Mrs. Tamee Burkholder is not only an incredible 6th-grade teacher at APA, but she's also a member of the Utah Society of Mayflower Descendants through her maternal grandmother's father. Membership in this prestigious group requires proof that you are a descendant of a passenger who traveled to America on the Mayflower in 1620. The educational mission of this group includes telling the story of the Pilgrims as well as maintaining research into their lineage.
Mrs. Burkholder is enthusiastic about her heritage and was looking forward to the exciting events planned for this year's 400th anniversary of the pilgrim's landing at Plymouth. There were costume parades in Massachusetts planned, a charter meeting of descendants, grand balls, special dinners, and other exciting events coordinated for both the Utah society and the National society back east. COVID-19 disrupted all plans for this celebration, similar to how the original plans of the Mayflower Pilgrims were disrupted by unforeseen circumstances!
In 1620, the Pilgrims chartered the Speedwell, a small boat to take them from Holland, where they fled to from persecution in England. Planning to meet with the Mayflower, and then steer the two ships together to the new world, they began their journey. Unfortunately, the voyage ended early for the Speedwell by the design of its Captain, unwilling to make the long voyage, he sabotaged this ship, causing a series of leaks. After several unsuccessful repairs, the company was forced to cram into the cargo ship, Mayflower. It was crowded and miserable for human passengers, clearly meant for cargo. But in late September, they set out anyway, into the Atlantic and the unknown.
We too have set out into the unknown this year. 2020 has tested all of us to unexpected limits, and I think we could stand proud next to our ancestors and feel their equal, if not physically, at least emotionally.
Mrs. Burkholder's 6th-grade class will be celebrating this 400th anniversary of the landing of the pilgrims on November 21, 1620, by learning about the events, and perhaps receive a special visit from Priscilla Alden herself, or her 11th great grand-daughter.
To learn more about the Utah Society of Mayflower Descendants, visit http://utahmayflower.org/
Tamee
May 19th, 2020 - Samantha Beal - We are all lucky to have co-workers that are inspiring, supportive, and go the extra mile to help others. These teammates are reliable, and if we're fortunate, they become friends that we remember many years later.
Samantha Beal, a 6th-grade teacher at Draper 2, is that kind of co-worker and friend. She was nominated by her peers this week as an inspiring person who has made a positive impact in our classrooms, minds, and hearts.
Kristen Smith, a 6th-grade teacher, started at Draper 2 mid-year 2019. She remembers Ms. Beal welcoming her from the very beginning. "Samantha helped me learn the curriculum, understand procedures, and shared ideas with me that could help my class.", she said. Kristen also shared that, "Ms. Beal genuinely wants others to succeed, and she loves to help our teachers do better. She is playful, fun, and creative, but also has a great sense of fashion.", Mrs. Smith and Ms. Beal love dressing up for 'Animal Print Thursday.'
Melanie Morris, a 6th-grade teacher, says, "Sam is a great co-worker who volunteers to do projects that lighten the load for all her co-workers. She is dedicated to her students and holds them to a high standard as they prepare for Jr. High."
One of Ms. Beal's very own 6th-graders, Lucie Bazan, shared, "Ms. Beal is kind, considerate, and a hard worker. If you have a problem, she'll try to fix it. She's nice to me and is fun in class. This year, she surprised me when I saw her in the stands supporting my Cheer team. She and Ms. Colemen also came to my house during the quarantine and brought me a gift. They even remembered my birthday and sent me a card. It was really nice of them."
Lindsay Campbell, APA School Director, shared that, "Samantha is awesome! She works hard and goes above and beyond to connect with students. Last year I walked into her classroom to talk to her about something, and she had motivated her students by putting a small dinosaur toy on each of their desks. When the students left the classroom, she moved the dinosaurs into funny positions to get them to laugh. She is quirky and fun.
Samantha always holds her students to the highest standard, but truly believes they can all reach it and be successful. I admire her work ethic and her love for each of her students and their unique qualities. She also is a great leader to her 6th-grade team, always willing to help out anyone needing it, and lead by example."
Sara Erickson, a 5th-grade teacher at Draper 2, said, "Ms. Beal cares deeply for her students. She takes the extra steps to get to know them and works hard to support their extracurriculars outside of the school setting. Ms. Beal helps to ensure that all of her teammates are taken care of and is a mentor to new teachers.
I love the times when we are in between classes, and a few of us stand in the hallway and have mini dance parties. The students love to see us be silly, and it always brings a smile to their faces."
Shantel Park, our Draper 2, 4th-6th grade Coordinator, says that "Samantha is someone who looks for ways to help and consistently finds the good in others while working to bring out people's best characteristics, especially when they don't see them. She supports people becoming their best selves and does this with students, co-workers, and friends. The encouragement and belief she has in others make a tremendous difference.
Like other teachers during the quarantine dismissal, she and her classroom paraprofessional, Ms. Emily Coleman, visited each student's home to drop off a little note and gift. But this is just an extension of the kinds of things they do in their class all the time. Sometimes Ms. Beal finds out that one of her students plays a sport or participates in a competition. She tells them that she'll gladly attend if they invite her. The students often see this as a polite gesture but don't expect her to show up. They are often surprised when they see her there cheering them on. She still gets invited to events for her former students.
I've learned a lot from her. One of those things is to look for solutions and not get stuck on the problem too long. She is an example of how to make a positive change or shift the situation to move forward.
I admire her compassion, her willingness to serve others, her enthusiasm for education, and her desire to keep learning. These are all things about Samantha Beal that make me smile and why she is such a fantastic part of our team."
May 2nd, 2020 - Cassie Zizumbo is an extremely dedicated second-grade teacher at West Valley 2. Her little students just love her. They know her to be caring and silly, even throwing an occasional class dance party. This is why it was difficult when Cassie had to explain to her students that they wouldn't be together for the rest of the year. She tried to hold back tears but couldn't help shedding a few during her morning class video. Cassie expressed to her students that it was heartbreaking that she couldn't see them but that they would get through this together.
"This dismissal time is hard for kids. Their routine has been broken.", Cassie said. Cassie and her Instructor, Morganne Isrealsen, decided to take action. She and Morganne wanted to brighten each student's day and express how much they are missed. They reached out to parents to let them know that they planned to visit and urged them not to tell the kids to make it a surprise. They looked up student addresses, made a grid, and mapped out visits. It took two days and approximately 9 hours to visit every house, but they did it, and it was worth it.
They made each visit special and unique by writing thoughtful messages to students in chalk, delivering any items that were left in class, and waving from the road. Their words could be seen from top-floor apartments, windows, driveways, and steps.
"The kids were so excited. One mom is a nurse who has been exposed to the virus and can't go home right now for safety. It was important to her that we could be there to support her daughter. This was a special moment for the student, expressing that even though we are apart and sometimes far away, in a sense, we are still together, bound by friendship and care for each other.", said Cassie.
Many of the students rushed to see Cassie and Morganne, asking for pictures or showing them their pets from a safe distance. Their students were shocked, and Cassie and Morganne were elated.
Some of the kids couldn't come out and visit, so parents were creative in sending love from their families to their incredible teachers. Cassie and Morganne received several photos, videos, texts, and virtual hugs from families over the last week thanking them for making an effort to come and visit their students. One of their students has made a video every day to show how much they miss school, classmates, and teachers.
Cassie is a full-time mom and has three jobs, dedicated to her family and her students at APA. She wakes up early each morning, completes her work for class, and then focuses on her children and their at-home learning program. Cassie also teaches dance.
We are truly fortunate as an American Prep community to have teachers and instructors like Cassie and Morganne, nurturing our students' education each day. Thank you for demonstrating the APA way with your second-graders and their families!
April 25th, 2020 - Julie Morano - On April 14th, Gov. Gary Herbert, along with Utah State Superintendent, Syd Dickson announced that public schools would extend their "soft closure" until the end of the school year.
While all of our staff support actions that slow the spread of COVID-19, the emotional impact of this decision was enormous. To 4th-grade teacher, Julie Morano, it was devastating.
"Governor Herbert's message saddened me. I have really missed my students. The learning-from-home program has been difficult, and I felt compelled to do something."
Julie decided to find a way to encourage her students while maintaining social distancing protocols. She closed her computer and wrote a personal note for each student. Julie had some extra gel pens, so she coordinated a special gift and a visit to each of her kids. Julie's husband was very supportive, helping her visit 31 homes the following day. This endeavor took almost seven hours, but every minute was well worth it.
Julie wore a mask as she knocked on doors and left a gift on the doorstep. Waiting at least 6 feet away, she watched as every one of her students opened the door in surprise. Julie has a student that is a little harder to build a connection with. Even that student was surprised and smiled when he saw her. He kept saying, "That's cool Mrs. Morano! That's really cool."
Julie asked each student if they were doing okay and if their family needed anything. Even though each visit was brief, Julie said, "These visits filled my heart and motivated me to keep going."
Julie emailed each parent as a follow-up to say, "Thank you." in appreciation of how they are supporting their kids through this learning-from-home program. She wanted to express her thanks for the positive support they are providing through these challenging times.
Below are two responses Julie received.
"Hello, Mrs. Morano,
Thank you for your amazing letter and gift. I felt how supportive and caring you are about your students. It was so sad we didn't get to see you... Alyssa was so happy and sad because she misses you so much:)
We hope you and your family stay safe and healthy. We hope to see you again in August!
Best regards,
Seryun"
Another parent sent this fun photo of her student enjoying his gift.
April 18th, 2020 - Catherine Hancock is a 6th-grade teacher at West Valley 2, and she is a ROCKSTAR! We are spotlighting Catherine because she is an incredible teammate whose contributions have been significant during this dismissal period.
Catherine is a Google Classroom expert and has made herself available as a resource to our entire team without complaint. Many of us are still learning about Google Classroom and lean heavily on her for assistance. Despite the numerous questions we ask, she is patient and kind in her responses.
Catherine epitomizes what being a "Builder" is all about. She partners with her team so that "all boats can rise" and all students can benefit. Catherine has shared her talents, tools, and knowledge with the entire 6th-grade district, both before and during the dismissal. Many tools derived from documents already used in her class. Catherine also shared items created specifically for our new learning-from-home program.
"She has been a lifesaver! And quite literally, a TIME SAVER for many of us. She receives the many thanks from our team with extraordinary grace and humility." - Laura Johnson
Catherine shared her thoughts with us about the learning-from-home program. "While I have enjoyed the challenge of figuring out how to do online school, and I have enjoyed helping my colleagues figure it out too, nothing beats in-person learning! Developing relationships with students online is just not the same - I miss my students so much. I miss our class jokes and our daily conversations. I miss being able to answer their questions straight away when they need help. Finding ways to do all of those things online is tough!"
Thank you Catherine for your exceptional teamwork during these difficult times. You are positively impacting our staff and students every day.
April 11th, 2020 - SHEM GREENWOOD - One of the defining characteristics of a great teacher is being available to help students. So many of our American Prep teachers make themselves available for students needing help and do so without any fanfare or acknowledgment. As a parent of a student that wanted to improve his ACT score and sought out the help of his English teacher, I wanted to highlight Shem Greenwood.
Mr. Greenwood took extra time to help our son with his ACT preparations. In the results from his previous ACTs, our son’s lowest-scoring area was his English. Working with Mr. Greenwood, he was able to make this area his most significant improvement area (a 6-point improvement) and is now eligible for many scholarships. In addition to the extra time taken to help on the ACT, Mr. Greenwood teaches students how to actively explore and thoughtfully consider the many different topics contained in the literature of his classes. He does this with a passion for learning that inspires students to work hard in communicating their ideas. Thank you, Mr. Greenwood, for your dedication to our students and school.
- Kevin McVicar