They are devoted to students and education, always inspiring others around them. We want to congratulate this year’s Jordan Association of Elementary School Principals (JAESP) Award winners.

These amazing educators are nominated by Jordan School District employees from across the District.

JAESP board members presented each winner with an award at their school and they now advance to the UAESP State competition.

Congratulations to the principals listed below:

• Jennifer Ludlow: Distinguished Principal of the Year
• Veronica Holyoke: Distinguished Assistant Principal of the Year
• Tiffany Smith: Community Leader Principal of the Year 
• Candie Checketts: Student Advocate Principal of the Year
• Jerilyn Schaffer: Rookie Principal of the Year
• Jessica Stowe: Instructional Leader Principal of the Year
• Ken Westwood: Mentor Principal of the Year
• Suzie Williams: Innovator Principal of the Year

We congratulate these principals for their excellence in school leadership.

It was a slam dunk for fun as students and staff got an early start on March Madness at the South Valley School. Cheerleaders warmed up to welcome the teams and cheer them on during some spirited basketball games. Even Superintendent Godfrey suited up to get in on the fun.

South Valley students competed against each other in teams while Life Design students took to the court competing against staff and Superintendent Godfrey.

Congratulations to everyone involved in March Madness at South Valley! We can’t wait for tournament play again next year.

It was an experience that students, teachers, staff, and principals will likely remember for a very long time. Students from the Kauri Sue Hamilton School helped to launch Kindness Week at Jordan Ridge Elementary School in a very touching, and meaningful way.

During the kickoff assembly Jordan Ridge students heard from Kauri Sue staff who explained the different ways their students communicate without their voices, how they get around school if they don’t walk, how they eat if they don’t use their mouth, and how they like to do many of the same things that any other kids and teens like to do.

Kauri Sue Principal Courtney Titus said it was a wonderful way to celebrate what makes each of us unique and discovering how we can spread kindness like confetti.

The Kauri Sue visit demonstrated the power of kindness and respect, and why it’s so important to embrace our differences. They asked Jordan Ridge students to fill their Kindness Week with understanding, friendship, and lots of smiles as they welcomed their special guests from Kauri Sue.

Principal Titus said at the end of the day, everyone learned a lot of great things about how we are the same and how we are different. She said students learned that everyone has feelings and everyone wants to be included.

The assembly was a powerful reminder that we all have the courage to be kind, to be a friend, to talk to others and ask questions in a kind and a polite way. It was also a reminder to embrace and celebrate differences together.

Thanks to the Kauri Sue Hamilton School for an amazing Kindness Week kickoff assembly and to Principal Courtney Titus for sharing this story.

It was a breakfast service like no other at Ridge View Elementary School. That’s because the cafeteria staff got their groove on with a “Surf’s Up with School Breakfast” theme, and served up smiles and great food in style. It was part of National School Breakfast Week, which celebrates the importance of a nutritious school breakfast in fueling students for learning and success.

National School Breakfast week is observed the first week of March and recognizes our school breakfast programs and the many ways the programs give kids a great start to every day, along with the big side of smiles they get from cafeteria staff.

Great job, Ridgeview cafeteria staff, for making breakfast fun, delicious, and nutritious, for students, teachers, and staff!