season. Here are some of the highlights of our programs and partnerships:

· We served more than 550 teens with clothing, shoes, and other essentials through our Junior High Spree. We thank our sponsors and donors for their generosity and support.

· We provided new shoes and socks to 650 kindergarten students in need through our Elves and the Shoemaker events at six of our Title schools. We thank Mountain America Credit Union and America First Credit Union for sponsoring the events.

· We partnered with the Salvation Army to provide food, clothing, and toys to 435 families (1,034 students) in need. We thank the Salvation Army for their coordination and distribution of the items.

· We helped 340 students at Mountain High School with blankets and gift cards to meet their basic needs. We thank the Larry H Miller group and the KSL Quarters for Christmas for their donations that helped another 500 secondary students.

· We received a grant from the Watkins Foundation for $30,000 to assist families with hardship needs this winter. We used this grant to provide food, clothing, utilities, and rent assistance to families who are facing financial difficulties.

· We received funding from Hogan Construction for our Employee Hardship Grant. This grant helped 32 employees who were experiencing hardship this holiday season.

· We received more than 1,000 coats for kids from Coats Electric. We thank them for ensuring our kids have the basics met for our cold and wet winter.

· We distributed 1,275 Christmas stockings and 1,780 gift cards to students and families in need. We thank the many donors and volunteers who made this possible.

· We received donations from 43 community, civic and ecclesiastical groups who volunteered and donated more than $53,000 of hygiene and food kits for our students. We thank them for their kindness and generosity.

· We partnered with Family Community Christmas, South Davis Community Christmas and the Winter Foundation to provide Christmas and basic essentials to 1,383 children. We thank them for their collaboration and service.

· We served our students in foster care with holiday gifts ($5,000). We thank the donors and the foster care coordinators for their support and care.

In total, we raised $112,000 in cash and $530,009 in kind for our holiday service initiatives. We are overwhelmed by the compassion and generosity of our community. We thank you for your trust and support in our mission to provide opportunities for student success.

We wish you all a happy and healthy new year!