Weekly District Update - Feb. 24, 2023
The Uintah School Board held a business meeting Wednesday at the district office. Video of the meeting can be found on the
district’s YouTube channel. An audio recording of the meeting can be found
HERE.
Central Cove Preschool Project
During the board's business meeting, VCBO Architecture presented the board with information about the potential construction of a new building for Central Cove Preschool. The presentation including architectural renderings and was intended to give board members an idea of the possible size and scope of the project.
The Central Cove Preschool project is still in the preliminary stages. At present, the board has not voted to fund the project.
The district plans to hold town hall meetings in the coming months to solicit public input about the preschool project. A representative from Zions Bank Public Finance is scheduled to make a presentation to the school board at its March 8 meeting about the possible financial impact of spending an estimated $20 million from the district’s capital budget to build a new preschool. The district has the money in its capital fund to build the project.
The building that houses Central Cove does not meet the current or future needs of students and staff. The building was constructed in 1940 and was not originally designed for use as a preschool. It has far outlived its expected lifespan and has a host of issues one would expect to find in an 83-year-old building.
The district is required by federal law to provide special education services for children 3 and up, giving them an opportunity to attend school alongside their typically developing peers. Central Cove meets this requirement for the district.
The district has examined all possible options for Central Cove Preschool. District administrators are recommending construction of a new building. They are working in partnership with representatives from Utah State University Uintah Basin to secure a possible location for the building near the USU UB campus in Vernal.
School Fees for 2023-24
The Uintah School Board is expected to vote on the school fees schedule for the 2023-2024 school year when they meet at Eagle View Elementary School on March 8 for their regularly scheduled business meeting. Information about school fees for the current year can be found
HERE.
USU Science Fair Results
The Utah State University Uintah Basin Science Fair was held Wednesday at the Uintah Conference Center. Uintah Middle School students Dominick Allred and Keltin Anderson won the Biggest Idea Award; Vernal Middle School student Sophia Hanifin won the Best Lab Work Award; and UMS student David Pierce won Best of Show.
The Uintah School District students who placed in each of the following categories qualified to compete in the Ritchey Science & Engineering Fair at Weber State University in late March.
Biological Sciences: 6th grade – David Pierce (UMS), first place; Rowan Deletant (UMS), second place; Morris Stewart (VMS), third place; 7th grade – Lucas Caldwell (VMS), first place; Angela Jolley (UMS), second place; Taylee Wells (UMS), third place; 8th grade – Alexis Anderson (UMS), first place; Myka Hansen (VMS), second place; Mya Madsen and Ava Haslem (UMS), third place.
Physical Sciences: 6th grade – Jacelyn Winterton (VMS), first place; Abbilyn Hill (UMS), second place; Abigail Gardner (VMS), third place; 7th grade – Abbie Olsen (VMS), second place; Sam Sorenson (VMS), third place; 8th grade – Izzy Porter (VMS), second place.
Social Sciences: 6th grade – Quinn Bigler (UMS), first place; 7th grade – Kaitlyn Sullivan (VMS), first place; 8th grade – Janessa Cordova (VMS), second place; Kinsley Bristol (VMS), third place.
Engineering: 6th grade – Melody Liebhardt (VMS), first place; Vincent Jones (VMS), second place; Lyndi Phillips (UMS), third place; 7th grade – Raydin Cox (VMS), first place; Bridger Taylor (UMS), second place; 8th grade – Kyle Hunter, Aaden Owens and Braxton O’Crowley (UMS), first place; Thomas Schlosser III (VMS), second place; Annika Holmes (VMS) third place.
UMS students Harley-Jo Christofferson and Haylie Chapoose won the Pepsi Award. VMS students Jhett Nielson, Elliott Hobb, Shayanne Ulwelling and Tyler Huber won the Friends of the Utah Field House Award.
UMS students Aaden Owens, Braxton O’Crowley, Kyle Hunter and Alexis Anderson won the Electron Award from Deseret Power. UMS students Alexis Anderson and Rowan Deletant and VMS student Emily Anderson won the Frontier Resources Award. VMS student Weston Slaugh and UMS students Alexis Anderson, Brinsley Thomas, and Konner Hancock received awards from the Vernal Area Chamber of Commerce.
VMS student Tyler Huber and UMS students Kyle Hunter, Grace Collins, Aaden Owens, Braxton O’Crowley, Alexis Anderson, and David Pierce received awards from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. VMS students Sophia Hanifin and Ryan Madsen and UMS students Josh Hill and Luke Merrell received awards from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Congratulations to these outstanding student scientists and thank you to the organizations and individuals who support their work.
Cheer Review
The Uintah High Cheer Squad will hold its annual Cheer Review tonight, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m. in the Main Gym at the high school. Admission is free.
Drill Review
The Uintah U’ettes will hold their annual Drill Review tomorrow, Feb. 25, at 5 p.m. in the Main Gym at the high school. Admission is free.
SpongeBob the Musical
Uintah High Theatre’s production of SpongeBob the Musical opens Friday, March 3. It runs through Saturday, March 11. All shows start at 7 p.m. Great seats are still available at
https://uintah.ludus.com/index.php.
Celebrations
Schools around the district have begun announcing their Teacher of the Year and Classified Employee of the Year. Here are the honorees who were announced this week:
Teacher of Year: Alisa Thacker (Eagle View Elementary), Fawn Holmes (Naples Elementary), and Kami Elison (Uintah High School).
Classified Employee of the Year: Krystal Jenkins (Eagle View Elementary); Jahnsen Blackburn (Naples Elementary), and Cassandra Dean (Uintah High School).
As more honorees are announced, we’ll recognize them. Each school’s Teacher of the Year and Classified Employee of the Year will be considered for district Teacher of the Year and Classified Employee of the Year. Those awards will be announced in April.
The Uintah High School Boys Wrestling Team won their third consecutive state championship last Saturday and their 26th title in program history. Michael Alexander earned his second individual state title and Gage Howard earned his first individual state title.
The Uintah High Girls Wrestling Team won their first state championship in program history last Saturday. Chanley Green earned her second individual state title, while Emma Carri and Maddison Tenney each earned their first individual state titles. Coach Patrick Sharp was chosen by his peers as the 5A Girls Wrestling Coach of the Year.
The Uintah High DECA Club qualified 16 members this week for competition at the International Career Development Conference in Orlando, Florida, in April. The students who qualified at State DECA are Gabe Elison, Nathan Larsen, Masen Briggs, Lizzie Abrams, Emma McCormick, Alexa McKee, Grant Moulton, Artur Darii, Hallie Smith, Hailey Rasmussen, Chase Harrison, Paisley Merkley, Eliza Averett, Isaac Manwaring. Two other chapter members will be selected to compete at ICDC by their advisors.
The Uintah High DECA Chapter earned its Gold Chapter Certification at state, as well as a Certificate of Achievement for its Community Service Campaign and a Membership Achievement. Gabe Elison and Chase Harrison were two of 12 DECA students in the state to be recognized as four-year members. Uintah’s three-year members – Isaac Manwaring, Ethan Manwaring and Luke Schmidt – were also recognized. Lizzie Abrams finished in the Top 10% in the Hospitality and Tourism Exam; Lizzie Richards finished in the Top 10 in the Quick Serve Restaurant Management Individual Role Play; and Karen White and Cailynn Ulwelling were finalists in the Sports and Entertainment Team Role Play.
Uintah High FFA Chapter advisor David Wilson was named this week as a recipient of the Utah FFA Association’s Distinguished Service Award. Wilson was selected for the award by his peers and the Utah FFA Association Executive Committee.
The Distinguished Service Award is the highest award that the Utah FFA Association can present to an organization or individual. Wilson will be honored during the Fourth General Session of the State FFA Convention on March 10 at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on the Utah State University campus in Logan.