April 10 – RISE Nominees
“Ashley has had some health challenges this year, but her first priority is her students. She loves and serves them with a passion. She believes in them and their ability to learn at high levels. She builds strong relationships as she pushes them to be their best.”
Nominated by: Elaine Hulbert, district employee
“In only a couple of years, Rebekah has developed a community culture of inclusion and excellence with her students and professional colleagues at Mountain Ridge JHS. She cares deeply about the learning of each student and radiates positivity and an expectation of success which drives the same outcome. Rebekah is a fantastic teacher, but also an amazing learner, who is always seeking ways to improve her practices.“
Nominated by: Sterling Keyes, district employee
““Ms. L” has made a huge impact on our school community every since she started working here. She is organized, energetic, brilliant, caring, and maintains high expectations for her students. She genuinely knows her students and works hard to give them experiences to help them grow. She also started a free community choir for anyone in the school or our area to join, just to sing and enjoy music. She’s definitely adding to our school value of “community” every day.”
Nominated by: Brittni Smith, district employee
“Mikki is continually striving to improve her practice. She is eager to engage students in meaningful ways and to support them in learning. Mikki invites her colleagues to collaborate for improvement and works to inspire them as well. Mikki and her team are working to improve student learning and eager to support one another along the way.“
Nominated by: Travis Lemon, district employee
“I have had the privilege of co-teaching with DeAnn Anderton for a number of years. She makes me a better teacher. In class, she has the ability to work individually with so many different students to meet them where they are and give guidance to help them increase their own learning. She cares about the students and wants to do whatever they need to help them succeed. She offers excellent feedback to me as the content teacher to help all students learn at high levels. The students are lucky to have her as their support.”
Nominated by: Whitney Child, district employee
“Brie is an inspiration to her students and to all teams she gets to work with. She has the ability to connect with everyone, listen, and engage in a way that you know she truly cares about you and what you are saying. She is flexible and will pivot any time to do what she needs to do to ensure her students get the very best opportunity to be successful in any way they can. I appreciate her dedication and passion, I am better for getting to work with her.”
Nominated by: Amanda Phillips, district employee
“Tara is continually striving to improve her practice. She is eager to engage students in meaningful ways and to support them in learning. Tara invites her colleagues to collaborate for improvement and works to inspire them as well. Tara and her team are working to improve student learning and eager to support one another along the way.”
Nominated by: Travis Lemon, district employee
“Erin stands out as an outstanding science educator, consistently cultivating an enriching and nurturing atmosphere within her classroom. Her commitment to excellence is evident through her continuous pursuit of learning and her proactive integration of innovative teaching approaches. Beyond the confines of her classroom, Erin actively contributes to the district’s educational landscape, actively engaging with both the science leadership team and assessment writing initiatives.”
Nominated by: Irmarie Ramos, district employee
“Erin is committed to the idea that all students deserve a quality education. She has been dedicated to helping our district leadership team develop quality PD experiences for other teachers, and has helped write and administer our benchmark assessments. She is always willing to help others. She recently presented at our State conference and continually finds ways to build her skill set.”
Nominated by: Michelle Ormond, district employee
“Pam is continually striving to improve her practice. She is eager to engage students in meaningful ways and to support them in learning. Pam invites her colleagues to collaborate for improvement and works to inspire them as well. Pam and her team are working to improve student learning and eager to support one another along the way.”
Nominated by: Travis Lemon, district employee
“Jessie teaches English and is also a PLC Coach at our school. She works tirelessly to empower both the students and teacher teams she serves by constantly learning, and then implementing more effective instructional tools. Her students enjoy her enthusiasm and honest care for them and their academic progress. She is the best of the best!”
Nominated by: Denise Lund, district employee
“John Brown has been my teacher for 4 years and he truly cares about each and every one of his students. He pushes his students to succeed and improve. He’s always there for anyone that needs help. I know that I can turn to him when I need help or guidance in any aspect of life. He is extremely passionate about theatre and his love for it impacts his students. I now want to find a career that I can be as passionate about as he is teaching theatre. He deserves this award as he’s always there for his students.”
Nominated by: Sophia Groom, student
“John Brown always knows and tries to understand what his students are going through and is always super compassionate and empathetic.”
Nominated by: Gabe Walter, student
“John Brown has been insanely helpful in my growth in theatre and has always given me a place to feel safe! He is always caring and loves everyone who enters the theatre doors. He is great at giving constructive criticism and never has made me feel judged if I mess up. He is a wonderful teacher and deserves to get credited for all the work he does.”
Nominated by: Avery Douglas, student
“John Brown shows me and the other students that he truly loves us. He is loving and caring and is willing to to absolutely anything for me and those he teaches.”
Nominated by: Spencer Tingey, student
“He is one of my favorite teachers and and makes everyone feel like they belong in his classes.”
Nominated by: Haley White, student
“I have learning disabilities and have an IEP and Mr. Karlsven has been one of the only teachers that has devoted time to actually personally help me do well in my wood shop class. He is also just a really good teacher.”
Nominated by: Logan Moyes, student
“Mr. Karlsven has been teaching woods for years, he cares about his job and loves what he does. Even with countless classes and students he has taught, he is always patient and helpful with students needing help. He is always there, with an uplifting and positive behavior towards his classes. Mr. Karlsven takes the time to talk with every student, he helps them with what they are working on, even though he has done it countless times. You don’t ever see him just sitting down doing nothing, he is always checking up with his students even when they don’t need help. He’s a TEACHER!”
Nominated by: Cameron Lewis, student
“He is always non-stop on the go willing to help students.”
Nominated by: Jack Chambers, student
“Mr. Karlsven always takes time to help each student individually. Personally he has inspired me and helped me realize what I like to do and that I like to work with my hands. He is very kind and patient and never loses his temper even when hard things have happened such as a fire starting in the shop.”
Nominated by: Matthew Dodge, student
“Mrs. Pickett deserves the RISE Award because I have struggled in a lot of my previous history classes, and I often felt like the teachers were just lecturing, and I didn’t learn a lot from them. When Mrs. Pickett became my teacher I realized that I actually remember what I learned. I feel like she really cares about students, and that she really tries to teach them to the best of her ability. She is super involved, and she always checks in to see if she can help in any way. All in all, Mrs. Pickett is just a fantastic teacher, and she makes me love history.”
Nominated by: Isabella Crandall, student
“I have never seen such a motivated teacher. Mrs. Pickett genuinely wants her students to succeed and does what she can to help them do so. She challenges her students while still giving them a sense of belonging. I have learned so much from her in the short time she’s been my teacher and she is so full of knowledge. She knows how to include everyone. I’m so grateful for her.”
Nominated by: Keira Bassett, student
“Mrs. Hinckley is the sweetest teacher. You can tell she has a love for teaching and really wants to see her students succeed. She does everything she can for her students to achieve their goals. Mrs. Hinckley makes teaching so much fun, she uses her personality and positive energy in her teaching, making class exciting. Biology may not be fun, but she makes it so much fun by doing fun projects, hands on and group activities to help us learn. I always feel comfortable talking to Mrs. Hinckley, she is super supportive, caring and overall the best teacher!“
Nominated by: Braylee Weech, student
“Mrs. Gull is one of the nicest, most caring, and thoughtful teachers I’ve ever had. It’s hard as a teacher to juggle the needs of the hundreds of students you see every day and not only does Mrs. Gull do that, she also talks to and cares about every single one of them. She makes her learning environments feel like a community with each student learning necessary and important skills not only from her class but from one another. I’m eternally grateful for her and the work that she does.“
Nominated by: Ethan Sorro, student
“Wagstaff always cares about her students as people, treats them as friends, accepts all students, and is understanding. Her classroom is a friendly place for all.“
Nominated by: Kaylee Rupper, student
“Mrs. Cutler always goes out of her way to help all of her students succeed. She cares about each individual and takes the time to get to know all her students. She has helped me learn tons of new things and makes learning fun.“
Nominated by: Kate Deshler, student
“Mrs. Hansen is really nice and I’ve known her since my sophomore year (I’m a senior). She’s really helped me through a lot of things, and always given me advice on how to deal with problems. She’s also a really good teacher. She makes English fun to learn.“
Nominated by: Addison Owens, student
“Mrs. Anderson has been so patient and kind to me. She has helped me through so much ever since my brother passed away this school year. She has been so kind and working with her to get caught up and help my mental health has been amazing. She is a huge inspiration to me and I absolutely love her.“
Nominated by: Sam Evans, student
“Mr. Larsen accommodates every students needs and is a very chill person. Plus, he’s a very good artist and that’s something to aspire to.“
Nominated by: Camrin Bankey, student
“Mrs. Forry was super supportive. She would make sure I’m on task and get my work done on time. I could talk to her about any problems I had or struggled with. She made sure her class was a safe space for all who went there even if they aren’t in her class. I would be able to sit in her class during lunch when I had no friends.“
Nominated by: Ava Pearson, student
“Mr. Davis is a great counselor. He loves his students and cares deeply about their success. He wants all of his students to have an awesome time at school and will help anyone with anything that the student needs. No matter the person he cares for them and wants to help them.“
Nominated by: Briggs Parker, student
“Mrs. Price is the best teacher I’ve ever had. And deserves the award and a raise.“
Nominated by: Henru Mainor, student
“Ms. Dalby was the BESTEST 5th grade teacher I could ask for. She still stands as one of my favorite teachers to this day, even after 5 years. She is so full of energy and light. She makes all of her students feel like they belong and she motivates them so much. I’m grateful for everything she taught me and for how loved she made me feel.“
Nominated by: Keira Bassett, student
“My son is a student at Thunder Ridge in Mrs. Southam’s class & is new to Thunder Ridge this year. Mrs. Southam has been just what he needed. She has been extremely positive, kind, understanding, & most importantly, patient. She has made school a positive place for him, where in the past, it was a struggle. He is doing well academically, has a great group of friends, & is learning valuable skills to be successful in middle school & beyond. Mrs. Southam has been so amazing at communicating with me about his progress & efforts in class, which I am so grateful for. We appreciate you Mrs. Southam!“
Nominated by: Amy Bartlett, parent
“Gladis is an extraordinary educator, mentor, and leader. Whenever I am in her classroom, I observe high levels of student engagement in deep learning activities. Gladis has a natural way to connecting to her students and colleagues, building trust and credibility. She brings so much value to our World Languages team, her blended team, and Spanish students from all corners of ASD!“
Nominated by: Jody Lindsay, district employee
“Mr. Durrant is one of a kind – he is hands down the most amazing and dedicated high school teacher I have ever met. When I was a student at Skyridge, I went on a class trip to southern Utah with Mr. D’s video crew. While on this trip, I had a medical emergency. Mr. D followed the ambulance, stayed at the ER with me, kept constant communication with my parents… I don’t know any other teacher that would have been as phenomenal as Mr. D was that situation. He is a great teacher, a great person, and a national treasure to education.“
Nominated by: Lindsey Bradford, former student
“Mrs. Farr is awesome! I love her class because we read interesting books and do fun projects. I can tell she cares a lot about all of her students and she loves teaching English. She’s very detailed and organized. When I’m absent, she helps me make up for the material I missed. Thanks to Mrs. Farr for making my English class so amazing!“
Nominated by: Lucy Hawkins, student
“Mrs. Hopkins is super nice and helps everyone. She also makes class fun but we are still able to learn everything. She doesn’t give us too many things to do and I am always looking forward to her class!“
Nominated by: Josie Higley, student
“Mrs. Hopkins is extremely kind and funny as well as she always has hands-only learning lessons. She teaches all the animal sciences and vet assistant classes, she always has us working with animals or actual surgical tools and instruments. She is also super encouraging and is always helping us with our knowledge and growth. I always look forward to her class and she is always happy to see each and every one of us and greets us at the door everyday.”
Nominated by: Alivia Jones, student
“Miss Kissy is the best choir director ever! She works hard with us to help us sing as best as we can, and she’s always listening to us and making us feel appreciated and like we’re amazing! She is fun and engaging, and we feel like we can do anything with her leading us, she helps push us to our very best! Not to mention she doesn’t just direct us in choir, she is working with the drama teacher all the time to help him and the theater kids create amazing things as well!“
Nominated by: Hope Jensen, student
“Mrs. Stott is very nice and helpful. She helped me get through high school and graduate.“
Nominated by: Treg Wilder, student
“Mr. Crowther does so much to help students pass and do the best they can in his class, and he helps the school spirit all the time.“
Nominated by: Jack Burton, student
“Ms. Robinson is a great teacher. The way she makes engaging activities makes you stay motivated. If you have any questions she’s always willing to help you understand the work.“
Nominated by: Sofia De La Plaza, student
“Mr. Purvis teaches in such a way that intrigues his students to want to learn in his class. All of his lessons include some type of activity that everybody wants to join in. After the activity, he asks how we can relate this to the actual lesson. All students raise their hands, wanting to participate. Being in his class is a blessing!“
Nominated by: Alec Baehler, student
“My daughter is always telling me about how much fun she has in class, so I think Rachel Breakfield deserves a RISE award for making school a fun place for all her students.“
Nominated by: Chelsie Jones, student
“Mr. Bunker always makes students feel welcome and he is always supporting his community. He makes a difference in students’ lives.“
Nominated by: Callie Patterson, student
“Ms. Hardy has always been here to talk to and has always been understanding.”
Nominated by: Amelia Smith, student
“Mr. Taylor is supportive and helpful, walks through everything with you.”
Nominated by: Matthew Warnick, student
“Mr. Leavitt was always very nice and kind and made every lesson super easy to understand, and he was always willing to help you if you did not understand something. Mr. Leavitt was also a assistant P.E coach for 9th grade and it was great, he was always helpful to coach Degracie and and was always helpful to the kids who didn’t understand or were new to physical activity, and he made kids not accustomed to physical activity feel welcome and happy to learn a new sport.”
Nominated by: Allen Fox, student
“I will never forget Mr. Young! I struggled a lot through Elementry school, but Mr.Young was always there to help me understand. He has the most friendly and funny personality, and always made school enjoyable for me. We need more Mr. Youngs! Thank you.”
Nominated by: Kara Moir, student
