News 2018-19
June
Whether you need to spend some time on the computer or just want to catch up on your summer reading list, many of our school libraries will be open once a week this summer.
Salt Lake City School District is now operating on its Summer Efficiency Schedule. All district offices, schools, and facilities will be closed one day each week through August 2, 2019. This modification in schedule has saved the district several thousands of dollars annually.
A team of West High School students is one of only two international teams who won the 2019 Beamline for Schools competition, and West is the first team from the United States to win the competition.
Ethan Kelso, a graduate of the Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts, is the winner of the Best Actor award at the 11th Annual National High School Musical Theater competition.
May
Hillside Middle School has been selected as one of 41 schools nationwide that are grant recipients for the 2019-2020 Riding for Focus school program.
The Salt Lake City School District is proud to announce its Summer Food Service Program. Free meals will be available to children 18 years old and under. The Summer Food Service Program will run from June 10, 2019 to August 13, 2019.
April
Registration for the 2019 Bonneville Summer Camp begins next week.
The University of Utah Science and Engineering Fair was held last month at the University of Utah Rice Eccles Stadium Towers. Salt Lake City School District schools contributed 75 Secondary Division projects and 50 Elementary Division projects.
This week, the Salt Lake City Board of Education voted to appoint Samuel Bennett Hanson to fill the Precinct 5 Board seat vacated by the passing of Board Member Heather Bennett.
The Salt Lake Education Foundation and Salt Lake City School District are excited to announce a new partnership with the Utah Partners in Education: The Robert and Verda Mae Christensen Fund. This generous partnership involves five grant awards, totaling $250,000, to benefit students at West High School.
In accordance with AHERA regulations, this notice is to serve as the annual notification for the Salt Lake City School District for 2019. Building re-inspections are being conducted on a six month cycle. Each school’s Asbestos Management Plan is available for review in the building’s main office or custodial office.
This Friday is the last day to nominate your favorite special education and early childhood educator for the 2020 Special Education Teacher of the Year and Early Childhood Teacher of the Year awards!
The West High Robotics team spent most of Spring Recess getting ready for and competing in the Utah FIRST Robotics Competition Regional. They came home with several accolades and awards.
“One of the greatest values of mentors is the ability to see ahead what others cannot see and to help them navigate a course to their destination.” ~ John C. Maxell
This is especially true when mentoring pre-service educators, those who are completing practicums and student teaching experiences.
After several years of lying fallow, the Horizonte greenhouses are now being utilized again.
Congratulations to the Highland High School MESA Club who took on the ECO Challenge. Their efforts awarded them the first place ECO title and a $1,000 prize!
We are pleased to present our four finalists for the 2020 District Teacher of the Year. These four teachers represent the best of the best in our district and were selected from among 159 nominations.
March
The inland port was high on our list of legislative priorities this session, and we are pleased to report on several positive changes.
The National Council for History Education (NCHE) is delighted to announce the selection of Jenny Nicholas to join the council’s Board of Directors. Nicholas, a high school teacher in Salt Lake City’s School District for 18 years, joins the Board at the NCHE annual meeting in Washington, D.C. on March 14, 2019.
High fives, fist bumps, happy dances, and grins. The students participating in the Liberty Elementary climbing club experienced all of that and more in a powerful 45-minute session at Momentum Climbing Gym.
Governor Gary R. Herbert, along with the Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative, announced that Diane Crim, a Salt Lake City School District teacher, is one of four winners of the 2019 Governor’s Medals for Science and Technology.
This morning, Salt Lake City School District Superintendent Dr. Lexi Cunningham released the following statement upon the passing of Salt Lake City Board of Education member Heather Bennett. Ms. Bennett passed away last night due to an unexpected vascular illness. She had been battling cancer for several months.
The Salt Lake City Board of Education is now accepting applications to fill the Board seat in Precinct 5. The vacancy was created earlier this week due to the unfortunate passing of long-time Precinct 5 Board member and former Board President Heather Bennett.
We are thrilled to announce two new principals for the 2019-20 school year: Tom Luthy as principal for Indian Hills Elementary and Tracy Sjostrom at Mary W. Jackson Elementary.
This week, we were proud to join with Salt Lake City Police, Mayor Jackie Biskupski, and Rep. Sandra Hollins in signing a new contract to improve our relationship with the police and to improve the interactions between students and officers in our schools.
February
February 14 begins #LoveTeaching Week, and the 2019 Utah Teacher of the Year, Kellie May, thinks all educators should take time to think about and share the reasons why they love teaching.
The nomination period is now open for the 2020 District Teacher of the Year award! Please show your support for your favorite teacher before the nomination period closes on March 22, 2019. Nominations must be submitted online using link to online form.
On Tuesday night, the Salt Lake City Board of Education heard, for the first time, recommendations from the Salt Lake City School District’s Building Utilization Committee. This committee, made up of parents, teachers, principals, and administrators from across the district, was formed in September 2018.
Ask any student at Liberty Elementary and they can now tell you what it means to be an “engineer.” Last week, Liberty students had the opportunity to work and talk with engineers during three different events.
January
Today, the Utah State Board of Education released new Link to online report cards. These redesigned and interactive report cards were developed over the past 18 months with educators, parents, and community members.
This week, Marathon Petroleum announced a $150,000 donation to support STEM education in eight Salt Lake City School District elementary schools.
Highland High School student Liliena Pupua sang a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem to begin last night's School Board meeting.
The United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) has announced that high school students Mr. Keven Yanlin Zhang and Ms. Emmalyn Aline Pykles will join Senator Mike Lee and Senator Mitt Romney in representing Utah in the nation’s capital during the 57th annual USSYP Washington Week.
December
As we enter the winter season and the stormy conditions that come with it, Salt Lake City School District schools will be open on all regularly scheduled school days, unless circumstances create health or safety issues.
Tuesday night, the Salt Lake City School Board approved a proposal, presented by Bryant Middle School Principal Larry Madden, to expand the Salt Lake Center for Science Education and Bryant Middle School into one STEM track.
Today, the Salt Lake City School District was announced as one of two school districts in Utah and one of 373 school districts in the U.S. and Canada to be honored by the College Board with placement on the 9th Annual AP® District Honor Roll.
During this holiday season, the 2019 Utah Teacher of the Year, our own Kellie May, says public school teachers are gifts that keep on giving. Read why she says that in her latest blog.
November
The Salt Lake City School District is getting ready to launch a new electronic flyer communication tool called “Peachjar.” We will use this program on a trial basis for the remainder of the school year. This system will be used to share district-approved digital flyers and may also be used to share school-approved digital content.
Pathways to Professions, a two-day event designed to align Career and Technical Education programs and pathways to help build our Utah workforce, was an opportunity to meet with industry leaders, higher education partners, school districts, educators, and other students.
In her latest blog entry, our Utah Teacher of the Year, Kellie May, focuses on why she and former Teachers of the Year think you should consider a career in education.
Students at Ensign Elementary School have enjoyed a double dose of dance this month. The Repertory Dance Theater dancers performed in an assembly for the entire school, matching their dance moves to whatever the announcer requested.
Smith’s Food and Drug Stores is joining forces with East High School and the Salt Lake Education Foundation to ensure that students and their families don’t go hungry.
Dear SLCSD families,
Salt Lake City School District will be using text message notifications as an additional way to inform parents and employee regarding possible school closures, emergencies, and other important information.
In recognition of inspirational teaching nationwide, Stephanie Hunt of Clayton Middle School has been named the Utah recipient of the first-ever National University System-Sanford Teacher Award.
October
Today, Hawthorne Elementary was named a 2018 National Blue Ribbon School. The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes schools based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.
A few weeks ago, our own Kellie May was named the 2019 Utah Teacher of the Year. We've asked Kellie to occasionally write about her work and her passion as a way to introduce herself to you and to explain why she is so committed to teaching.
Today, through the efforts of the Salt Lake Education Foundation and Northwest Middle School, the Ron McBride Foundation gave $15,000 to Northwest to support the school's Healthy Learners Initiative.
Two Salt Lake City School District teachers have been recognized for their positive impact in providing services for students with disabilities.
October is national manufacturing month, and SLCSD Career and Technical Education (CTE) students were invited to participate in the Manufacturing Day activities at O. C. Tanner.
Ensign Elementary School is happy to welcome a Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) team to their school. This program is dedicated to improving the reading skills of children using certified therapy teams as literacy mentors.
The National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) is pleased to announce that Missy Mackay-Whiteurs, District Athletic Director at Salt Lake City School District, has been recognized by this association as a Certified Athletic Administrator.
Is your child a rapid learner who puts thoughts together quickly? Does your child have an excellent memory or an unusually large vocabulary and complex sentence structure for his/her age? If so, the district’s Extended Learning Program may be a good fit for your child.
Pre-K students across the district today joined in an effort to break a world record: the number of people reading the same book on the same day.
Earlier this month, Career and Technical Education students from East High and West High received specialized, hands-on training as part of their instruction in the ProStart Culinary Arts Class.
September
Along with our partners at Salt Lake City, we invite you to join the conversation about youth suicide education, prevention, and intervention.
In an effort to keep our schools and students safe and healthy and to control the spread of infectious diseases, we want to encourage parents and guardians to use good judgement when deciding whether or not to send their students to school.
Two teachers from Salt Lake City School District are among the five finalists from Utah for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
The Utah State Board of Education has named our very own Kellie May the 2019 Utah Teacher of the Year!
August
The Salt Lake Center for Science Education today announced their policy for free and reduced price meals and free milk for children unable to pay the full price of meals/milk served under the National School Lunch, School Breakfast, After School Snack, and/or Special Milk programs.
You’re invited to breakfast with the Superintendent, Dr. Lexi Cunningham. Enjoy a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and a sweet treat as you mingle with the superintendent, school leaders, and other parents.
Our school community council leaders and their respective school administrators will be meeting with Superintendent Cunningham four times this year.
July
Beacon Heights 2nd grade students took on an engineering project at the end of the school year to create the most aerodynamic rocket, using card stock, scissors, and tape. Nate Carlson, an engineer with Northrop Grumman, came to help and teach the students about engineering principles.
What's that noise? In compliance with the State Fire Marshal's request, we are testing the fire alarm systems in our schools this summer.
Students in Glendale Middle School’s summer program have been busy exploring science through a collaboration with the Utah State University 4-H Extension program. They have participated in a series of hands-on STEM experiences to encourage their personal understanding of Utah’s ecosystem.
Hawthorne Elementary students and their partners from Westminster College have collaborated in an annual service learning activity for more than ten years. This year, projects included making dog and cat biscuits for animal shelters, tying quilts for the Road Home Shelter and the Humane Society, stuffing backpacks with school supplies for refugee students, creating hygiene kits, and d...
This summer, Kindergarten students at Liberty Elementary are learning about scientific journaling and how it can help the learning process. By using journaling, students are able to explain what they think and what they have seen, answer critical thinking questions, and organize their thoughts.
Students in North Star Elementary’s Summer Discovery Club are getting help from some cold-blooded creatures as they learn about stability and change in ecosystems.
