Happy Grateful Blessed with Tami Tran

2022 That’s a Wrap

Serving as Kaysville City's Mayor continues to be the honor of a lifetime. In this episode, I provide a quick summary of things we've worked on and share goals for 2023. Happy New Year!

Casey Pickett, Jodi Mills. Heidi Heiniger, Jill Mills : Windridge Elementary School

Principal Casey Pickett was chosen by her peers to receive the distinguished "Principal Rookie of the Year" for Davis County and was also awarded "Principal Rookie of the Year for Utah" by the Utah Association of Elementary School Principals in July 2022! 

This article was written about her in the Davis Journal:  https://www.davisjournal.com/2022/07/07/405446/windridge-elementary-s-casey-pickett-is-principal-rookie-of-the-year

'"...Each year, UAESP recognizes principals who demonstrate excellence during the school year. Pickett just completed her third year at Windridge and said she focused on three areas that helped her win the award: The creation of a STEM lab, the school’s Platinum STEM designation and the incorporation of 17 sustainable development goals into STEAM education.

“For the STEM lab, we took apart a computer lab. There were two rooms that I opened up,” she said. “I got a lot of support from the Davis Education Foundation in creating this space for everyone to come and work on STEM or bigger projects.”

Stacy Williams, a third-grade teacher at Windridge, was presented with the Heidi Martin Mighty Heart Educator of Excellence Award in 2019 and given $10K to use at the school. She put that money toward the STEM lab to offer more engagement for students.

“I wanted a place that would be easy and hands-on for kids to be able to come and easily enjoy anything related to STEM,” Williams said. “It gives us the space and opportunities that are much more difficult to do in a smaller cramped classroom. Casey has always 100% supported this vision. She found ways for us to find more money and ideas to support STEM education at Windridge.”

Along with the STEM lab, Pickett organized the creation of an outdoor learning space with projectors and pads for the kids to sit on. 

“We have a garden and we have a greenhouse and we have a composter, all of these things. It’s been so much fun,” Pickett said. 

The Platinum STEM designation, earned through the Utah STEM Action Center, took a bit of time. With less than 20 schools in the state achieving the platinum-level classification, Pickett enlisted a committee of educators to help submit the application. 

“The Utah STEM Action Center is such a great group to work with,” she said. “They really want you to be successful. They really help you through the process. I was able to make some connections with people that helped with my lab and my outdoor classroom, and they kind of all go together.”

Pickett asked teachers at Windridge to incorporate the 17 sustainable development goals into STEAM education. The school partnered with the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program for the STEAM upgrade. BTS helps teachers include art in the STEM curriculum so kids can learn through painting, theater, dance and music, in a variety of ways.

“I love it when teachers can be a little bit more creative and thoughtful about how they want kids to have intentional experiences that are service-oriented and help others and help our community and help our world,” she said.

Before taking the principal role at Windridge, Pickett taught elementary school at Boulton, Taylor and Oak Hills. She served as an assistant principal at Kay’s Creek and Oak Hills for three years, before moving to Windridge. 

For the upcoming school year, Pickett will continue the focus on STEAM and work on literacy concepts and practices.

“We typically have great scores overall at Windridge, but we’re looking at data to find where kids have holes, especially since COVID,” she said. “We want to really zero in on what each child needs in their literacy journey.”'

In this episode, Casey brings Jodi Mills 5th grader teacher, Heidi Heiniger, a brand new 3rd grade teacher and Jill Mills, the school counselor. 

They talk about their outstanding students, engaged parents and what they each bring to create personal relationships with each child in a way that creates respect, trust, and increased learning. 

Mikayla Colohan Cluff - Professional Soccer Player, Davis High Graduate, Hometown Hero

Mikayla played 4 years of soccer at Davis High School, setting a Utah high school assists record twice as the school won the state championships for three years straight. Mikayla was named to the All-State First team each year from 2014 to 2016.

Mikayla played club soccer for La Roca Futbol Club for 7 years and captained the Olympic Development Program Region IV team in 2015.

Mikayla played 5 seasons of college soccer at Brigham Young University between 2017 and 2021 while also earning a degree in exercise and wellness. As a freshman, she registered an assist against Penn State in her Cougars debut. She ended her first year with 3 goals and 5 assists in 11 appearances, and was named to the All-West Coast Conference Freshman Team.

Mikayla started all 19 games as a sophomore, where she totaled 5 goals and led the team with 7 assists as BYU claimed the West Coast Conference (WCC) regular season title. At the end of the season, Cluff was named to the 2018 All-WCC first team as well as the United Soccer Coaches All-West Region first team and All-America second team.

On January 13, 2021, Cluff was selected in the second round (14th overall) of the 2021 National Women's Soccer League draft by Orlando Pride. Despite not declaring, a rule change amid the COVID-19 pandemic meant that any player who had exhausted 3 years of college eligibility could be selected. Having returned to BYU for the 2021 NCAA college soccer season, Cluff signed a 2-year contract with Orlando ahead of the 2022 season on January 26, 2022. She made her professional debut on March 19, 2022, starting in the season opener against Washington Spirit in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup. She scored her first NWSL goal on May 18, 2022 against North Carolina Courage.

Mikayla continues to uphold and sustain the Constitution of the United States of America, as demonstrated on the professional soccer field amongst her peers by Standing to the Pledge of Allegiance.
Through her demonstration of athletic ability and personal integrity, Mikayla Colohan Cluff demonstrates the outstanding character and qualities valued and cherished by residents of Kaysville Utah.

Melinda Greenwood: How to Navigate a Rezone, Development, & Hometown Growth with Kaysville City’s Community Development Director

Melinda Greenwood is the Community Development Director for Kaysville City. In this episode, she de-mystifies the process of development and re-development in Kaysville. Melinda shares expertise, experience, and lessons learned. Listen in for tips and trips to a successful project approval in Utah's Hometown. She breaks down the steps and explains the process. Her office is always available to residents with questions and concerns. 

Kalia Merrill: Davis High Senior, Mayoral Intern, Future Political Science Major, Award Winning Swimmer

A couple of months ago, Kalia Merrill emailed requesting an internship opportunity with the Mayor's office.  I was so impressed with Kalia, we created an internship for her on the spot. She's dynamic and ambitious. She reached out and followed through because she's interested in local government and excited to learn how cities work.  During our interview, Kalia shared exciting news about her future and the things she's learned from her many years of competitive swimming.  Kalia has big plans and I expect to see her accomplish every single goal and dream and look forward to cheering her on. The future is bright with exceptional young adults like Kalia. At the end of the semester, we'll do a another interview and give her an opportunity to share lessons learned and share her experience with Kaysville City. 

The Man, The Myth, The Legend...Introducing Kaysville Fire Department’s Social Media Megastar!

You're going to have to listen to find out who's behind the Kaysville Fire Department's famous social media account.

The posts are written to capture our attention, laugh, stay safe, and wonder  whose going to get called out next (it's a badge of honor to get mentioned in a Kaysville Fire post)! 

These posts have been highlighted by National News Stations, and are frequently mentioned during local news coverage.  

 

Listen, Learn, and Subscribe!  This podcast is dedicated to all things KTown, Davis County, and Utah. It takes an incredible community to create a hometown environment which is why we love living in Kaysville, Utah! 

 

Kate Bradshaw: Director of Government Affairs, Bountiful City Council Member, Utah Outdoor Commissioner

Kate Bradshaw is a trusted source of information at Capital Hill and throughout the State of Utah. She's a frequent on-air guest for political discussions, legislation, and outdoor recreation.

In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for the Utah League of Cities and Towns, Lake View Hospital, and as Commissioner for the Utah Outdoor Adventure Commission, Kate also owns her own Political & Media Consulting Firm. She provides lobbying, consulting, and government relations services to clients interested in public policy issues. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-bradshaw-2188324/details/volunteering-experiences/

 

Shandra Mutchie: Electroconvulsive Therapy (EMT), FanX Cosplay Hall of Famer, Utah Department of Corrections Employee

Shandra Mutchie has accomplished more during her young life than many people aspire to accomplish in a lifetime.  In this episode, she shares her journey to hell and back. She was mis-diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder in her early 20's. This left her depressed, frustrated, and incorrectly medicated. Her breakthrough occurred during a hospitalization at Ogden Regional which result in a life-changing, decision to try a therapy many professionals believe to be extreme. Shandra bravely shares her experiences in hopes of helping all who are silently suffering from mental health issues and mental illness. Shandra shares her suggestions for parents as they nurture, love, and guide their children and what gave her enough hope and will to fight suicidal ideation.    Shandra is a brilliant woman full of wisdom and wit to share. Please listen and subscribe.    

Doug Forsgren: Principal at Snow Horse Elementary in Kaysville

Doug Forsgren values relationships with parents, students, and teachers. He's the new Principal at Snow Horse Elementary in Kaysville. In this episode he shares his vision for the school and his love for the students. He sums this is up in his quote I borrowed from the school website: https://snowhorse.davis.k12.ut.us/school-information/principal-message

"I am so excited to have the opportunity to be the principal of Snow Horse Elementary. I recognize it will be a big task to continue and improve on the success this school as seen in the past. I'm up to the challenge and look forward to working  with faculty, staff and parents to make this the best school for our students.

Teaching is my passion! My career began in Provo School District as a 1st grade teacher. I ended up only teaching 1st grade and I loved it! My experience in the lower grades solidified that the elementary level is where I belong. After teaching for several years, an opportunity to enter into administration and I took it. I'm now entering into my 11th year as a principal and trying to stay on the path of continuous improvement.

Education has cliches', but most of them are true. The most important of these is, "We are in it for the kids."  Anyone who enters into the education profession does it because they want to help students. If we keep students at the center of every decision we make, we will do great things. 

I am a believer in power of a good teacher. They can make a difference. My job is to give them the best tools and to make sure they are using them appropriately.  Administration and other staff members are vital for the success of a school. They help make sure the teachers can focus on the primary instruction of our students.  Together we can provide a safe, caring learning environment where the sky is the limit. 

Every school community wants their students to show a high level of proficiency. I do too. However, a focus on growth ensures that all students move towards their highest potential. You will hear me talk about growth more than anything. We can control growth regardless of where a student achieves when they enter Snow Horse.  Quality Tier 1 instruction is the key to growth. It moves the masses, allowing us to lend extra support to those who need more targeted support. 

I invite you to come and join us. We are accountable to you for the learning experience your child receives here. There is not better way for parents to get a gauge on the direction of the school than by being involved  and being in the school to volunteer.  As you do, I look forward to getting to know so many of you better and getting feedback from you on how we can improve our school. 

Thank you for all you have done and are going to do to help make our school the best it can be. We need you. I look forward to making this journey together. "

MIchael Haws aka Johnny Farmer: Red Barn Academy, Sticky Bird, Addiction, Recovery, Angels Amongst Us

Michael Haws has a story to tell!  Have you ever wondered why there's a Red Barn next to I-15 in Farmington?  Have you wondered why Sticky Bird Chicken seems so familiar? Please listen and Learn about the Haws Family and Michael specifically.... His story is incredible and the work he's doing is generational, inspiring, and uplifting. There are good people in the world doing very good things!