With the Lunar New Year celebrations starting, students enrolled in the Chinese dual immersion program (DLI) at Southland Elementary took the opportunity to use their new cultural skills to teach other students about Chinese cultural traditions. The DLI students showed how to use a Chinese yo-yo and chopstix, crafted with paper cutouts, and wrote traditional couplets to hang at home. Students from all grades at the school had a chance to participate in the events and learn from their DLI peers.

Great job, Southland teachers and students, for bringing Lunar New Year celebrations and knowledge to the whole school. Keep up the great work!

Today is National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. It is an opportunity to thank law enforcement officers for their service and the important work they do in our communities each and every day throughout the year.

It is also an opportunity to thank school resource officers for the role they play in our schools, serving as important bridges between youth, law enforcement, and the communities they serve.

Our resource officers improve security within our schools and on school grounds, building trust between students and law enforcement.

Thank you to the men and women who serve and protect.

It was an exciting day for students at Copper Hills High School. They have been working with West Jordan City in an effort to rename the street in front of CHHS from New Bingham Highway to Copper Hills Parkway. The effort turned into something of a civics lesson for students who learned how to work with city government to get things done.

The school community is extremely excited about the change, which will recognize and honor the long history of Copper Hills High School and its surrounding areas.

Thanks to West Jordan City Mayor Dirk Burton, members of the West Jordan City Council, and others who helped to make the name change a reality and were on hand to celebrate the occasion.

The CHHS pep band was also a part of the ceremony playing music, along with the Madrigals singing the school song as they unveiled the new street sign.

It was a delivery befitting the winter season. However, hundreds of snowballs recently given to Kauri Sue Hamilton students were of the warm variety. Students enrolled in the Jordan Virtual Learning Academy (JVLA) hand-made the snowballs out of yarn. It was part of a service project to bring joy to the lives of others.

The yarn puffballs (snowballs) are for students who have physical challenges, which may keep them from going outside to make and enjoy some fun with snowballs. The puffball snowballs can be used for winter games inside the school.

Thanks to all of the JVLA students and staff for taking the time to bring smiles to others over the long winter months.