They are being honored as two of the best and brightest new teachers in Career and Technical Education. Please join us in congratulating West Jordan High School’s Nathan Shields and Mountain Ridge High’s Corie Johnson. Both teachers are recipients of the Utah Association for Career and Technical Educators (UATC) “New Teacher of the Year” awards in their respective divisions.

Nathan Shields, a CTE Auto Body teacher, won in the Skilled and Technical division. His nomination describes Nathan as someone who has demonstrated exceptional dedication and innovation in the classroom, inspiring students with his passion and creativity. His commitment to education and his students is truly commendable.

Corie Johnson, won in the Family and Consumer Science division. Her nomination said Corie has shown remarkable skill and dedication in her role, bringing fresh perspectives and enthusiasm to her teaching. Her ability to motivate and engage students is a testament to her talent and hard work.

Join us in celebrating these incredible educators and their contributions to the future of education!

They were all smiles as they took to the stage at Oquirrh Hills Middle School celebrating an accomplishment students, teachers, and staff are extremely proud of achieving. Oquirrh Hills has been named a “National Unified Champion School.”

The designation, from Utah Special Olympics, recognizes schools for an inclusive environment where there is a sense of collaboration, engagement, and respect for all. Unified Champion Schools must meet 10 national standards of excellence, involving students with and without disabilities training and competing as teammates in sports like basketball and soccer. Schools must reapply for this designation every four years.

Congratulations, Oquirrh Hills Middle School! Keep up the great work, achieving great things as a unified team.

Join us in congratulating the Mountain Ridge High School girls wrestling team, recently crowned Utah 6A State Champions. The Sentinels had a 34-point separation from Westlake in taking home their first 6A state championship.

Mountain Ridge head coach Brandon Birch said it has been a season filled with awesome times and some unexpected things, through which the team bonded together.

Mountain Ridge wrestler Olivia Merino took home an individual championship in the 145-weight class.

Mountain Ridge has had a girls’ wresting team for four years and we are very proud of their amazing accomplishments. Way to go, Sentinels!

It is a play still running on Broadway and in London and now students are taking the stage at Riverton High School to perform “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” the teen edition. The story shows Harry Potter today, as a husband and father of three school-age children. In the play, Harry’s youngest son Albus grapples with the weight of the family legacy he never asked for and Lord Voldermort appears in the play as well.

Theater teacher Clin Eaton is the driving force behind this amazing production. He says they had a professional magician consulting on some of the effects, a makeup artist who did the “Phantom of the Opera” makeup in the Las Vegas show, and the flying company ZFX from Cirque du Soleil, to install and train the Riverton High flight crew on flying stunts during the musical. Mr. Eaton says this is the largest play ever performed at Riverton High.

Tickets are available at the door or in the Main Office for the show which runs on the dates and times below:

• Friday, February 21, 7 p.m.
• Saturday, February 22, 2 p.m. & 7 p.m.
• Monday, February 24, 7 p.m.

It was an exciting day for South Valley students traveling from Australia to Ukraine, New Zealand, France and far and beyond, without having to leave their school. During “Flying Around the World Day,” each classroom represented a different country, educating students about the culture and offering a taste of the region with food samples as well. The students traveled from country to country, visiting classrooms, exploring traditional colors, flags and clothing, giving them an opportunity to explore different cultures from around the world.

Staff played the role of pilots and flight attendants stamping passports as students traveled from one country to another inside the individual classrooms. Even West Jordan Mayor Dirk Burton showed up to have some fun traveling from country to country throughout the school.

What a fun and engaging way for students to learn about different countries and cultures. Congratulations to everyone at South Valley for giving students such a rich and memorable experience!