The teaching staff had several days of professional development training before the students started the school year. YESS has acquired an online resource that has database of lessons that are aligned to the Utah Core Standards, which include digital presentations, skill builders, warm-ups, virtual tours, assessments and more. Multiple trainings and a follow-up have occurred to train the teachers in the use of these tools.
Granite School District has an amazing team of techs in their IS (Information Systems) department! YESS is supported by the director of IS, the Helpdesk team, the Network Technology Manager, the Network Security Officer, the Network Specialist, the Network Engineers, the Hardware techs, the AV techs, the Wiring team and so many more. They ensure that safety protocols are in place necessary for technology use in YESS’s secure environments. We appreciate all of their time and effort in supporting the technology tools and resources the teachers utilize in delivering meaningful 21st century learning experiences to the students of YESS.
Students are studying the elements of art, in Carol’s art classes at Genesis Youth Center. Line is the first of these elements. They are drawing with just lines using only one color of pen, so that the work is about the line.
We kicked off the 2019 – 2020 school year talking about speed. Velocity, vectors, speed, acceleration, all the things you need before you can head out into space. We used paper NASCAR models to show how weight, free axles, and good wheels are essential if you want to win a delicious candy treat for going the fastest and greatest distance. Everyone was a winner! … Next up “Hubble Space Telescope Models.” Stay tuned.
Kathy, Science Teacher, Genesis Youth Center
Students in Mark’s Social studies class at Genesis were able to interact with the lesson through technology. They drew or wrote responses to a question posed on their laptop screens and then their responses were displayed on the screen, spurring discussions. Way to go Mark!
Students in Daria’s class at Connection High School, have the opportunity to take a Drivers Ed course and experience what it’s like to drive…without leaving the classroom! A Drivers Ed simulator was purchased through a supplemental grant. The students take seriously the responsibility to prove that they are safe and cautious drivers.
Congratulations to a student from the Salt Lake Valley Youth Center! A SLVYC student wrote a piece that was entered into the national 2019 Words Unlocked Contest and won First Place! Bonnie Shaw, English teacher extraordinaire, travels the state working with students on writing projects and encourages them to enter their work in the CEEAS sponsored contest.
Congratulations to the two students from Daria and Dave’s class in the YESS Transition Unit at Connection High on their high school graduation which was held at Cottonwood High School! What a remarkable achievement! Way to go!
Two of our teachers are retiring this year. Lisa Stolk, who has taught at O&A and at Decker Lake youth Center for a number of years; and Steve Hill, who has taught at ARTEC South and the Salt Lake Valley Detention Center. We are sad to see them move on, but want to wish them well in the new adventures that are ahead for each of them. Congratulations!
The Technology Innovation Learning Team (TILT) recently held a 2 day powerful brainstorming and planning session at the YESS Office. This group was formed to explore, determine, and implement a plan to utilize technology in support of increasing student achievement and move toward a functional adaptation of Proficiency Based Grading in YESS. This is one of the means by which we continue to seek to normalize learning opportunities for students in our alternative settings.
