It was the start of a season of giving, one where Herriman High students and the community will open their hearts to help those in need over the holidays and beyond. The school kicked off their “Hearts of Gold” charity drive with lots of music, dancing, and holiday happiness. Students selected the local non-profit “The Giving Grinch” to benefit from their fund-raising efforts.

The Giving Grinch strives to help those in the local community during times of need. The non-profit says, “Our passion is providing assistance during the holiday season to children and local elderly homes across the state of Utah. We are also known for providing headstones, creating memory trips for terminally ill families, and hosting one of the largest car shows in Utah.”

Thank you to Herriman High students, staff, and the community for the generosity and kindness they show to so many in need throughout the holiday season.

Please join us in congratulating Foothills Elementary Chinese DLI teacher Liangli Tao on an amazing accomplishment. Liangli Tao was recently awarded the “ChinHuei Yeh Memorial Scholarhip” by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, which is an organization that sets standards for language proficiency. Just one or two teachers are selected each year for this scholarship in the Chinese language teaching field.

He also presented at the Swap Shop by CLASS at ACTFL on “Strategies to Increase Students’ Opportunities for Oral Response,” where educators can “swap” or exchange teaching materials, resources, and ideas. More than 60 educators from across the country attended Liangli Tao’s presentation and his accomplishments underscore the strength of the collaborative, coaching-focused culture in Jordan School District and at Foothills Elementary School.

Keep up the great work, Liangli Tao!

Join us in congratulating Mountain Creek Middle School’s David Parker who was recently named the Utah School Counselor Association’s “Counselor of the Year.” This truly is a prestigious honor for an amazing counselor.

Mountain Creek Middle Principal Glen Varga says Mr. Parker is such a great school counselor because he is a very humble and giving person who thinks of others before himself. Principal Varga says while David Parker doesn’t seek public recognition, he is certainly worthy of it!

David is surrounded by a very supportive school counseling team at Mountain Creek Middle School. That incredible team received Honorable Mention awards at the annual Utah School Counselor Association conference this year. Mr. Varga says they all lift one another up and are a highly effective team, and he is proud to be a part of it all.

Congratulations, Mountain Creek Middle team! Keep up the amazing work.

It was a day classroom reading aide DeAnn Blackburn, students, and staff at Majestic Elementary Arts Academy will never forget.  DeAnn’s son had been deployed overseas as part of a special Utah Army National Guard unit since last March. But on Thursday, Sgt. Kaleb Ah Loy returned home to Utah and decided his first stop would be to surprise his mom at Majestic. DeAnn thought her son was coming home after the holidays in January.

It was a sweet and emotional surprise with students lining the hallway and waving flags as DeAnn was called to the front office only to see her beloved son Kaleb step out into the hallway. She flew into his arms, in a tearful embrace that brought smiles, pride, and emotion to everyone cheering them on.

Thank you, Sgt. Kaleb Ah Loy, for your service and welcome home. We suspect you will be getting lots of holiday hugs from your mom now that you are home.