Jordan Supercast

Jordan Supercast
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  • EDUCATION FOR KIDS
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The Jordan School District Podcast Starring Superintendent Anthony Godfrey

  1. Bingham High School Music Theater Teacher & His Beatles Tribute Band

    23H AGO

    Bingham High School Music Theater Teacher & His Beatles Tribute Band

    He has a love for music and theater, has performed with the likes of Donny Osmond, in national commercials, musical theater, and is passionate about teaching and sharing his tremendous talents. On this episode of the Supercast, meet Bingham High School music theater teacher David Martin. He is an incredible educator with an impressive resume, who also happens to perform in a Beatles tribute band, having fun for a good cause, with all concert ticket sales going to charity. Audio Transcription Transcription coming soon.

    25 min
  2. What Is Wit and Wisdom; A Rich Reading & Learning Experience

    FEB 5

    What Is Wit and Wisdom; A Rich Reading & Learning Experience

    They are learning literacy by making clay model animals like a tiny toxic octopus and a very interesting elephant. It's all part of a Language Arts Curriculum called Wit and Wisdom that is fostering critical thinking in students across Jordan School District. On this episode of the Supercast, we take you to Terra Linda Elementary School where a first-grade teaching team is taking student success to new heights with this rich Wit and Wisdom reading experience and they're inviting parents to be part of it all. Audio Transcription Transcription coming soon.

    22 min
  3. Jordan School District Students to Work with NASA Aerospace Engineers on Exciting Project They Designed

    JAN 29

    Jordan School District Students to Work with NASA Aerospace Engineers on Exciting Project They Designed

    You could say they are hitting new heights as winners of a NASA Aerospace Engineering contest. On this episode of the Supercast, we head to JATC North to hear how four students will be working with NASA TechRise engineers over the next 18 months to bring an experiment they proposed to life. It is an experiment, with real world applications, that will be launched into the edge of space on one of NASA’s high altitude balloons, a dream come true for aspiring space engineers. Audio Transcription Student: Now that we've won, we're going to be building some things that we can put in a box that they'll send up to the edge of space and we'll measure the amount that these different data storage units are going to... like what just happens to them. Student: It'll reach 60,000 feet Student: And we are going to test how the radiation and pressure there affects the electronics. [Music] Anthony Godfrey: Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. You could say they are hitting new heights as winners of a NASA Aerospace Engineering contest. On this episode of the Supercast, we head to JATC North to hear how four students will be working with NASA TechRise engineers over the next 18 months to bring an experiment they proposed to life. They'll be working on an experiment with real-world applications that will be launched using NASA's high-altitude balloons, a dream come true for these incredibly talented students. [Music] Anthony Godfrey: We are here at the JATC North campus to talk with Amber Saffen and some of her students about the Aerospace Engineering program. Amber, thanks for talking with us today. Amber Saffen: Yeah, welcome. Welcome to our program. Anthony Godfrey: Tell me how you and your students are now involved with NASA. Amber Saffen: Yes, so our CTE coordinator right at the beginning of the school year sent an email our way that NASA has a competition called NASA TechRise where students can write proposals for an experiment to be sent up into the stratosphere, and so as part of my program, I was like, "Hey, we're the aerospace program. That seems pretty dang relevant." So fresh to the program, my students got in and they did some research and they put together some proposals of some things that useful experiments they thought would be good to send up there. And then just a couple months ago, I got an email that one of those proposals had been accepted. And so I'm here with four of my students and they wrote a proposal and now NASA will be working with them once a week for the next 18 weeks to build the proposal. Gave them, is going to provide $1,500 for them to buy the supplies, is going to help them learn how to do it, and then that will be shipped back to be go up on the WorldView balloon. Anthony Godfrey: Let's meet your students and have them describe to me what this experiment is all about. Introduce yourselves, tell us what grade you're in, and what school you're from. Student: All right. My name is Blake Bigler. I'm a senior at Mountain Ridge High School. Student: My name is Canyon Bullock, and I'm a senior at Herriman High School. Student: My name is Mason Rice, and I'm also a senior at Mountain Ridge High School. Student: My name is Zach Hull, and I'm a senior at Riverton High School. Anthony Godfrey: Someone tell me about this experiment, what's involved exactly. What will you learn from being a part of this? Student: Yeah, we created this proposal like six months ago, but basically what it is, is we designed an experiment where we are testing how data storage is affected and how it works in space with like radiation and lower pressure. So now that we've won, we're going to be building some things that we can put in a box that they'll send up to the edge of space and we'll measure the amount that these different data storage units are going to, like what just happens to them. Anthony Godfrey: So tell me, how do you send this up? How far up does it go? What is all that going to look like? Student: So what we will be doing is we will be taking different data storage types like hard drives, disk drives, flash drives, things like that, and we will put them in a box, which we will attach to a weather balloon. Student: It'll reach 60,000 feet and then once it reaches 60,000 feet then it'll gradually go down where they can pick up all the tests and then take them back to the facility. Student: And we are going to test how the radiation and pressure there affects the electronics. Anthony Godfrey: What's the theory? What do you think might happen once you send that information up? I assume you'll send a zip drive up as well, a couple of floppy disks. [laughter] Never mind. No, don't worry about it. Student: I don't know that a five and a quarter floppy would fit in the box. Anthony Godfrey: Oh, it's going to be that small. Student: It's not particularly large. Anthony Godfrey: That makes sense. Student: We have to use a SATA size disk drive because a standard five and a quarter would just be too much. Student: We think we're going to put different amounts of insulation around the drives. So we're thinking different materials. Student: Lead, aluminum, foil, things like that. Student: So we're just trying to stop the radiation from reaching the data encoding because otherwise the radiation can scramble that and then your data that you send up there is no longer useful. Anthony Godfrey: So is it the radiation and the altitude? You're measuring the impact of both on data storage. Is that right? Student: Yes. It will mostly be the radiation because that's what we'll be getting through into the storage. But the pressure will also be being tested on the other parts of the experiment. Anthony Godfrey: I understand they're going to send you some money for materials to conduct this experiment. Somebody want to speak to that? Student: On the subject of materials, we're currently in a storage crisis. Things like RAM and NVMe drives and things like that are all way more expensive, like three times, four times. So great timing. Anthony Godfrey: Well, if you change your mind, I do have some of the large and small floppy disks available in my home. And if you really want to take your experiment to the next level, just let me know. We can include that. Tell me what interested you in being part of the Aerospace Engineering Program to begin with. Student: Well, for me, my dad's a pilot at Delta, so I've always been kind of interested in aviation. And I also am pretty decent at math and science, and I like those things, I'd say. So I thought that I'd try to put them together and do aerospace engineering. Anthony Godfrey: I'm not sure I would be surprised that he's really decent, but I appreciate the humility. So that's pretty cool. So have you traveled lots of great places with those pilot flight benefits of your dad's? Student: Yeah, I've traveled some pretty cool places. Anthony Godfrey: Do you want to be a pilot, or what do you want to do with your knowledge and with your science and math skills? Student: Well, that's kind of what this class is doing for me, is I'm trying to figure out if this is something that I'd want to do. And I think that this opportunity to work with NASA has definitely, like, it's got me a lot more excited about aerospace engineering, and it's, a lot more interested in this now for sure. Anthony Godfrey: Wonderful. How about for you? Why did you decide to be part of this class? Student: I've been doing, like, taking engineering programs at JTEC for a while now, and I just thought that aerospace would be the next one. And I was like, that's pretty interesting, but it's been my favorite one so far. And I think it's been really cool learning about things that fly, and rocket ships, and airplanes, and everything that flies. I think it's all really cool. Anthony Godfrey: What other engineering classes have you taken here? Student: Engineering Principles, CAD Mechanical Design, Architecture, Civil Engineering. I was going to do Robotics, but I opted out on that one. But this is the coolest one so far. Anthony Godfrey: Okay, great. How about you? Student: I always wanted to be an engineer, but I didn't know which kind. This is my first engineering JTEC class. And I decided to go with aerospace because I really like NASA and SpaceX, and I think that planes and rocket ships are really cool. So I just decided to take this class, and this class inspired me to start my, well, not start, but I'm going to start my degree in mechanical engineering with an aerospace emphasis at BYU. Anthony Godfrey: And for other engineering programs, the sky's the limit, but the sky's not the limit for aerospace. Student: No, not for this one. Anthony Godfrey: And you want to continue your studies at BYU, ideally. Student: Yep. Anthony Godfrey: Wonderful. Well, I'm glad you're getting a start here. That's awesome. And it's great that you've been able to narrow that already to aerospace. How about you? Student: So I'm actually in aerospace and robotics right now. Anthony Godfrey: So flying robots is really your thing. Student: Yes. So I've always found both interesting. Like, I would take apart toys to figure out how they work, and rockets are just awesome. There's no doubt about it. But I took these classes because it's just fun for me. Anthony Godfrey: How long before robots are our overlords? Student: Ideally, never. Anthony Godfrey: But let's be realistic. We're just here on the podcast. When's it going to happen? Student: If it's going to happen, it will be within the next century, I believe. Anthony Godfrey: I like how you leave the door open that it might not happen, but at least we've got a few years left. All right. Tell me, why did you decide to teach aerospace engineering? And what's your background? And how exciting is it for you that your students are now working

    21 min
  4. Riverton High School Students Receive Critical Acclaim on International Stage

    JAN 22

    Riverton High School Students Receive Critical Acclaim on International Stage

    They are talented students being recognized on the world stage because of their passion for film making and for their amazing skills in storytelling. On this episode of the Supercast, meet students in the Riverton High School video production class who just walked away with second place in an International Video Competition as part of the Student Television Network. Find out how a short horror film they produced is getting rave reviews and critical acclaim, with the students competing against young storytellers all over the world. View the winning submissions from the Student Television Network video contest Audio Transcription Mr. Luchs: It's a competition between hundreds of different schools and thousands of students. Student: It had to be local folklore. Student: It was this guy that was exiled in like the mid*-1800s to like Fremont Island. Student: I think that that'd make a pretty good ghost story. Mr. Luchs: You spend those all-nighters making that color palette just right. That's the small details that separates you from, you know, sixth, seventh place or even two hundredth place. [Music] Anthony Godfrey: Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They are talented students being recognized on the world stage because of their passion for filmmaking and their amazing skills in storytelling. On this episode of the Supercast, meet students in the Riverton High School video production class who just walked away with second place in an international video competition as part of the student television network. Find out how a short horror film they produced is getting rave reviews and critical acclaim. [Music] Anthony Godfrey: We're here at Riverton High School talking with students from the video production program. Introduce yourself, tell us what grade you're in, and what drew you to this program. Why did you want to be part of this? Brennan Staggs: Hello, I'm Brennan Staggs and I'm a sophomore and the thing that drew me into this program was the — I've always been into film so I think film is pretty cool. Rockwood Inkley: My name is Rockwood Inkley or Rocky and I'm also sophomore. The thing that drew me into this is I just, I love learning new types of art so I guess I saw this and thought it looked cool so I signed up. Amden Olson: Hi, I'm Amden Olson. I'm a sophomore and the thing that drew me to this is I've been doing photography for about two and a half years. I run an automotive photography business where we just started doing video so doing this helps me advance in my career and hopefully the video will be a pilot. Scott Nelson: Hello guys, I'm Scott Nelson and what drew me to this class was I've always wanted to be a filmmaker when I was a child and I saw that Riverton had video classes and thought it was really exciting. Anthony Godfrey: So tell me what it's like being in this class right now. What are some of the things you've learned and what you love most about it? Student: I think I've learned mostly on how to make better videos on film and that's what I love about it. Student: My favorite thing in this class is using Premiere Pro and post-production. I find it fascinating. Student: I enjoy this class because it has helped me learn more about video composition, which is some of the things that clients really like. If you don't have good composition you're not going to get clients. Student: I love this class because it lets me be creative in the morning and I've learned how to use the equipment and how to edit better. Anthony Godfrey: Tell me about the competition that you just won, the international competition that you just won and what that's all about and what you made that allowed you to win this competition. Student: This was a horror fest so we had to make a one-minute horror short film. It had to be local folklore so we spent a while, me and Brennan, spent a while looking for local folklore and we came across this story from the 1860s. Student: Yeah, around the mid-1800s. It was a, what was his name? Jean Baptist. It was this guy that was exiled in the mid-1800s to Fremont Island, I believe. Student: One of the islands in Salt Lake. He was a grave robber and he got sent to the island and they found a skeleton, I think, at the base of the Jordan River with the words "grave robber" in the skull and it was chained and shackled which they didn't send him to the island chained and shackled. So I thought that'd make a pretty good ghost story. Anthony Godfrey: Let's ask your teacher to introduce himself and tell us a little bit about the competition. Mr. Luchs: My name is Mr. Luchs. This is my fourth year at Riverton High School. I'm the video productions teacher and I love it. Anthony Godfrey: So tell me about the competition, what's involved and who were they up against? Mr. Luchs: Yeah, so the competition itself is for an international organization called Student Television Network. They have a lot of different competitions throughout the year. This one is their horror film competition. This one is very unique because throughout the year, their competitions involve lots of categories for all different types of video. And so though it's a competition between hundreds of different schools and thousands of students, your category often has a portion of those students. The horror film is unique because every student in every team is making the same type of prompt. These guys, to my understanding, were up against a couple hundred different first-year student teams, and so getting second place out of all those hundreds of teams, let alone many, many, many hundreds more of students, is very cool. They did have a set of requirements. They required, as they said, to find a local folklore and based the one-minute film on that. They were also required to meet certain story and recording-based specifications, which they did a very good job of doing. Or at least so the judges did. Anthony Godfrey: I already like the color tones here. Did you change the color tones at all or is this just what the Jordan River looks like? Because I'm already terrified. Student: I did the editing for this. Anthony Godfrey: Yeah. Student: So I get every question. Anthony Godfrey: How long, how much editing does it take for a one-minute horror video? Because I think people probably underestimate the time that it takes. At least three minutes, I would think. Student: I spent an all-nighter and half a day working on the editing for this. Anthony Godfrey: Does editing horror films require that you do it in the middle, in the dead of night, really? Is that when you should be editing a horror movie? Student: No, but I am the oldest of four siblings. So that's what I get. Anthony Godfrey: So you have to wait till it gets quiet. Student: So yeah, that's when I get the most peace and quiet to work. Anthony Godfrey: Okay, that sounds fair. Mr. Luchs: If I might jump in, I want to give these guys a lot of credit for what he said, too about working overnight and into another day. One thing that's really interesting about being a video teacher is you have students that come to get the grade, and you have students who really give themselves to their projects and program. This is one of many classes, and I didn't require them to spend hours and hours doing this. This was an optional competition. Anthony Godfrey: Yeah. Mr. Luchs: And he edited this during his fall break. So this wasn't just something he did on a whim. They really dived themselves into it. I think you guys had to record, rerecord like three different times to get all the shots that you needed. Student: Yes, we did have to rerecord three times. The first time we weren't very coordinated, and it ended up taking a lot more time to get us all in the right location. And our footage was kind of rushed and not very good. And the second time, the second time, was more like we had equipment malfunction and again, uncoordination. And then the final two times was when we had the actual footage that we filmed. Anthony Godfrey: So a lot of logistics, a lot of things to account for that you can't totally control always. And I appreciate that you went back to redo things. I think that's really cool that you dedicated as much time as you did. Mr. Luchs: Yeah, and I think that's really why they did so well, because like I said before, they are part of a first-year student film team. Everybody in this competition has, let's say six weeks of prior experience at most, depending on when their school year started. But what separates different first-year students from others is A) the passion and B) the commitment, because I can only teach them so much in six weeks. Their dedication to re-film, film again, get those extra shots that they think that they needed, to spend those all-nighters making that color palette just right. That's the small details that separates you from sixth, seventh place, or even 200th place in the competition. And you have to have skill. You have to have learned in your classes and pay attention for the time you have. But it's really that passion and dedication that makes them stand out. Anthony Godfrey: Stay with us. When we come back, we watch the horror video with the students who produced it. [MUSIC] Male Voice: Never miss an episode of The Supercast by liking and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform. Find transcripts for this episode and others at supercast.jordandistrict.org. Female Voice: Does your student want to become a veterinarian, commercial pilot, programmer? Maybe they want to make a difference as a dental assistant. These are just some of the programs offered as part of Career and Technical Education, CTE, in Jordan School District. CTE provides the technical skills needed to prepare students for future employment or for a successful transition to post-secondary education. Career and Technical Education pro

    23 min
  5. Majestic Elementary Arts Academy Music Teacher Marches in Pasadena Rose Parade

    JAN 15

    Majestic Elementary Arts Academy Music Teacher Marches in Pasadena Rose Parade

    It is a high note in the very successful career of a Jordan School District music educator. On this episode of the Supercast, meet Majestic Elementary School music teacher Lisa Blodget who just returned from marching in the Pasadena Rose Bowl Parade. Find out why Blodget was one of more than 300 band teachers and directors from across the country selected to march in the prestigious parade, and what it felt like to be on the national stage cheered on by thousands along the five-mile route. Audio Transcription Lisa Blodgett: I was invited to participate with the Saluting America Band Directors Marching Band for the Rose Parade. Anthony Godfrey: Lisa's skills go well beyond her abilities as a musician. Marianne Johansen: Expectations without a doubt. That's what makes you such a great band teacher. That's what makes you such a great teacher overall. She expects greatness out of the kids. [Music] Anthony Godfrey: Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It is a high note in the very successful career of a Jordan School District music educator. On this episode of the Supercast, meet majestic elementary school music teacher Lisa Blodgett, who just returned from marching in the Pasadena Rose Bowl Parade. Find out why Blodgett was one of the more than 300 band teachers and directors from across the country selected to march in the prestigious parade and what it felt like to be on the national stage cheered on by thousands along the five-mile route. We're talking today with Lisa Blodgett, a teacher at Majestic Elementary Arts Academy. Lisa, thanks for talking with us. Lisa Blodgett: Yeah, thanks for having me. Anthony Godfrey: You had a pretty exciting week. Tell us about what happened last week. Lisa Blodgett: I was invited to participate with the Saluting America Band Directors Marching Band for the Rose Parade on New Year's Day and was one of 360 band directors from across the nation. Actually, every single state had a representative plus there were some people there from Canada and Mexico also. So it was kind of a North America thing. We were all invited to come march in the parade, but it wasn't just we just showed up and march, we actually had a lot of preparations that we had to do beforehand to get ready for this event. Anthony Godfrey: So who was the director of the directors? Lisa Blodgett: So that's crazy because when they walked up and said, “Who's the director of those standing the line, everybody raises their hands.” Anthony Godfrey: Everybody raises their hands. Like, I'm the director. Lisa Blodgett: A gentleman that teaches at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. So this whole project started with a lady named Karen Suelle. And her husband was a band teacher and he passed away. He had taught for many, many years and he had passed away and she wanted to keep a memory of him going. So she created this foundation and they had this band march back in 2022. It was going to be a one-and-done deal. But it became such a thing and people across the nation started asking for it. They went to the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade and then it came back and the Rose Parade wanted it again. So they put the band back together again. Anthony Godfrey: Wow. We're getting the band back together. Lisa Blodgett: Yeah. They said getting the band back together and I had been it in 2022. I'm like, oh, that's pretty cool. And so I kind of had reached out a couple of years ago and said, hey, there's another event. You know, I'd be interested in being part of it if possible. And so I received notification a little over a year ago, “Hey, we've been invited to the Rose Parade” and there was an application process. So it wasn't just like, oh, yeah, I want to go do it. I actually had to submit an application. And so I put that in and sat and waited and waited and waited and waited. And a few months later, I got a “you've been accepted to come march.” Anthony Godfrey: Wow. That's exciting. So what sort of preparation did you do? How did you guys get together and practice when you're from far and wide? Lisa Blodgett: Yes. I never played with any of these people before. Anthony Godfrey: Yeah. Lisa Blodgett: And so they sent us out the music back in August, actually, and they let us choose a part or assigned us a part. And so we all pulled up our music and we had five songs and so we had five songs that we rotated through. And so we had to memorize each one of those because we were going and we're just playing no music in front of us. So it is a process of listening to the music, getting familiar with the music and then starting to memorize it. It's not something you can sit down and do overnight or in a week or two. So it's a matter of . . . And then not only it's a five-and-a-half-mile parade. And so there's the endurance of walking also. So they they encourage us to get out, start walking, get out, start walking 120 beats a minute. That's two steps every second. You don't understand. Anthony Godfrey: It's not a stroll and it's not a run. It's walking at a particular pace for a long time. Lisa Blodgett:: And breathing and playing an instrument. So they're like, get out and start conditioning yourself, get the music memorized so that we show up that we're ready to rock and roll. So everybody shows up ready and prepared. So it's like when I'm teaching school too, you know, talking to my kids about, you know, we need to be prepared. If you're not prepared and you don't know your music, you know, your stuff, you know, we're not going to be as good of a group. So everybody that expectation is there is everybody showed up prepared. And so day one rehearsal, we're ready to rock and roll and just put everybody together into one piece. Anthony Godfrey: Did your neighbors say anything when they saw you walking down the street playing the trombone as a, you know, preparation for the parade or did they just figure, “oh, that's Lisa. There she goes.” Lisa Blodgett: I actually didn't take my trombone out in the neighborhood. Anthony Godfrey: OK. OK. Lisa Blodgett: I walked and I actually walked around the band room a couple of times in between classes. Anthony Godfrey: Was it more of a workout or less of a workout than you were expecting when you actually did it? Lisa Blodgett: Actually, the walking part wasn't too bad because I like to get out and I like to walk a lot. The part that was the hardest for me was the holding the horn and the horn angle up. You get a lot of kind of . . . Anthony Godfrey: Oh, yeah. You've got the upper body strength. That's a whole body workout. Lisa Blodgett: Yeah. So, holding the instrument up and then the first part of the parade, we continually played for the first mile and a half without stopping just because of all the TV cameras. You don't want to cut away. So as we went through camp, the first day we were rehearsing in California, I was like, oh, man, what did I get myself into? And day two was better day three. By the time we did the parade day four, it was great. Anthony Godfrey: Did everyone seem well prepared? I'm assuming so. Lisa Blodgett: Yeah. People came very well prepared. The first night we got together, they actually opened up three big ballrooms in the hotel and they set the block in chairs. So the block is as long as a football field. Essentially, that's how long because there's 360 people in the band, 12 people in a row. So they just set us in the hotel room and we all sat in chairs and watched the conductor and just sat down and started playing. And it just came. It came right together right away. Anthony Godfrey: So how many beats per minute, did you say? Lisa Blodgett: One hundred twenty beats. Anthony Godfrey: One hundred and twenty. Do you now walk at one hundred and twenty beats per minute just automatically? Lisa Blodgett: When I, when I go out, I would when I go walk, I'd actually sing the songs in my head. So yeah. Anthony Godfrey: OK, let's go walk a hundred and twenty beats per minute. Let's walk out of the office here for a second. OK, let's just walk at one hundred twenty beats per minute. I'll follow you. And while we're while we're walking at one hundred twenty beats per minute, what were the songs that you were playing? Lisa Blodgett: So we played a song that was actually put together for this particular parade called “Strike Up the Saints.” So it was a little bit of mixture of “Strike Up the Band” and “When the Saints Go Marching In.” {SINGING] Anthony Godfrey: OK. All right. I'm holding my horn up. I'm already exhausted. So this is it's not like a super-fast walk, but it feels faster as you go along. You're keeping a good steady beat here. All right. Now I'm lost in the school as we're walking. I don't know where to go. So I'm going to keep following you. So everyone was well prepared. How many times did you practice and how much time did you spend practicing? Lisa Blodgett: So we practiced the first evening for two hours and then the next two mornings we got together. Actually three mornings and we spent about two and a half hours . . . Anthony Godfrey: Yeah. Lisa Blodgett: Average actually practicing through. But then we had other events we went to play to in the afternoon. So morning was rehearsal time and then afternoon is performance time. Anthony Godfrey: So that's a that's a lot of preparation leading up to not very much time together and a lot of opportunities to play. Lisa Blodgett: Right. Anthony Godfrey: Oh, here we're back at the principal's office. Poor Doug has been holding the microphone and walking backwards. We just finished our walk and that was not very long. And I actually did feel that a little bit, like just keeping that steady pace is different from any other walking even if you're walking for exercise. Lisa Blodgett: Yeah. And think about being rained on pretty good tips. Anthony Godfrey: Yeah. Now

    20 min
  6. Legendary Football Coach Ron McBride and His Lifelong Passion Caring for At-Risk Youth

    JAN 8

    Legendary Football Coach Ron McBride and His Lifelong Passion Caring for At-Risk Youth

    He is known for his winning ways at the helm as head football coach at the University of Utah, leading the Utes to historic success over 12 exciting seasons.  We’re talking about Ron McBride, or Coach Mac as many have come to know him over the years. On this episode of the Supercast, we have the honor of sitting down with the legend and hearing first-hand about his time coaching, recruiting, and giving young athletes opportunities they never thought possible. Find out how Coach Mac is continuing his passionate work in our schools today with the Ron McBride Foundation, making sure at-risk youth have every chance to succeed. Plus, hear how Coach Mac impacted the life of one of our very own, Valley High Principal Jacinto Peterson. Audio Transcription Coach McBride: The world is about adversity and how you handle adversity and you got all this social media where all these kids are very mean to each other. You've got to get beyond that so somebody doesn't get their self-image spoiled. Anthony Godfrey: Yeah, and the negativity sticks with you. [MUSIC] Anthony Godfrey: Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. He is known for his winning ways at the helm as head football coach at the University of Utah, leading the Utes to historic success over 12 exciting seasons. We're talking about Ron McBride or Coach Mac as many have come to know him over the years. On this episode of the Supercast, we have the honor of sitting down with the legend and hearing firsthand about his time coaching, recruiting, and giving young athletes opportunities they never thought possible. Find out how Coach Mac is continuing his passionate work in our schools today with the Ron McBride Foundation, making sure at-risk youth have every chance to succeed. Plus, hear how Coach Mac impacted the life of one of our very own, Valley High School Principal Jacinto Peterson. [MUSIC] Anthony Godfrey: We're talking today with Coach Ron McBride. Mac, thank you so much for being here today. Coach McBride: Absolutely, Superintendent. Hey, I'm glad to be here. Anthony Godfrey: It's a real thrill. I've been telling my friends I get to talk to you today. [LAUGHTER] Coach McBride: You got to tell that to my wife. Anthony Godfrey: We have felt your support in Jordan School District through your foundation, and I think it was high time that we just talked with you about the great things that you have going and all the support that you give to our kids in need. So we just wanted to talk with you about the foundation and where that came from. Coach McBride: Actually, Lavell Edwards and myself started it nine years ago. The thing was to help the underserved kids and to give them a chance to see a brighter side of life. Basically, from the time I was in high school, junior high, I was always very involved, particularly with my teammates that were underprivileged because I came from a lower middle East LA neighborhood. So I understood, and my parents were month to month trying to keep afloat. Anthony Godfrey: So through your own experience and your experience with players who were underprivileged, you've always had this focus on helping people. Coach McBride: Absolutely, yeah. So I've always been. So when I retired from Weber, then and Lavell and I were doing the radio show on Fridays. So we said, "Let's start this foundation." West Jordan Middle was one of our first schools. Anthony Godfrey: You've done a lot of work with them consistently over the years. Coach McBride: Oh ya, lots. First of all, the principals, the vice principals, the people that worked there were outstanding. The librarian was outstanding. Anthony Godfrey: She really is. Coach McBride: Oh, yeah. And she cares. I mean, I think we did a book club was the first thing we did over there, right? Anthony Godfrey: Yeah. Coach McBride: This was many years ago. She was so appreciative and loved the kids so much. She was so excited about what we were doing, you know. Then I loved the principal, you know, and she was awesome. Anthony Godfrey: When you're able to bring resources to a school, and you see that the school has these caring adults that are trying to do their best for kids, it's got to feel good that you know that those resources are going to the right place. Coach McBride: Well, West Jordan Middle always followed up with whatever, you know. I mean, you go over there and check with their .  . .  watch the after school program. The lady that ran it, Ivy Erickson, one of the best people in the world. Anthony Godfrey: Yeah, she's done like it. Coach McBride: But first of all, she the kids, she's all into the young people. Anthony Godfrey: Right. Coach McBride: She's all into the young people that have problems and she's a good listener. Anthony Godfrey: Yeah. Coach McBride: And so she's excited about what she does. Anthony Godfrey: Yeah. Coach McBride: So it's easy to go there and watch her in action. Anthony Godfrey: Well, I'm thrilled that you picked West Jordan Middle and they really are amazing people there. Coach McBride: Yeah. Anthony Godfrey: There's been some turnover since you started. Coach McBride: Well, yeah, Dixie was a principal and she's at a bigger job. Anthony Godfrey: That's right. Coach McBride: And I tell you what, she's, first of all, her dad, I think, was a principal at that school. Anthony Godfrey: Right. That's right. Coach McBride: And she has a real history in education. Anthony Godfrey: Yes. Coach McBride: She's a great lady. You know what I mean? The great thing about when she was at West Jordan, it was always open anytime. Anthony Godfrey: Yeah. Coach McBride: We would go by to check out what they were doing or talk to the kids or whatever, but it was always very open to us. I think it was, that was the first school that, when Jerry Sloan was sick, we kind of dedicated that school to Jerry back then to begin with. So we called it “Jerry's Kids” to begin with over there. Anthony Godfrey: Wow. Coach McBride: And then, of course, Jerry had problems and finally, his problems took his life. It was too bad. Anthony Godfrey: Yeah, it is. You were really instrumental in helping those after-school programs happen at West Jordan Middle School. Coach McBride: Oh, absolutely. Anthony Godfrey: That made a huge difference for those students. Coach McBride: Oh, yeah. I mean, they had-- And they had a lot of things going on. Besides sports, you know, they had Pokémon and they had chess club, it's ceramics club. So they had a lot of things. Anthony Godfrey: Yeah. It was all this pent-up need from the kids and interest from the adults in providing those opportunities. Yeah, yeah. And when you come in with those resources with caring adults and needy kids, it was just an-- it's an incredible combination. Coach McBride: And they-- Anthony Godfrey: And you've allowed us to do things we couldn't do on our own. Coach McBride: Oh, absolutely. And you know, they have a lot of-- since they've kind of redid West Jordan Middle, they have a whole bunch of access to things they didn't have before. Anthony Godfrey: Yeah. Coach McBride: The shop classes are really good. Anthony Godfrey: Yeah. Coach McBride: Because, you know, in today's economy, it's important that young people know how to do a trade. Anthony Godfrey: Right. Coach McBride: Because that's where all the money is right now. Anthony Godfrey: That's right. Coach McBride: Trade-- so more young people need to go into trades because they're paying a good wage, you're going to make a good living, and you're going to be working every day. Anthony Godfrey: AI doesn't fix things or remodel things or repair things, you know? Coach McBride: Yeah, but we have a huge need in that sector. Anthony Godfrey: This feels like an extension of what you were able to do as a football coach. Coach McBride: Yeah. Anthony Godfrey: You gave kids opportunities as a football coach. Talk to me about the relationship. Coach McBride: Well, I always-- you know, we always divided the locker room into three segments because of red, yellow, and green. So the red guys were about 10% of your football team and these are guys that were underappreciated, needed academic help, needed structure help, you know? Just needed to put them on a different line. So we would put our red guys with our green guys and therefore, then they would get them to thinking a different process. Anthony Godfrey: I see. Coach McBride: The idea is to take the red guys and get them to the yellow and get the yellow to the green. So you hopefully, by the time they graduate from college, that they were all into the green zone where they could take care of their own problems, take care of their own situations, handle adversity, do things that people have to do to be successful. Anthony Godfrey: There's a lot of work off the field to help them become everything they can be. Coach McBride: It's a lot of brainwashing. [LAUGHTER] Coach McBride: So, yeah, you just have to change the way people think. Anthony Godfrey: Right. Coach McBride: And if you put them around people that think different, then they slowly buy into it. What I find now with these red people, when I go to different places in Hawaii or in the South or anything, all these kids that play for me are academic people now. That's all they want to talk about is, "Oh, my kid's in college. He's doing this. He's doing this." And all of a sudden I says, "Well, I guess you got the message a long time ago." Anthony Godfrey: Yeah, it definitely worked. So, the message was, "There's more than football, and we need to prepare you for that." Coach McBride: Yeah, football is a vehicle. And if you don't do what I say, then I can take football away from you. So therefore, the kids, they want to play football, so if they want to play football, they have to get an education,

    29 min
  7. Multilingual Students Celebrate Success in Special WIDA Graduation

    JAN 1

    Multilingual Students Celebrate Success in Special WIDA Graduation

    They have worked hard learning the English language trying to be the best they can be, making change in their own lives and the lives of generations to come. On this episode of the Supercast, we take you to a very emotional WIDA graduation. WIDA stands for World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment. Listen as we talk to graduates about the great pride they take in their achievement, becoming proficient in the English language; listening, reading, speaking, and writing. Find out what the milestone means to the multilingual students and their families now and well into the future. Audio Transcription Zaidi Aleman: Learning English is really a bridge that you can cross over and you can realize your dreams, your biggest dreams, you can do it. Anthony Godfrey: I love how you describe that. Learning English is a bridge to your dreams. Zaidi Aleman: Yes. Anthony Godfrey: And really at that point then knowing two languages at that deep level becomes a huge asset. Zaidi Aleman: Absolutely it is a huge asset. [Music] Anthony Godfrey: Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They have worked hard learning the English language trying to be the best they can be, making changes in their own lives and the lives of generations to come. On this episode of the Supercast, we take you to a very emotional WIDA graduation. WIDA stands for World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment. Listen as we talk with graduates about the great pride they take in their achievement, becoming proficient in the English language, listening, reading, speaking, and writing. Find out what this milestone means to the multilingual students and their families now and well into the future. [Music] Anthony Godfrey: We are here at West Jordan Middle School to talk with Michelle Love-Day, the Director of Language and Culture Services, about the event that's scheduled for tonight. Michelle, introduce yourself and talk to us about what's happening. Michelle Love-Day: I'm Michelle Love-Day, Director of Language and Culture Services, and tonight we're hosting our second annual Multilingual Family Night. However, this is more than just a family night. It's a celebration of our students who have passed the WIDA, which is showing linguistic aptitude and a celebration of their English learning skills. Anthony Godfrey: What level do students need to achieve to graduate? Because a lot of people might see language skills in different ways. This is a deep level of language acquisition. Michelle Love-Day: Exactly. So language skills are not by grade level that we would think they are. So in the WIDA it is scored levels one through five. And so in order to reach aptitude and language acquisition you have to have a 4.2 composite score and a 3.5 on their written and speaking. So some of these students can pass the scores and be qualified and linguistically proficient by sixth grade. However, some students, if they've arrived and come to our country new in seventh grade, they may not be proficient till 10th and 11th grade. So everyone is different. Anthony Godfrey: It's not about the grade level. It's about the WIDA level, one through five. Michelle Love-Day:| Exactly. Anthony Godfrey: And what does a one represent and what does a five represent? Michelle Love-Day: A one means that students can communicate with simple vocabulary words and words that will help them go to the bathroom or go to the lunchroom and play with friends on the playground. A level five means they're proficient and they have the content area vocabulary that will allow them to be successful in science, math, social studies classes. Anthony Godfrey: So someone who's able to carry on conversations, who to the casual observer might seem like they have a good grasp of the English language, would be but may not have the academic knowledge yet. What number would they be? Michelle Love-Day: They could be at a level one, two, or three. And it depends because they're tested in their listening, reading, speaking, and writing. So they might be able to understand you and have a great conversation but then when it comes to writing an email or a letter they would probably struggle a little bit depending on their practice and their skill level. Anthony Godfrey: There may be those listening in who speak a second language who are saying to themselves, "I wonder where I fall? I wonder where I used to fall when I spoke that language more frequently and I wonder where I fall along the scale now?" Now you're going to introduce us to a teacher who has been instrumental in helping move students along, but you've known this teacher for some time now, is that right? Michelle Love-Day: That is correct. I think every educator has a pivotal time in their life when their former students become their colleague and so I didn't realize I was at that age of life but I am and so Zaidi Aleman was a former student when I was a literacy coach in Jordan School District and now she's teaching here in our school district again as an educator. Anthony Godfrey: So Zaidi, introduce yourself and tell me about what it's like to be a teacher now in front of your literacy coach. Zaidi Aleman: Well, I'm Zaidi Aleman. I am a third-grade teacher at Oakcrest Elementary School and it's amazing actually. I never thought that I would come and be colleagues with the people who helped me the most become who I am today. So, it's really inspirational and I really am wanting to be a inspiration to others as well. Anthony Godfrey: Tell me about teaching third grade and helping students with their language acquisition and getting that academic vocabulary. Zaidi Aleman: Well, so in third grade we also focus on WIDA Prep and we focus on, like Michelle had said, contextual and tier one instruction. So I was there as a language learner. I came to this country when I was three. I had zero language skills. I had zero English skills and it was hard and I can see that in them. I can see that it is really tough to learn a different language. I was lost and I can see that they were lost as well and so having that contextual like background and being where they are right now gives me so much empathy for them because I was there in their shoes, because I was lost, because I didn't feel enough, because I didn't feel smart enough. But like something I want us to like say to them is that you can do it. It may feel like a wall right now but learning English is really a bridge that you can cross over and you can realize your dreams, your biggest dreams, you can do it. Anthony Godfrey: I love how you describe that learning English is a bridge to your dreams. Zaidi Aleman: Yes. Anthony Godfrey: And really at that point then knowing two languages at that deep level becomes a huge asset. Zaidi Aleman: Absolutely, it is a huge asset. You can connect with so many more people, have so much empathy for other people and you can be that person who inspires other people to also become who they want to be. So you can be that person to become or you can help that person become who they want to be later in life. Anthony Godfrey: I would imagine that this creates also just a personal connection with students when they know that you have experienced the same things that they're going through and they can see that they have someone on their side right away. Zaidi Aleman: Yes, absolutely. I just want them to feel like it's not impossible. Like when they look at me or they look at other people like me, they know that it is possible to reach your dreams no matter where you start. Even if you start at zero, that's starting somewhere. You know you can reach your goals, just celebrate the small wins like the first joke that you understand, the first word you pronounce right, the first paragraph that you write, all of that is they're wins and that you're gonna, it's progress. It's progress over perfection. Anthony Godfrey: Having a sense of humor in another language is really a big step forward. Dreaming in another language is another big step. Zaidi Aleman: Absolutely, yeah. Anthony Godfrey: I said dreaming not nightmare. Nightmare in another language is a whole other thing altogether. Thank you for everything that you're doing and we are very very fortunate to have you in Jordan School District. Zaidi Aleman: Thank you so much. Anthony Godfrey: Stay with us when we come back more about the WIDA graduation. [Music] Male Voice: Never miss an episode of the Supercast by liking and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform. Find transcripts for this episode and others at supercast.jordandistrict.org. [Music] Female Voice: They're out on the job in the rain, sleet, snow, ice, and in the sunshine. As Jordan School District students navigate their way to and from school every day, we are truly grateful for our city crossing guards. Always vigilant and looking out for students to ensure everyone's safety. Because they work so hard protecting our kids, let's give those crossing guards a hand. If you're driving near or around schools, slow down, pay attention, watch for students and staff, and follow instructions from the school crossing guards. And know our cities are always looking to hire crossing guards. If you like kids and need some flexible hours, contact your local city and apply to be a crossing guard today. Together, let's make this a safe and successful school year. Anthony Godfrey: Welcome back. In a few moments, we'll talk with some students who are graduating from the WIDA program today. But before we do, let's talk with one of our language teacher specialists. Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about the work you do. Letitia Vigil: Hi, I'm Letitia Vigil, and I'm one of the language teacher specialists for Language and Culture Services. I work with all of the high schools in our district, supporting the multilingual learners and the ELD teachers. Anthon

    21 min
  8. Elk Ridge Middle School Principal and His Huge Passion for Painting Works of Art

    12/24/2025

    Elk Ridge Middle School Principal and His Huge Passion for Painting Works of Art

    He is a middle school principal who loves working with students, bringing out the best in them every single day. But there is a secret talent that keeps Bryan Leggat going long after the last bell of the day at Elk Ridge Middle. On this episode of the Supercast, we find out about Mr. Leggat’s longtime passion for painting and creating beautiful works of art. Hear how he finds inspiration as an artist, sometimes thanks to his meaningful and impactful work as a school principal and the relationships he has built along the way. Audio Transcription Bryan Leggatt: “The Maestro's Garden” represents the influence educators have, like a sun shining on a garden of thought of flowers, each one better because of that influence. I don't see oftentimes the results of what I'm doing with a student per se, but I can come here and I can paint something, I can stand back and say, "Oh wow, that's what I did today." So it is quite different. [Music] Anthony Godfrey: Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. He is a middle school principal who loves working with students, bringing out the best in them every single day. But there's a secret talent that helps keep Bryan Leggatt going long after the last bell of the day at Elkridge Middle School. On this episode of the Supercast, we find out about Mr. Leggatt's longtime passion for painting and creating beautiful works of art. Hear how he finds inspiration as an artist, sometimes thanks to his meaningful and impactful work as a school principal and the relationships he has built along the way. [MUSIC] Anthony Godfrey: We're talking today with Bryan Leggett, who is principal at Elkridge Middle School, and an artist on top of that, and we are here at his home in his home studio. it's really exciting to be here, Bryan. Bryan Leggatt: Thank you. Welcome to my studio. Anthony Godfrey: First of all, tell us about the structure here. This is just right next to your home and a place for you to work and display your work. Bryan Leggatt: Yeah. Anthony Godfrey: Tell us about how long it's been here and the decision to do this. Bryan Leggatt: Well, I'll be honest, the studio used to be in my basement. Anthony Godfrey: Yeah. Bryan Leggatt: Used to be in a room in my basement until my daughter decided she wanted to move down into that room. And so we thought, okay, that might be a good time to find another location, maybe outside of the house. So this is just an outbuilding here outside of my home and a place that I could just kind of concentrate on my work, listen to good music, paint away, and have a good time. So that's what it was for. We started building this about a year and a half ago, and it took me about that amount of time. I just finished it recently within the past few months that I could start moving into it and kind of displaying my art and finding a bigger space in which I could work. It's come together, I think, pretty nice so far and we'll see where it goes from here. Anthony Godfrey: As a sanctuary, how does it compare to the basement? Bryan Leggatt: Oh, it's much nicer. I mean, it's much bigger. Anthony Godfrey: You really are separated from things. So you can really escape. Bryan Leggatt: I can really blast the music. Anthony Godfrey: Is this where people can find you when you're nowhere else to be found? Bryan Leggatt: Probably. Yeah. Anthony Godfrey: “Oh, yeah, he's out. He's out in the studio.” Well, it's gorgeous. I love the attic here that you've got, a little shelf to store your work. And before we get to your work, you have quite a few of the pop bobbleheads here. Bryan Leggatt: I tell you, you would be impressed. Anthony Godfrey: Is there a theme to this collection? Because I see a lot of recognizable figures. Bryan Leggatt: Yeah, I mean, I don't know if there's a theme. My biggest theme is my Star Wars theme over here. So I have lots of funko pops that are Star Wars. Anthony Godfrey: Oh, wow. Bryan Leggatt: I know you love Star Wars as well and I just picked them up over the years. Maybe this is why I do art. Is that I can sell my artwork and buy more funko pops. Who knows? Anthony Godfrey: What inspires you in art? Funko pops. That's really what gets me there. Bryan Leggatt: Everyone has their inspiration. Anthony Godfrey: Before we talk about the work itself, talk to me about the various materials that you like to use. I see acrylics there. Bryan Leggatt: Yeah, I usually just paint in acrylics. They're just a lot faster for me. They're safer. I don't have to deal with, you know, the types of things that might impact my sense of smell. I don't work with oils and so forth. Oh, so I just deal with water, you know, water and acrylic. It allows me to get my paintings done pretty quickly. That's always my goal when I start a painting is to get a lot of it done in one sitting or within a couple of days. Then I let it sit on a wall somewhere and I look at it for a while. And then I make I touch things up. I come back to it. Sometimes I'll even paint over it. I think one of the things I've learned is mistakes are what we do. That's how creative creativity takes place is you make mistakes, you take the risk. And yeah, and so some of these that you see in here, I've they've actually been painted over. And so it's just something that I do. I look at it for a while. And if I don't like it, I'll just paint over the top of it and find something else. But acrylics allow me to do that. And so I enjoy working with acrylics. Anthony Godfrey: When you said the acrylics are safer, what I thought you meant initially was not safer than oils that might be toxic, but safer than watercolor, meaning that you can cover over your mistakes where watercolor doesn't allow you to do that. Bryan Leggatt: Yeah, both, with some of the toxicity that goes in that's involved in oils. Anthony Godfrey: Yeah. Bryan Leggatt: So I'm just going to stay away from that and stick with something that's a little safer. And I can paint over the top, you know, with as you mentioned with watercolors, sometimes that's just once you put it down on paper, it's hard to adjust it. Anthony Godfrey: Do I see some watercolors up here, though? Bryan Leggatt: No, these are actually still acrylic here. Anthony Godfrey: Wow. That landscape there . . . Bryan Leggatt: Yeah. I do a lot of glazing, so some like coats of colors. So sometimes it appears to be a watercolor. Anthony Godfrey: Yeah. Yeah. I really like that series there. I'd like to talk about the recent show at Riverton City. Tell me about that. Bryan Leggatt: Well, yeah, that's the second time I was involved in that show. I submitted a few. So for those that don't know, Riverton, well, the school district puts on a show for educators that are typically artists, art teachers in the District, but can really be open to anyone that anyone that does art. And then they have found a really nice venue. It's the Old Dome in Riverton. So this was the second year that I had one of my pieces. I had a couple last year. I gave them one of my pieces to display this year. It's a piece that really meant a lot to me because it does... It's one that I have been making for a very important teacher in my life and my daughter's life. And that's Kelly Dahan. Many of you know Kelly Dahan. Anthony Godfrey: Kelly is an amazing teacher. Bryan Leggatt: He's one of the best. One of the best. A couple of years ago, well, for a few years, he helped my daughter get through some tough times at Mountain Ridge. And so I'm really happy for him. I'm just so grateful for what he did. I told him after she graduated, that I would create a piece for him. I even went over to his home. We looked at a spot. I don't know if that spot is still available because it's been a couple years. But he collects art also. I just wanted to add to his collection, so I put a piece together that actually... I'm gonna read you what I wrote. And it's called “The Maestro's Garden.” It's the one right over here. Anthony Godfrey: And this is from the plaque that was by the painting. Bryan Leggatt: By the painting. So those of you that saw the painting, you've probably read this. But it goes out to really all educators. This is called “The Maestro's Garden.” “The Maestro's Garden represents the influence educators have, like a sun shining on a garden of flowers, each one better because of that influence. The lessons, the examples, the love. The teacher's shining light can be felt for years and this piece represents the many lives each unique in their own ways that could not thrive without caring educators. We are also fortunate to have opportunities each day to influence the lives of our young people. Maestro's in our own beautiful gardens.” So that's what this is. It's a garden of a lot of different flowers. Each one is unique. Not one of them is the same as others. There's about a hundred of them. It just represents the sun shining down on them and their growth. One of the things that happens with educators is we often don't get to see, you know, the future of what happens with our students. Sometimes we'll run into them in the neighborhood or someplace, and then we get to learn about them. If they graduated or what they're doing for their job, what career they've decided to go into. So that's one thing I really enjoy about art is, you know, all day long I can be a principal and work with kids and I don't see oftentimes the results of what I'm doing with a student per se. But I can come here, and I can paint something. I can stand back and say, "Oh wow, that's what I did today." Anthony Godfrey: Right. Bryan Leggatt: So it is quite different. Anthony Godfrey: Which helps me understand also why you want to make sure that you're able to complete the art, at least the initial version of it, quickly. Because you don't always get that reward. I do tell people that, you know, friends wh

    24 min
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4.7
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About

The Jordan School District Podcast Starring Superintendent Anthony Godfrey

Information

  • Creator
    Jordan Supercast
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    336
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2019-2024 Jordan School District
  • Show Website
    Jordan Supercast

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