September 2021

This week, we are excited to host this year’s Fun Run PTA Fundraiser! Last week, your student should have come home with a flyer with information surrounding this week’s Fun Run PTA Fundraiser, including details around the Fun Run itself happening THIS THURSDAY, September 23, from 9:30 am – noon at Creekside Park. I have attached the full flyer with all the details, but just a few things to keep in mind:

Goal: Our fundraiser goal is $13,000. Your generous contributions this week directly enable several programs that would not be possible otherwise, which in turn support 4 fundamental goals for Alpine Elementary, including:

Lunch from Chick-fil-A & Extra Recesses: One class from EACH GRADE with the most donations (averaged per student) will win lunch from Chick-fil-A! The top class each day will also be awarded with an extra recess.

How to Donate: There are multiple ways to donate this week, and you may donate anytime Monday through Friday! You may either send cash or check (payable to: Alpine Elementary PTA) in the envelope attached to last week’s flyer, or pay online by visiting https://alpineelementary.memberhub.com/store# or by scanning the QR code in the attached flyer to go directly to the site. Just PLEASE select YOUR CHILD’S HOMEROOM TEACHER when paying online so his or her class gets credit for your donation!

Fun Run Schedule at Creekside Park on Thursday, Sept. 23rd: Come support your students as they participate in the Fun Run! Thanks to the generous contributions of Max Connect, all Alpine Elementary students will be getting an Alpine Elementary t-shirt for the run! Below is when each class will be running at the park:

Most importantly, we are grateful for our amazing Alpine Elementary community and for your support!

Please also follow Alpine Elementary PTA on Instagram @alpineelementarypta to keep up to date on everything going on!

Join us for another great year of reading and competing in America’s Battle of the Books. This is a voluntary reading program for students in grades 3-6 and is so much fun. All students need to do is register and then start reading the books on their book list. Students who have read three books by December are invited to join a team and attend a pizza party in the library. Students then work with their team and continue reading titles on their book list to prepare for the battles in February and March. Click Here to Register. Please direct any questions to our Media Specialist/Librarian, Paula Ruesch [email protected].

I have seen many parents using their phones to access the QR codes we have posted on our office windows to check students in and out of school. Technology continues to be such an important part of our lives!

We had our first School Community Council (SCC) meeting last week. The parent representatives on the SCC are:

JoLynn Green—Chair, [email protected]

Sarah Johnson—Vice-Chair, [email protected]

Ying Garrison, [email protected]

Jaron Mathis, [email protected]

Melissa McCoy, [email protected]

The SCC establishes a School Improvement Plan to determine how to best spend the state Trustlands monies Alpine Elementary is allocated each year. Academic achievement goals drive the Improvement Plan. If you have any academic areas of focus you would like the SCC to consider for the School Improvement Plan in 2022 – 23, please feel free to contact any of the parents on the SCC.

The following students were recognized as Students of the Week on Friday, September 10. Teachers nominate students who are consistently demonstrating the character traits of the Alpine Big 3: Being Respectful, Responsible and Ready to learn. Congratulations, Students of the Week!

Brent Anderson-Kindergarten, Mrs. Malone

Sam Ard-Kindergarten, Mrs. Malone

Sloane Childs-1st grade, Ms. Johnson

Bridger Cook-2nd grade, Ms. Andersen

Kai Franklin-1st grade, Mrs. Jin

Eli Hansen-1st grade, Mrs. Faux

Kayla Hilton-6th grade, Mrs. Hill

Lexie Orgill-6th grade, Mrs. Monson

Emberley Smith-2nd grade, Mrs. Blodgett

Lindsey Tompkinson-3rd grade, Mrs. Kaczmarek

Benji Tonga-4th grade, Mrs. Keller

Aria VanVactor-6th grade, Ms. Kuo

Alexis Williams-1st grade, Mrs. Bailey

Golden Wood-2nd grade, Mrs. Orgill

Grady Zito-6th grade, Mrs. Monson

I have been spending my Saturday nights with family members in LaVell Edwards Stadium for the past two weeks watching football games. My alma mater is currently 3 – 0, a better record than most experts predicted. In the victory over the Arizona State Sun Devils Saturday night the home crowd was louder than I can ever remember in the many games I have attended in that stadium. The University of Central Florida comes to Provo next week!

Have a wonderful week, and as always, remember that it is a great day to be an Eagle!

Battle of the Books Registration Ends September 24. Join us for another great year of reading and competing in America’s Battle of the Books. This is a voluntary reading program for students in grades 3-6 and is so much fun. All students need to do is register and then start reading the books on their book list. Students who have read three books by December are invited to join a team and attend a pizza party in the library. Students then work with their team and continue reading titles on their book list to prepare for the battles in February and March. Click Here to Register. Please direct any questions to our Media Specialist/Librarian, Paula Ruesch [email protected].

 PTA News

This Thursday, your child will be bringing home a flyer with details around our annual Alpine Elementary PTA Fundraiser & Fun Run, taking place next week (Sept. 20 – 24). This fundraiser is crucial to supporting the many Alpine Elementary programs and activities that strive to strengthen school unity, promote health & wellness, encourage kindness & respect, and create a school-wide culture that learning is fun. Look for the flyer in your child’s backpack, which will include more details. Note that the Fun Run itself will be on Sept. 23rd at Creekside Park from 9:30 am to noon.

Walk-to-School Wednesday will take place this coming Wednesday! We’d love any parent who wants to help to come to the school around 8:50 that morning and look for any 1 of 4 tables outside to help!

We had an extremely successful Running Club last Friday, with around 200 students participating! They were great sports to run in the hot weather! Running Club will continue Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays during morning recess, and kids will earn prizes as they log those miles!

We are still looking for a few volunteers to assist with School Picture Day taking place on Sept. 28th. If any parents could come between 9:15 – 11:30 am, please sign up here.

Last week, an email went out about the Reflections Art Program. Reflections is an incredible nation-wide program put on by the PTA that encourages children to be creative and involved in the arts. There is no fee to participate and there are several art categories. See last week’s email for more details, but this year’s theme is “I Will Change the World by…” and the submission deadline is October 13th.

For the second consecutive year we will have an ink cartridge and toner recycling program. Bring your computer ink and toner cartridges to the box in our Staff Room and our school receives money in this recycling program.

Our first School Community Council meeting will be 9:30 – 10:30 am on Thursday, September 16 in our Conference Room. Any parent is welcome to attend.

The following students were recognized as Students of the Week on Friday, September 10. Teachers nominate students who are consistently demonstrating the character traits of the Alpine Big 3: Being Respectful, Responsible and Ready to learn. Congratulations, Students of the Week!

Paige Ainsworth-Kindergarten, Mrs. Malone

Mason Andersen-5th grade, Mrs. Chang

Riggins Andersen-Kindergarten, Mrs. Malone

Miley Benson-3rd grade, Mrs. Chen

Lennox Deaton-1st grade, Ms. Johnson

Ronan Harward-1st grade, Mrs. Bailey

Brooklyn Hebbert-4th grade, Mrs. Vipperman

Porter Hertig-3rd grade, Mrs. Kaczmarek

Grant Howard-4th grade, Ms. Moore

Gideon Myers-5th grade, Mr. Horan

Julia Sampson-4th grade, Mrs. Keller

Johanna Stewart-5th grade, Ms. Dale

Sydney Turner-6th grade, Mrs. Hill

Ruth Willis-1st grade, Mrs. Faux

Elliott Wood- 3rd grade, Ms. Elder

We will never forget! I saw those words repeatedly this past weekend as our country reflected on what happened 20 years ago on 9/11/2001. While we should all certainly remember the tragic loss of life, I think we should also remember how one of the darkest days in our nation’s history unified us. We were all Americans grieving and resolved to defend our country at all costs. There was no focus on red or blue states or political bickering. Fast forward 20 years and we have lost much of that unity and are in many ways a very divided country. I yearn for the sense of unity, not for catastrophic national events, that we experienced two decades ago.

As we attended the BYU/Utah football game Saturday night, Laura and I were seated next to some Utah fans, and as we watched the pregame festivities (the two F-15’s flying low over the stadium was an unforgettable goosebump moment) commemorating 9/11, all 64,000 fans in attendance, whether wearing blue or red, were once again unified in somber remembrance of those who perished, with an in-state football game seeming rather insignificant to the events of that day 20 years ago.

Our sixth graders were not yet born or just infants the last time BYU beat the University of Utah in a football game, November 27, 2009. The Perdues bleed Cougar Blue, but none of our 14 grandchildren have any memories of a BYU victory in the rivalry game. The twelve-year, nine game losing streak ended on Saturday night, and even though the almost 64,000 fans in attendance got soaked in a brief torrential downpour, it was a wonderful night for the Cougar faithful. With the announcement on Friday that BYU will become a member of the Big XII Conference, it was a very good weekend to be a BYU fan. Having said that, I saw nothing but class and congratulatory words from the Utah fans I interacted with at the game.

Have a wonderful week, and as always, remember that it is a great day to be an Eagle!

We will have our Beginning of the Year Acadience test for K – 3 students on Thursday, September 9. Acadience is the foundational reading assessment given to our students three times during the school year. The assessment results inform the literacy instruction that teachers deliver in the classroom. Additionally, our first graders will also be administered a Math Acadience Assessment on Thursday.

Because of a scheduling conflict with Eastman Adams Photography, our Picture Day is now scheduled for September 28. Picture flyers explaining the different purchasing packages will be coming to parents before September 28.

The Lone Peak football players and cheerleaders who came to Alpine Elementary last week for P.L.A.Y. Day were treated like rock stars by our students. It was a fun day and we appreciate the LPHS students, many former Alpine Elementary students, who came to talk, play and interact with our students.

For the second consecutive year we will have an ink cartridge and toner recycling program. Bring your computer ink and toner cartridges to the box in our Staff Room and our school receives money in this recycling program.

We have four new parents who will be serving on our School Community Council for the 2021 – 2022 school year. Our one returning SCC parent will be JoLynn Greenwood. Here is our 2021 – 22 School Community Council:

Ying Garrison—Parent

JoLynn Greenwood–Parent

Sarah Johnson—Parent

Jaron Mathis—Parent

Melissa McCoy—Parent

Connie Faux—Teacher

McKayla Hill—Teacher

Dave Perdue—Principal

We continue to have Teacher Aide positions that need to be filled. The jobs range from three to five hours in length and pay $11.28 an hour. If you or someone you know is interested in working as an aide at Alpine Elementary, please contact our Instructional Coach, Jenna Berry, [email protected].

We had a successful Walk to School Wednesday last week and will continue the practice every other week, so our next Walk to School Wednesday will be September 15. We are grateful to all of the Room Parents who met with teachers last week. The PTA will have their first meeting of the school year, Thursday, September 9, 9:30 – 10:30 am in the Staff Room. All parents are welcome to attend.

Judging from the number of BYU fans in Las Vegas on Saturday, there had to be members of the Alpine Elementary Community in attendance at Saturday night’s football game between BYU and the University of Arizona. Las Vegas is not one of my favorite destinations to visit, but Laura and I headed south and enjoyed the BYU football victory on Saturday night.  Allegiant Stadium, home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, which was built for a mere $2 billion, was a very nice venue in which to watch an athletic contest. The AC in the enclosed stadium was a welcome relief when temperatures were hovering around 90 degrees outside in the Nevada desert.

I know of at least one Alpine Elementary parent in attendance at the game. Nick Greer who along with his wife Debra have had five of their seven children attend Alpine Elementary was definitely at the game as he had the honor of running the BYU flag onto the field before the game started. Mr. Greer is a humble man and will undoubtedly be embarrassed by this recognition in the Eagle News. Nick is the CEO of Built Bar and recently announced that all 36 walk-on players on the BYU football team would have their college tuition paid by Built Bar.

Because of Nick’s magnanimous donation to the University and being a loyal BYU supporter, the BYU football team gave Nick the honor of carrying the BYU flag out onto the field prior to the game Saturday night. Nick ran the flag out proudly with not one misstep as he had a highly energized team and the cumulative weight of many football players with sharp field cleats running behind him. A fall could have been disastrous. Way to represent the Alpine Elementary Community, Nick! See the attached video.

Have a wonderful week, and as always, remember that it is a great day to be an Eagle!

School Picture Day will be September 28. Flyers explaining the different picture purchasing packages will be coming home soon.

Lone Peak High School football players will be at Alpine Elementary during our morning recess on September 2 to mingle and play with all of our students. The focus of the LPHS athletes is to reach out to all of our students, not just our elementary football players or athletes.

When the weather is nice, as it was last week and is supposed to be this week, we have our students eat lunch outside, instead of in the cafeteria. Students sit by grade level on the grass and eat their school and home lunches before going to the playground to begin their lunch recess. We have three adults supervising the students while they are eating their lunch. We started the outside lunch last year as a part of the COVID protocols that we had in place, but have continued the practice this year because the feedback from the students and supervisors on the outdoor lunch has been overwhelmingly positive. Please do not pull into our back parking lot to visit with your students while they are eating lunch. It is difficult for our lunch supervisors to determine who is a parent and who is not a parent, and we want to follow safety protocols regarding the adults that students are in contact with during the school day.

I have already sent out a couple of messages to the Alpine Elementary Community explaining that we are in need of Teacher Aides at our school. We currently have four unfilled TA positions, even after posting jobs on the Alpine School District website. The jobs range from three to five hours in length and pay $11.28 an hour.

If you or someone you know is interested in working as an aide at Alpine Elementary, please contact our Instructional Coach, Jenna Berry, [email protected].

Parent volunteer, Chelsea Hertig, is starting up Walk-to-School Wednesdays beginning this Wednesday, September 1st. Students can walk to school from whatever location makes the most sense for your family, and earn rewards for participation! This year, we’ll do Walk-to-School Wednesdays every other Wednesday. We need 4 volunteers to help this Wednesday morning from 8:50 – 9:30 am. Sign up to be a helper this Wednesday morning here!

Picture Day will be happening on September 28, and we are looking for just a few volunteers to help that day! Please sign up here to help out!

Running Club will be starting up soon! The PTA has moved Running Club to morning recess time to allow all students the option to participate. The Club will run Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at that time. Stay tuned for more details!

Parents can excuse their students from school by using the Online Absence Request for Parents. I have attached instructions on how to use this online form.

Did you or any of your family or friends hike Timp on Saturday? I biked the Alpine Loop on Saturday morning, and I have never seen so many cars parked alongside the road in the various pull outs, trying to park as close as possible to the Timpooneke Trailhead. Undoubtedly, the dropping temperatures and hint of fall in the air, not to mention the return of college students to BYU and UVU, is bringing many hikers to the mountain trails.

After my bike ride, Laura and I watched some of our grandchildren play soccer in Saratoga Springs and Riverton. Watching four-year old girls play soccer is actually quite entertaining. Not the soccer, as it is just a jumble of little girls in a beehive formation trying to kick the ball, usually missing contact, while giggling, checking to see if their parents are watching them, and very concerned about hair and uniform tidiness.

Have a wonderful week, and as always, remember that it is a great day to be an Eagle!