The Uintah School Board held a regularly scheduled work session and business meeting on Wednesday at the district office in Naples. Video of the work session and business meeting can be found on the district’s YouTube channel.
During the business meeting, the board celebrated the following students as district Students of the Month: Kieran Richens (Central Cove Early Learning Center), Ethan Arnold (Ashley Elementary), Vanessa Aparicio Ocampo (Davis Elementary), Nolan Papez (Discovery Elementary), Kai Gingell (Lapoint Elementary), Navy Smuin (Maeser Elementary), Colton Horrocks (Naples Elementary), Devri Morphy (Uintah Middle School), Landon Hatch (Vernal Middle School), Easton Durrant (Uintah High School), and Kyler Massey (Ashley Valley Education Center/Uintah Online).
The board also celebrated the following groups and individuals:
Uintah High FCCLA chapter members who qualified for Nationals. Anna Buhler, Kaila Reynolds, Sydney Anderson, Ruby Glazier, and Ashley Caldwell were able to attend the meeting with their advisor, Heather Moulton.
The Uintah High School Student Council, which earned its 3rd consecutive Gold Council of Excellence Award from the National Association of Student Councils (NASC). Student Council members Lexi Henline, Jimmy Phillips, Elle Hawkes, Mavinee Young, Sam Shiner, Wilson Liesik, Macy Carlson, Sylvia Esplin, Abby Rubio, Kennedy Nelson, Baylee Vigil, Paisley Bell, and Evan Lewis were able to attend the meeting with their advisor, Blaire Martindale. Bell and Lewis were also recognized by the board for earning the NASC’s Distinguished Student Leader Award.
The Uintah High FFA Food Science, Soils/Land Evaluation, and Poultry Evaluation teams, which all qualified for Nationals. Food Science Team members Sydney Anderson, Marlee Merrell, Addison Gress, and Kenna Dudley; Soils/Land Evaluation Team members Brinsley Thomas and Sadee Slaugh; and Poultry Evaluation Team members Taieylor George, Weston Slaugh, Ryan Madsen, and Finn Holthus were able to attend the meeting with their advisor, David Wilson, and UHS Ag Science Department aide Arlinda Holthus.
The Uintah High DECA chapter, which won its 2nd consecutive Chapter of the Year Award at the state competition and qualified 19 students for the International Career Development Conference. ICDC qualifiers Josh Hill, Prestynn Duncan, Treyson McKeachnie, Kiera Meanea, Adam Wallis, Lauron Bowden, Bridger Christensen, and Jaevry Elison were able to attend the meeting with their advisor, Kami Elison.
Caleb Harrison, who won Best Supporting Actor at the 2026 Utah High School Musical Theatre Awards on May 9 for his performance as Olaf in the Uintah High Theatre production of Frozen: The Broadway Musical. Uintah High Theatre director Chris Piner and choreographer Barbera Piner presented Harrison to the board.
Discovery Elementary head custodian Aubrey McCarrel and Uintah School Board member Robin McClellan, who were honored recently by the Utah School Employees Association (USEA). McCarrel was named USEA’s Outstanding Support Professional of the Year for the state, as well as the Outstanding Support Professional of the Year for Custodial Services. He will represent Utah in the national competition. McClellan received USEA’s Honorary Award for her long-standing commitment to the district’s education support professionals.
Dr. Laura Foley, who was celebrated for her years of dedicated volunteer service to local schools. Foley led the Boomer Brigade, which was later renamed the Volunteer Brigade. Members of the group donated their time and talents to support USD schools in myriad ways.
Congratulations to all these individuals on their well-deserved recognition!
UHS 3rd Annual May Art Show
The Uintah High Arts Department will hold its 3rd Annual May Art Show in the UHS Fishbowl, located in the Commons, on Monday, May 18, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.; and on Tuesday, May 19, from 5 to 7 p.m. Admission is FREE. The community is invited to come see the amazing works of art students have created this year.
UHS Choir Concert – May 19
Uintah High Choir will perform its Spring Concert on Tuesday, May 19, at 7 p.m. in the UHS Auditorium. No ticket is required. Part of this concert will be a full treatment of “Calling All Dawns” by Christopher Tin. It will include all choirs and a full orchestra. You will not want to miss this one-time performance! Due to the licensing agreement, this performance won’t be streamed live. The UHS Arts Department’s 3rd Annual May Art Show will be on display in the Fishbowl before the concert from 5 to 7 p.m. Admission to both the concert and the art show is FREE.
Celebrations
Congratulations to the Davis Elementary Dragons on their selection as the 2026 Read Live School of the Year! Read Live is a literacy program created by the company Read Naturally that improves fluency and phonics skills while supporting vocabulary and comprehension development. Today, 75% of students at Davis Elementary are using the program with excitement, confidence, and measurable growth in reading fluency and comprehension. A 1st-grade class at Davis began using Read Live in January and students improved their “cold call average increase” by 17 wpm in roughly 10 weeks. A 4th-grade class that has been using Read Live all year has seen students improve by as much as 40 wpm. “Cold call” is defined as the first time that students read a passage. Those numbers have increased with practice. Nice work, Dragons!
The Uintah High Choir program had two choirs—Luminosa, the advanced women’s choir, and Polyphony, the advanced mixed choir—perform at the State Large Group Choir Festival in Libby Gardner Hall at the University of Utah on May 8. Both choirs performed incredibly well and received top Superior ratings. Congratulations to the more than 70 UHS choir students for their hard work and their outstanding performances!
Congratulations as well to Eagle View Elementary School counselor Trever Birchell and Ashley Valley Education Center counselor Mindy Deets! This month, the Utah State Board of Education and Utah School Counselor Association recognized Birchell as the Elementary School Counselor of the Month and Deets as the High School Counselor of the Month.
For three years, Birchell has gone above and beyond for Eagle View students. He co-advises the Eagle Pride leadership group, delivers character education to every class, leads the Lunch Success group, coordinates programs that help eighth graders make the transition to high school, and connects Native students with mentors and resources to help them envision their futures.
"Trever always goes the extra mile to walk beside any student he sets goals with to make sure they have the support and confidence they need to achieve," Eagle View Principal Chris Jones said, "and then he celebrates each win, so students internalize that their efforts make all the difference in becoming a better person."
For 18 years, Deets has served students at AVEC, which houses the district's alternative school, summer school, night school, adult education, youth in custody, and online school programs. She individualizes education to fit the needs of every student from kindergarten through adult learners, builds positive relationships, and serves as a caring adult who holds students accountable while providing the structure and support they need to succeed. Deets also plays an integral role in the school's professional learning communities, advocating for students and sharing insights that help guide critical decisions about their progress.
"Mindy is a miracle worker with some of the most fragile students in Uintah County School District," AVEC Principal Andy McKea said. "She is this person because she has a solid understanding of psychological safety, being a caring adult, and holding students accountable to education expectations."
Thank you, Trever and Mindy, for all you do for our students!
Weekend Events
Uintah High Track and Field is competing today and tomorrow at the 4A State Championships at the Clarence F. Robinson Outdoor Track & Field Complex on the campus of BYU in Provo. Twenty-eight Utes are scheduled to compete. So far, senior Paisley Bell has earned a 4th-place finish in the girls javelin, with sophomore Lily Hardy finishing just off the podium in 9th place. Bell also finished 5th in the girls shot put. Today’s events are expected to go until about 6:30 p.m. The action resumes tomorrow at 7:30 a.m.
Good luck to all our student-athletes and GO UTES!