January 2022

We are encouraging teachers to schedule online parent/teacher conferences this week. If parents would prefer to meet in-person with their child’s teacher, you can still do so, but an online conference is encouraged during for this week’s conferences. Teachers will be scheduling conferences with parents on Skyward. Contact your student’s teacher if you have any questions.

February 4 will be a Teacher Work Day; consequently, there will be no school for students on Friday.

The Alpine Elementary staff was as surprised as parents at the announcement last week from the Alpine School District Board of Education that we would be making a daily schedule change starting on January 31. That decision was put on pause, so we continue with our current schedule until the Board gathers more input from ASD stakeholders. This is the message all parents received last week from the ASD School Board:

As many of you may have heard, the Board of Education has been studying ways to address teacher fatigue while keeping students in school, face-to-face, every day. Although a decision was made in last night’s board meeting to implement a temporary schedule adjustment, the board has now requested a pause to allow for further study and review of operational challenges, feedback, and logistics.

We apologize for any confusion this has created for you and your student. The board will be considering additional solutions to address teacher fatigue and student absenteeism. We want to make sure that decisions made don’t increase teacher burden or negatively impact student learning. Schools will continue on the normal schedule until further notice.

It’s Book Fair Time! We’re so excited and hope you’ll stop by and pick up some great books to read. (All purchases benefit our school library.)

Book Fair Hours:

Jan. 31st & Feb. 1st

8:30 am – 4:00 pm

Feb. 2nd & 3rd

8:30 am – 7:00 pm

Feb. 4th Closed

No school for students

Feb. 7th Chinese Lantern Festival

8:30 am – 8:00 pm

Be sure to complete the attached Reading Bingo card. Return it to the library on Monday, February 7th to be entered in our prize drawing.

We are in need of a teacher aide to work in a 5^th grade classroom, 9:15 am – 2:15 pm. Please email Mr. Perdue if you are interested in a TA job or if you have any questions. The job pays $11.28 an hour unless applicants have previous experience working in schools.

Spirit Night this Wednesday, Feb. 2nd at the NEW Zupas from 4-9 pm – Come to the brand-new Cafe Zupas in Highland for an easy house-made meal, and Alpine Elementary PTA will earn 25% back! There are 3 ways to order (remember to mention the fundraiser for us to get credit!): 1) Run through their new drive-thru, 2) Drop in, in-person (right after parent-teacher conferences, right?!), or 3) Order online or via their mobile app – mention FUNDRAISER25 in the coupon code (Also, you can choose for a delivery option through the app/online also!).

Dad Help Before School – The Alpine Elementary PTA is helping us round up some dad helpers (or grandfathers, uncles, or other dudes!) to help monitor outside the school while kids are out waiting to be let inside. We are looking for dads/dudes who can help monitor outside the school on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8:45 to 9:15 am. Please sign up on this Google doc to help or make sure to let those gentlemen know we would love to have them on board!

Chinese Lantern Festival – The PTA is hosting the school’s third annual Chinese Lantern Festival the week of February 7 – 11! There are quite a few things to be aware of for that week:

Daphne Anderson-6th grade, Ms. Kuo

Lexi Cann-5th grade, Mr. Horan

Landon Deveraux-Kindergarten, Mrs. Aitchison

Terry Dilts-3rd grade, Ms. Elder

Rosie Ence-1st grade, Ms. Johnson

Gracie Gillespie-6th grade, Mrs. Hill

Dresden Hansen-1st grade, Mrs. Faux

Max Hertig-Kindergarten, Mrs. Aitchison

Adaline Larkin-Kindergarten, Mrs. Malone

Kayleigh Nelsen-5th grade, Mrs. Chang

Lewis Olson-Kindergarten, Mrs. Malone

Madi Sardoni-4th grade, Mrs. Keller

William Stewart-1st grade, Mrs. Bailey

Aksel Tedrow-1st grade, Ms. Johnson

Thor Tom-4th grade, Ms. Moore

With my wife, Laura, being in Oregon watching grandchildren for the past 10 days, I have relied on eating establishment gift cards and my own unique cooking skills. Did you know the microwave oven was introduced in 1967, and only became affordable to families in the late 1970’s? I can assure you that microwaves still are common household appliances in the 21^st century and are the go-to cooking method for some people who prefer a quick meal or are too lazy to cook. Frozen chicken pot pies and burritos really make tasty meals!

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

With the recent COVID spike, we are encouraging teachers to schedule online parent/teacher conferences the first week in February. If parents would prefer to meet in-person with their child’s teacher, you can still do so, but an online conference is encouraged during this pandemic resurgence. Teachers will be scheduling conferences with parents on Skyward. Contact your student’s teacher if you have any questions.

Some of you may have watched or listened to last week’s emergency school board meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss board plans for dealing with the recent COVID resurgence. As I listened to the meeting, my primary take away is that the Alpine School District School Board thinks that in-person learning for students is a much better option than online learning, and they are committed to making traditional in-person learning happen for the 80,000 students in the ASD while at the same time ensuring the health and safety of all children.

We are in need of a teacher aide to work in a 5^th grade classroom, 9:15 am – 2:15 pm, Monday – Friday. Please email Mr. Perdue if you are interested in a TA job or if you have any questions.

We recently received the Alpine School District results in the Assessment of Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL) that our 3^rd – 6^th grade Chinese Immersion students take each year. Check out our scores and how we compare with other Chinese Immersion Schools and all of the Dual Language Immersion (DLI) schools in the ASD. You will see that all of our Chinese Immersion teachers are doing incredible work, and our AAPPL scores compare very favorably with the other DLI schools in the ASD. Google tells me that gàn dé hÇŽo translates to well done in Mandarin. Gàn dé hÇŽo Alpine Elementary Chinese Immersion teachers!

Junior Achievement – We are grateful to all who have signed up to volunteer with the Junior Achievement program! The orientation meeting is today at 2:45 pm in the school library. Come sign a waiver, pick up your classroom kit and ask any questions of our JA representative Melanie Harker.

Dad Help Before School – The Alpine Elementary PTA is helping us round up some dad helpers (or grandfathers, uncles, or other dudes!) to help monitor outside the school while kids are out waiting to be let inside. We are looking for dads/dudes who can help monitor outside the school on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8:45 to 9:15 am, starting tomorrow! Please sign up on this Google doc to help.

Chinese Lantern Festival – The PTA is hosting the school’s third annual Chinese Lantern Festival the week of February 7 – 11! Your student(s) should have brought home a flyer in the next day or so that explains the rules for creating a lantern. Lanterns are due back to your student’s homeroom by February 3. in time for the evening Chinese Lantern Festival Arts Night taking place February 7 from 6 to 8 pm. That night, we invite you and your families to come enjoy an evening celebrating the Chinese New Year. Come let your kids make fun Chinese arts and crafts, play games, and take a tour of the lanterns throughout the school! Also, we are looking for some extra help in classrooms that evening, and there are some one-hour shifts available (one shift from 6 to 7 pm and another from 7 to 8 pm). If you have an hour that night, we would greatly appreciate your help! Sign up here.

Note about COVID – Just a quick note about COVID. The evening celebration is an optional activity – feel free to come only if you are comfortable. We do suggest wearing masks to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. We will also continue to follow COVID safety protocols outlined by Alpine School District. If you have any concerns regarding these PTA-sponsored activities, please contact Suzanne Campbell, Alpine Elementary PTA President, at [email protected].

Kindergarten parents interested in applying to the first grade Chinese Immersion Program can go to the Alpine Elementary website and find both the application and an orientation video that replaces the orientation meeting we have had in previous years. Applications are due January 31.

Aaron Arkell-3rd grade, Mrs. Kaczmarek

Kennedy Burgess-Kindergarten, Mrs. Aitchison

Brynlee Cann-3rd grade, Mrs. Chen

Liam Casey-4th grade, Mrs. Vipperman

Lyla Ence-6th grade, Mrs. Hill

Livie Frazier-3rd grade, Mrs. Chen

Jonah Goodfellow-Kindergarten, Mrs. Aitchison

Mackenzie Jones-3rd grade, Mrs. Kaczmarek

Charlie Lind-4th grade, Ms. Moore

Timmy Lyon-5th grade, Mrs. Menssen

Sage Nielsen-1st grade, Ms. Johnson

Tristan Pontarelli-1st grade, Mrs. Faux

Benson Reynolds-1st grade, Mrs. Bailey

Ellie Slesk-6th grade, Ms. Kuo

Abe Woodman-5th grade, Mr. Horan

My wife is watching grandchildren in Oregon for 10 days while their parents are on a Caribbean cruise, so I am batching it at home. Fortunately, there were some very exciting NFL football games to watch on Saturday and Sunday. If you are an NFL fan, the four divisional games over the weekend were the best that I can ever remember. Hope your favorite team will be playing on Sunday for a chance to go to the Super Bowl.

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

The Alpine School District went to online learning days on January 14 and 18 because of the increasing number of students and staff who have tested positive for COVID or the Omicron Variant. Since all of the schools in the ASD are experiencing staff illnesses the teacher substitute system has not been able to keep up with the number of jobs that need to be filled. As I write this, we know of three teachers who will not be at work tomorrow and no substitutes have picked up their jobs. Consequently, we need to have Teacher Aides cover classes, or when we can’t find a Teacher Aide, we combine classes, creating some large class sizes for one teacher. We are hopeful that this recent surge of COVID positive cases will abate, allowing our faculty and students to return to their normal health.

Needless to say, we are in desperate need of substitute teachers! If parents are interested in being a substitute teacher in our school or just in their child’s classroom, go to: ess.com/alpine/.

The COVID health and safety protocols for the Alpine School District have not changed. The ASD has ongoing communication with the Utah County Health Department, and to date, more restrictive protocols have not been implemented. And though masks are not required, parents can choose to have their children wear a mask at school.

We are in need of a new crossing guard before and after school. Our crossing guard is employed by the Lone Peak Police Department. If you are interested in applying for the job, here is the link. Direct any questions to Jessica Scholle at the Lone Peak Police Department. The job pays $13.25 an hour.

 https://www.lonepeakpolice.com/employment

Applications for the 2022 – 23 first grade Chinese Immersion Program are due January 31. You can find the application and orientation video about our Dual Language Immersion Program on the Alpine Elementary website.

Even though I have been vaccinated and have had the COVID booster, I was notified on January 10 that I had tested positive for COVID. I had no symptoms and the only reason I took the COVID test is because I had an elective surgical procedure scheduled on January 13. I needed to isolate at home for five days, and over that time I did experience some coldlike symptoms: headache, runny nose, slight cough. Those symptoms would not have prompted me to get a COVID test if not for the elective surgery. I would have thought just another annoying winter cold. The symptoms are gone and I am back to work, wearing a mask. This virus seems to be random in who contracts COVID, even after vaccination and booster shots. Fortunately, my wife has remained symptom and virus free, which we hope continues, as she is scheduled to fly to Oregon on Thursday and watch three of our grandchildren for 10 days. I had hoped that in my final year of work before retiring, I would be off the COVID-19 rollercoaster. No such luck!

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

There has been a recent resurgence in the number of students and adults who are contracting the COVID-19 virus or the Omicron variant. Alpine Elementary follows all state and local pandemic prevention guidelines. The Alpine School District works closely with the Utah County Health Department to determine how to ensure a safe learning environment for students and safe working conditions for faculty. There are currently no changes in Alpine Elementary safety protocols, but you will be informed if more rigorous protocols are deemed necessary by the State of Utah, the Utah County Health Department and the ASD.

We are in need of a new crossing guard before and after school. Our crossing guard is employed by the Lone Peak Police Department. If you are interested in applying for the job, here is the link. Direct any questions to Jessica Scholle at the Lone Peak Police Department. The job pays $13.25 an hour.

 https://www.lonepeakpolice.com/employment

Spirit Night Thursday, January 13th at FIIZ – This Thursday, ALL DAY, stop by FIIZ in Highland for a drink! FIIZ will donate 10% of the entire day’s total to our PTA! So tell your friends/family to stop by FIIZ in Highland this Thursday!

Kindergarten parents interested in applying to the first grade Chinese Immersion Program can go to the Alpine Elementary website and find both the application and an orientation video that replaces the orientation meeting we have had in previous years. Applications are due January 31.

Preschool registration is approaching January 19th at 10:00am.  Attached are the fliers for Preschool Open Enrollment.

Benson Anderson-3rd grade, Ms. Elder

Banks Anderson-2nd grade, Mrs. Orgill

Jaxton Bennett-6th grade, Mrs. Hill

Hudson Bruce-Kindergarten, Mrs. Aitchison

Jamison Bruce-5th grade, Ms. Dale

Ivy Christensen-Kindergarten, Mrs. Aitchison

Carter Clegg-2nd grade, Mrs. Orgill

Lily Goodwin-6th grade, Mrs. Monson

Clark Greer-1st grade, Mrs. Bailey

Millie Johnson-5th grade, Mrs. Chang

Daisy McConnon-1st grade, Mrs Bailey

Vaughn Nash-4th grade, Mrs. Keller

Annabelle Rodman-1st grade, Mrs. Faux

Miles Taylor-4th grade, Ms. Moore

It is basketball season in our family. Three grandsons, ages 8 – 14, had games on Saturday, and then Laura and I completed the day by going to the Marriott Center and watching the BYU men’s basketball team prevail over St. Mary’s. And the sunny though cold weather permitted a morning bike ride.

Speaking of basketball, did you see the video that went viral over the Holiday Break?

Kathleen Fitzpatrick, otherwise known as Ms. Fitz, decided to make a deal with her third-grade class at Holy Trinity School in Washington D.C. The deal was if she made a full-court shot on the school’s basketball court, she would reward the class with a hot chocolate party. Receiving the ball from a student in a lion costume and hitting a half-court shot, followed by the reaction of Ms. Fitz’s students. Is there anything better than spontaneous student joy?

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

I hope that all of the Alpine Elementary Community had a joyous holiday season with family and friends. Welcome to 2022! We are grateful that our students have been able to attend school since August 2020 as we all deal with the roller coaster of life that a worldwide pandemic and its variants have created. We are hopeful that 2022 brings ongoing enriched learning opportunities for students, happiness and good health for our entire community.

Our students will be participating in middle of the year Acadience testing on Wednesday, January 5. The Acadience Reading Assessment is a set of procedures and measures for assessing the acquisition of early literacy skills from kindergarten through sixth grade. They are designed to be short (one minute) test probes used to regularly monitor the development of early literacy and early reading skills. It will be a quick turnaround for our students after returning from the holiday break, but we are confident the literacy instruction our teachers have provided since the beginning of the school year will be reflected in student assessment scores.

We are in need of new crossing guard before and after school. Our crossing guard is employed by the Lone Peak Police Department. If you are interested in applying for the job, here is the link. Direct any questions to Jessica Scholle at the Lone Peak Police Department. The job pays $13.25 an hour.

 https://www.lonepeakpolice.com/employment

Parents of current kindergartners can apply for admission to the first grade Chinese Immersion Program at Alpine Elementary, with January 31 being the application deadline. Here is the link:

I include an “Outside the Principal’s Office” section in the weekly Eagle News so that parents can get to know me and my family a little better. Thank you to the many parents who have told me that they enjoy the personal anecdotes I share.

No personal holiday stories to share this week. Just some news you might be interested in. I have decided that I will be retiring as the principal at Alpine Elementary at the end of June when my current contract expires.

I informed the Alpine Elementary staff of my decision in a meeting we had this morning. 

I am not retiring because of family issues, health reasons, the pandemic, or any problems/concerns I am having with members of the Alpine Elementary Community or the Alpine School District. After 38 years as an educator, I am simply ready to begin the next chapter of my life. In fact, I would like to continue working part time in some capacity, perhaps in the education field, or maybe in the private sector.

In August of 1982 I graduated from BYU with a degree in English Literature. Laura and I loaded our few possessions in a U-Haul trailer, pulled by our 1967 Ford Galaxy 500. We, along with our one-year-old daughter, drove to Salem, Oregon where I began my first year of studies at Willamette University School of Law. I did not enjoy the study of law, which was an expensive mistake, and subsequently enrolled at Western Oregon University to obtain my secondary teaching license. Beginning in the fall of 1984, I taught and coached at Stanfield High School near the Columbia River for three years, five years in the classroom at Redmond High School in Central Oregon, 14 years as an Assistant Principal at Redmond High School, eight years as an elementary principal in Redmond, and eight years as the principal at Alpine Elementary. 38 years working in four different public schools, two high schools and two elementary schools! I have never regretted my decision to become an educator. What a wonderful and fulfilling career it has been!

I am confident that the Leadership Team at the Alpine School District will select a principal who can lead Alpine Elementary to even greater heights. Parents will be notified when the new principal has been selected.

I have always loved working with students, both at the elementary and high level, and my time at Alpine Elementary has been the perfect capstone in my professional journey. It has been a privilege to be the principal at Alpine Elementary and to associate with wonderful students, loving and caring parents, and a very talented and dedicated faculty.

Thank you for trusting me to be the leader in this incredible school! I will forever say, “It is a great day to be an Eagle!”