Beloved JSD Employee, Jay Dee Bateman, Wins Utah Jazz “Dance Cam” Competition

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It is a night JSD District Office custodian Jay Dee Bateman will never forget. He celebrated his birthday with friends by attending a recent Utah Jazz basketball game. Once there, Jay Dee had one birthday wish; he wanted to get on the big Jazz jumbotron and he did just that in a very big way. Jay Dee was spotted in the crowd as part of the Jazz “Dance Cam” competition and the crowd went wild. The dance competition came down to two people, Jay Dee and another fan, and we are proud to report Jay Dee won the competition!

Jay Dee also met and shook hands with Jazz great Thurl Bailey and longtime announcer Craig Bolerjack.

Congratulations, Jay Dee. Thank you for the great work you do with our amazing custodial team at the District Office and for being a valued friend and co-worker! We love you and your dance moves.

Jordan School District Nutrition Services Serves Up Turkey and Smiles

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Nutrition Services workers have been busy this week preparing for the District’s annual turkey lunch. Over 32,000 students at 68 schools received a Thanksgiving meal during their regular lunch hour. More than 4,800 lbs of turkey were served with several traditional sides, including yams, rolls, and stuffing, all made from scratch.

Excellent work to everyone who made this year’s turkey dinner a success!

Eastlake Young Poets Pen Poems About Gratitude for the Little Things in Life

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Jordan School District Superintendent Anthony Godfrey stopped by Eastlake Elementary for a meeting of the school’s Young Poets Society. The group, led by the school library staff, meets twice a month before school to discuss, read, and write poetry in various forms.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, the theme of the meeting was “Ode to the Overlooked.” The young poets wrote poems about the small things in their lives that they often take for granted and deserve some appreciation. The group shared poems about the little things they were thankful for, ranging from trees and spiders to their brains and the cooler side of the pillow. Superintendent Godfrey concluded the meeting by sharing a poem he wrote about his gratitude for his microwave.

Great job, poets! Keep exploring your creativity.

West Jordan High School Presents “Mamma Mia!”

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Here we go again! West Jordan High School theater is performing the musical “Mamma Mia!” based on the music of the Swedish pop group ABBA. 

Performances are November 20, 21, 22, and 24 at 7 p.m. with a matinee on Saturday, November 22, at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at the link below.

Soldier Comes Home for the Holidays, Surprises Mom at Majestic Elementary Arts Academy Where She Works

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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.