The Elementary school I work for and that my kids go to made the news once again. This time it's about their awesome pre-school program. The teacher in the picture was Nicks teacher for pre-school and she is really cool.
Preschool closing achievement gap
January 23rd, 2011 @ 9:00am
By Candice Madsen
SALT LAKE CITY -- One of the best predictors of success in life is whether a child can read at grade level by 3rd grade. But many kids start school so far behind, they never catch up.
A preschool program in the Granite District is attracting national attention for closing the achievement gap.
"The children are getting exposed to a lot of pre-academic social sciences, language development, pre-literacy, pre-math," explained Brenda Van Gorder, director of the Granite School District preschool program.
"I think our Legislature needs to see the advantage of having children start school at age 3 and 4. I think it just needs to become a permanent part of education system that we have preschool available to the students." -Lynda HartThe early education is especially important at Title One schools where many students speak English as a second language. At Woodrow Wilson Elementary School, students speak 28 different languages.
"The kids who have had the preschool experience really know the language before they get to kindergarten, which is a big plus," said principal Lynda Hart.
Test scores reflect the dramatic difference preschool can make. Before entering preschool, ESL students tested at about the same level as children with disabilities.
After two years in preschool, their test scores are almost on par with English-speaking students.
"Some kids are not speaking a word when they come and by the end you can't keep them quiet. Other kids' confidence level and social skills are really low at the beginning of the year and by the end of the year they are ready for kindergarten," said Alison Ovard, a Woodrow Wilson preschool teacher.
The Granite School District uses money from the federal program Head Start and community sponsors to fund the preschools but the money doesn't stretch far enough. Right now there are 39 preschools but 500 kids are waiting for each spot.
"I think our Legislature needs to see the advantage of having children start school at age 3 and 4. I think it just needs to become a permanent part of education system that we have preschool available to the students," said Hart.
The Granite School District says its preschool program is cost effective. National studies estimate that for every dollar spent on preschool education, as many as $16 is saved down the road because children do not require extra attention in the classroom.
Sunday Edition will take a closer look at the effectiveness of the preschool program beginning at 9:30 a.m. on KSL 5.
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=14092448
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
article in the Salt Lake Tribune
Nicks class was in an article in the Salt Lake Tribune. Enjoy...
Holiday gifts bring smiles, delight
BY NATALIE DICOU
The Salt Lake Tribune
Published Dec 29, 2010 01:21PM
Updated Dec 29, 2010 10:53AM
It was all a big surprise for Woodrow Wilson Elementary students — a big, wonderful surprise.
Sitting in the school gym watching “Polar Express” the day before school let out for winter break, students had no clue Santa was ambling up the empty hall, toting a bag of candy canes to hand out when the movie ended. They also didn’t know that, waiting in their classrooms, sat backpacks brimming with toys, snacks and school supplies.
Each of the school’s 750 children received a backpack full of goodies, thanks to the elementary school’s partnership with Farmers Insurance. The company provided backpacks and gifts for students. The South Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, Granite School District, Wilson Elementary PTA and others chipped in.
“This is really amazing,” said Principal Lynda Hart. “When you see how many people work to help us, it’s so inspiring.”
Wilson Elementary, 2567 S. Main St. in South Salt Lake, is a Title I school. It serves a large refugee population, and 65 percent of students are learning English as their second language.
“Our families are all pretty much in poverty,” Hart said. “It’s too hard for us to single out families who need help so we just do it for all of the kids. For the last three years, we’ve made sure every student goes home with something for the holidays.”
Sensitive to students’ cultures — many don’t celebrate Christmas — Wilson Elementary’s winter gift bag giveaway gains more contributors from outside the school each year.
Counselor Marsha Webster has worked for community support, and received it.
After the movie, students in Helen Bingham’s third-grade class returned to their classroom and discovered the new backpacks, blue for boys, pink for girls. Boys received toy cars and Legos. Girls took home Barbies.
Bingham announced to her students it was time to unzip their bags, and they giggled and shrieked in delight as they sifted through their treasures.
The event often helps other siblings. “I’m sure our older kids will give the toys and coloring books to younger siblings and family members,” Hart said. “It’s really meaningful to our kids. They are worrying about how to take care of their families.”
In addition to toys, students received gloves, scarves, toothbrushes and food items, such as macaroni and cheese, Ramen noodles and granola bars.
“We really worry about our kids not having enough to eat,” Hart said.
After watching the joyous frenzy, Bingham was choked up.
“When you see the expression on these kids’ faces, that’s what it’s all about,” she said. “Christmas is Christmas, but when it’s needed and appreciated, it’s powerful.”
If you want to read the actual article with the pictures of Nicks class here is the link:
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/neighborhoodcity/50936919-135/students-elementary-kids-hart.html.csp
Holiday gifts bring smiles, delight
BY NATALIE DICOU
The Salt Lake Tribune
Published Dec 29, 2010 01:21PM
Updated Dec 29, 2010 10:53AM
It was all a big surprise for Woodrow Wilson Elementary students — a big, wonderful surprise.
Sitting in the school gym watching “Polar Express” the day before school let out for winter break, students had no clue Santa was ambling up the empty hall, toting a bag of candy canes to hand out when the movie ended. They also didn’t know that, waiting in their classrooms, sat backpacks brimming with toys, snacks and school supplies.
Each of the school’s 750 children received a backpack full of goodies, thanks to the elementary school’s partnership with Farmers Insurance. The company provided backpacks and gifts for students. The South Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, Granite School District, Wilson Elementary PTA and others chipped in.
“This is really amazing,” said Principal Lynda Hart. “When you see how many people work to help us, it’s so inspiring.”
Wilson Elementary, 2567 S. Main St. in South Salt Lake, is a Title I school. It serves a large refugee population, and 65 percent of students are learning English as their second language.
“Our families are all pretty much in poverty,” Hart said. “It’s too hard for us to single out families who need help so we just do it for all of the kids. For the last three years, we’ve made sure every student goes home with something for the holidays.”
Sensitive to students’ cultures — many don’t celebrate Christmas — Wilson Elementary’s winter gift bag giveaway gains more contributors from outside the school each year.
Counselor Marsha Webster has worked for community support, and received it.
After the movie, students in Helen Bingham’s third-grade class returned to their classroom and discovered the new backpacks, blue for boys, pink for girls. Boys received toy cars and Legos. Girls took home Barbies.
Bingham announced to her students it was time to unzip their bags, and they giggled and shrieked in delight as they sifted through their treasures.
The event often helps other siblings. “I’m sure our older kids will give the toys and coloring books to younger siblings and family members,” Hart said. “It’s really meaningful to our kids. They are worrying about how to take care of their families.”
In addition to toys, students received gloves, scarves, toothbrushes and food items, such as macaroni and cheese, Ramen noodles and granola bars.
“We really worry about our kids not having enough to eat,” Hart said.
After watching the joyous frenzy, Bingham was choked up.
“When you see the expression on these kids’ faces, that’s what it’s all about,” she said. “Christmas is Christmas, but when it’s needed and appreciated, it’s powerful.”
If you want to read the actual article with the pictures of Nicks class here is the link:
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/neighborhoodcity/50936919-135/students-elementary-kids-hart.html.csp
Saturday, January 1, 2011
2010..a year in review
I can't believe that 2010 is over! It went by so fast! We had a lot of things happen in our family so I thought that I'd post some of the highlights. So, here I go..
My family lost an amazing person in January. My Aunt Maureen passed away after a long battle with cancer. Felicia and I were able to fly back east to attend her funeral. And, since we were there Felicia was able to see some of the sites like Washington D.C. and Gettysburg. She really enjoyed that part of our trip.
We also lost my Grandma's brother Uncle Joe right before Christmas. He was an amazing man and I learned alot about his life (and some of my Grandma's) at his funeral.
Neil turned 36th on the 4th of January. It's really hard to get him presents because his birthday is so close to Christmas that it makes it hard to shop for him. But, the kids and I still tried to make it fun. He still works at St. Marks hospital. And, he's still teaching the concealed carry and hunters education courses. So, he's plenty busy with that. He also hunts a lot so that helps to keep him out of trouble.
I turned 34 on the 24th of February. I really don't like to celebrate my birthday, it just reminds me that I'm another year older. But, the kids and Neil really do try to make it a fun day for me. I still work with the 3rd and 4th graders at Woodrow Wilson. I really love my job, even though it gets to me every once in a while. Some of those kiddos life stories just break your heart and it's hard not to bring it home with you. I am in cubscouts again, I only have 4 boys and I'll lose one this month because he turns 12. I truely hope I can be a good leader and help this group of boys, although small, earn their awards (especially their Arrow of Light).
Felicia is 14 yrs old. She loves the 8th grade and she's made honor roll every term so far! She babysits for a lady in our ward most of the week afterschool. She really likes it, especially the money. She loves Young Womens and is really involved in it. Her Young Womens group is small, so they pretty much combine the whole stake together. But, she likes that because most of her friends from school are in our stake.
Andrew has had a banner year. He is 11 (almost 12). He earned his Arrow of Light and really worked his behind off to get it. He has improved his grades in school, going from incompletes and C- to A's and B's. I'm so proud of him for that accomplishment! He is truely all boy and he keeps me busy. He can't wait to turn 12 and be in boyscouts and start on his path in the priesthood. I can't believe that in 3 months he'll be one of the boys passing the sacarament. I'll be one very proud mommy on that day! He is learning to play the trombone and he really enjoys it. He is also part of the "cybercore" at Woodrow. He helps the teachers setup their Wiki pages. He also takes photographs for the school and posts them on the schools Wiki site. He really enjoys that, and tech stuff like that is right up his alley. He also was able to go on a motorcycle trip with Neil. They made it to Arkansas before they had to turn back because of tire issues. Which worked out really well, because about a week after they came home, Andy was able to go on a cruise to Alaska with his grandparents! He really had a great summer!
Nick turned 8 and was baptized. Neil and I wanted my dad to baptize Nick for us because Nick's middle name is the same as my dad's. And, my dad graciously accepted. It was a very small, but a very nice baptism. Nick was the only one that day, so it was up to my family to come up with the program. That made it very interesting for me. Nick was so excited he couldn't stop talking about for weeks. He loves 3rd grade, especially his teacher. He is getting very good grades and really enjoys reading the harder books. He started scouts and is very close to earning his wolf badge. He only has a few more things to pass off. He is my little monster. That kid has no fear and does the stupidest that most people would probably end up in the hospital over, but not him. And, the things I find in his pockets..oh my gosh!
I am so grateful that my family, pretty much, made it through the year safe and healthy. I am also so grateful for the gospel in our lives. It is so neat to be able to see my children grow and gain testmonies of their own. And, I love listening to their prayers at night, they are so sweet and innocent (and sometimes funny). I love being a mom, and the blessings that I've received from my children is unbelievable.
I hope that this year will be just as great as last year was, even though we had a few sad events, last year wasn't bad at all.
My family lost an amazing person in January. My Aunt Maureen passed away after a long battle with cancer. Felicia and I were able to fly back east to attend her funeral. And, since we were there Felicia was able to see some of the sites like Washington D.C. and Gettysburg. She really enjoyed that part of our trip.
We also lost my Grandma's brother Uncle Joe right before Christmas. He was an amazing man and I learned alot about his life (and some of my Grandma's) at his funeral.
Neil turned 36th on the 4th of January. It's really hard to get him presents because his birthday is so close to Christmas that it makes it hard to shop for him. But, the kids and I still tried to make it fun. He still works at St. Marks hospital. And, he's still teaching the concealed carry and hunters education courses. So, he's plenty busy with that. He also hunts a lot so that helps to keep him out of trouble.
I turned 34 on the 24th of February. I really don't like to celebrate my birthday, it just reminds me that I'm another year older. But, the kids and Neil really do try to make it a fun day for me. I still work with the 3rd and 4th graders at Woodrow Wilson. I really love my job, even though it gets to me every once in a while. Some of those kiddos life stories just break your heart and it's hard not to bring it home with you. I am in cubscouts again, I only have 4 boys and I'll lose one this month because he turns 12. I truely hope I can be a good leader and help this group of boys, although small, earn their awards (especially their Arrow of Light).
Felicia is 14 yrs old. She loves the 8th grade and she's made honor roll every term so far! She babysits for a lady in our ward most of the week afterschool. She really likes it, especially the money. She loves Young Womens and is really involved in it. Her Young Womens group is small, so they pretty much combine the whole stake together. But, she likes that because most of her friends from school are in our stake.
Andrew has had a banner year. He is 11 (almost 12). He earned his Arrow of Light and really worked his behind off to get it. He has improved his grades in school, going from incompletes and C- to A's and B's. I'm so proud of him for that accomplishment! He is truely all boy and he keeps me busy. He can't wait to turn 12 and be in boyscouts and start on his path in the priesthood. I can't believe that in 3 months he'll be one of the boys passing the sacarament. I'll be one very proud mommy on that day! He is learning to play the trombone and he really enjoys it. He is also part of the "cybercore" at Woodrow. He helps the teachers setup their Wiki pages. He also takes photographs for the school and posts them on the schools Wiki site. He really enjoys that, and tech stuff like that is right up his alley. He also was able to go on a motorcycle trip with Neil. They made it to Arkansas before they had to turn back because of tire issues. Which worked out really well, because about a week after they came home, Andy was able to go on a cruise to Alaska with his grandparents! He really had a great summer!
Nick turned 8 and was baptized. Neil and I wanted my dad to baptize Nick for us because Nick's middle name is the same as my dad's. And, my dad graciously accepted. It was a very small, but a very nice baptism. Nick was the only one that day, so it was up to my family to come up with the program. That made it very interesting for me. Nick was so excited he couldn't stop talking about for weeks. He loves 3rd grade, especially his teacher. He is getting very good grades and really enjoys reading the harder books. He started scouts and is very close to earning his wolf badge. He only has a few more things to pass off. He is my little monster. That kid has no fear and does the stupidest that most people would probably end up in the hospital over, but not him. And, the things I find in his pockets..oh my gosh!
I am so grateful that my family, pretty much, made it through the year safe and healthy. I am also so grateful for the gospel in our lives. It is so neat to be able to see my children grow and gain testmonies of their own. And, I love listening to their prayers at night, they are so sweet and innocent (and sometimes funny). I love being a mom, and the blessings that I've received from my children is unbelievable.
I hope that this year will be just as great as last year was, even though we had a few sad events, last year wasn't bad at all.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
new photos
We had family photos taken a couple of weeks ago. These two pictures are of my kids. I absolutely love the one with the boys hugging Felicia. I had a big family photo taken, but it's to big to scan in so I've got to figure out how I can shrink it down.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
I made the news!
For those friends and family who didn't know I was on Fox 13 news because of the church fires. They came up to our Stake Center during the Fall Carnival to do some interviews and I was one of them (in my Halloween costume no less)!
Here is the link to the story and video:
http://www.fox13now.com/kstu-arson-suspected-in-trio-of-south-salt-lake-fires,0,5028346.story
And, here is the story without the video:
SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah — Two churches and a residence in South Salt Lake caught fire Saturday morning, and fire officials suspect arson is the cause.
The first fire started at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse at 3219 South 300 East around 3:00 a.m. The fire is believed to have started in the chapel area of the church. A broken window led investigators to suspect arson. No one was hurt in the fire and no one was found in the building. Damage estimates for this fire are in excess of $1 million. The damage was so extensive that repair work will not be possible. The entire chapel will likely need to be demolished. Investigators say the person or people responsible for this fire knew exactly where to start it in order to cause the maximum amount of damage.
"I want this stopped and I don't want to see this happening again in our city," said Chief Steve Foote of the South Salt Lake Fire Department. "We're going to be very aware, be very clear with looking into what actually happened here and try to prevent it from happening again.
The second fire broke out at 6:51 a.m. at another LDS meetinghouse at 2702 South Main Street. That church was not damaged as badly as the first one. It sustained mostly smoke and water damage. South Salt Lake police and fire investigators may call on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms for assistance with the investigation.
News of the LDS meetinghouse fires spread quickly through the South Salt Lake LDS community. Attendees at a Halloween function at another South Salt Lake LDS meetinghouse say they are shocked and saddened by the crimes.
"I was very upset, very sad. Me and my husband were actually married at that wardhouse. My youngest [child] was blessed there. It [was] very upsetting. I was in tears," said Melanie Christiansen, an LDS church member.
Services for the two churches affected by Saturday's fires will be temporarily held at other nearby meetinghouses.
A third fire started around 7:13 a.m. at a house at 500 East Welby Avenue. Witnesses say a white car was seen leaving the area of the house fire.
Here is the link to the story and video:
http://www.fox13now.com/kstu-arson-suspected-in-trio-of-south-salt-lake-fires,0,5028346.story
And, here is the story without the video:
SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah — Two churches and a residence in South Salt Lake caught fire Saturday morning, and fire officials suspect arson is the cause.
The first fire started at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse at 3219 South 300 East around 3:00 a.m. The fire is believed to have started in the chapel area of the church. A broken window led investigators to suspect arson. No one was hurt in the fire and no one was found in the building. Damage estimates for this fire are in excess of $1 million. The damage was so extensive that repair work will not be possible. The entire chapel will likely need to be demolished. Investigators say the person or people responsible for this fire knew exactly where to start it in order to cause the maximum amount of damage.
"I want this stopped and I don't want to see this happening again in our city," said Chief Steve Foote of the South Salt Lake Fire Department. "We're going to be very aware, be very clear with looking into what actually happened here and try to prevent it from happening again.
The second fire broke out at 6:51 a.m. at another LDS meetinghouse at 2702 South Main Street. That church was not damaged as badly as the first one. It sustained mostly smoke and water damage. South Salt Lake police and fire investigators may call on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms for assistance with the investigation.
News of the LDS meetinghouse fires spread quickly through the South Salt Lake LDS community. Attendees at a Halloween function at another South Salt Lake LDS meetinghouse say they are shocked and saddened by the crimes.
"I was very upset, very sad. Me and my husband were actually married at that wardhouse. My youngest [child] was blessed there. It [was] very upsetting. I was in tears," said Melanie Christiansen, an LDS church member.
Services for the two churches affected by Saturday's fires will be temporarily held at other nearby meetinghouses.
A third fire started around 7:13 a.m. at a house at 500 East Welby Avenue. Witnesses say a white car was seen leaving the area of the house fire.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
a thought
Today a very sad thing happened next door to me. Somebody, who obviously didn't like the LDS faith, decided to set fire to the church. This church building had a lot of memories for me. It was where Neil and I were married and where Nick was blessed.
I know that there are many people who disagree with our views on gay marriage and being gay in general. Many people even think that LDS members are not Christian and that we do not believe in Christ.
I honestly think that if you disagree with us and don't understand what we believe that it's totally fine. You have a right to your own opinion, as do we. But, you don't have the right to set our buildings on fire! You do have the right to protest and to say what you think. But, not to terrorize our members and ruin one of our meeting places. You don't see members of the LDS church burning buildings of the people and organizations that we disagree with.
So, even though we have our differences lets be a little civil and think about what we do (especially when it comes to setting buildings on fire). Because those buildings hold a special place in many people’s hearts, just like this one held a special place in my heart.
I know that there are many people who disagree with our views on gay marriage and being gay in general. Many people even think that LDS members are not Christian and that we do not believe in Christ.
I honestly think that if you disagree with us and don't understand what we believe that it's totally fine. You have a right to your own opinion, as do we. But, you don't have the right to set our buildings on fire! You do have the right to protest and to say what you think. But, not to terrorize our members and ruin one of our meeting places. You don't see members of the LDS church burning buildings of the people and organizations that we disagree with.
So, even though we have our differences lets be a little civil and think about what we do (especially when it comes to setting buildings on fire). Because those buildings hold a special place in many people’s hearts, just like this one held a special place in my heart.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Don't Blink
Just had Felicia's 14th birthday party today. Where did the time go? I swear it was yesterday that I just brought her home from the hospital. She was 6 lbs. 11 oz. and
18 inches long. What happened to that cute little baby that I would hold at night and fall asleep with in my rocker. I miss those days so much, but I wouldn't change her growing up for anything. I love the beautiful young women that she is turning into. She is such a great friend and even though we have our mother daughter moments she is still my best friend. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father blessed me with her. I just need to stop blinking because before I know it she's going to be married and having children of her own.
18 inches long. What happened to that cute little baby that I would hold at night and fall asleep with in my rocker. I miss those days so much, but I wouldn't change her growing up for anything. I love the beautiful young women that she is turning into. She is such a great friend and even though we have our mother daughter moments she is still my best friend. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father blessed me with her. I just need to stop blinking because before I know it she's going to be married and having children of her own.
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