Happy Holidays! It is the most wonderful time of the year.



The days of December are filled with concerts, activities, parties, and of course snowy weather. It is certainly unpredictable from day to day and a good reminder to take a few minutes to have that safety discussion with your student drivers. The roads in Sanpete County can be snow packed and slick until our plows complete their job. Please give yourself and your students plenty of time to arrive at the school. Each individual city has their own resources and schedule for cleaning roads, so be patient. We will do our best to respond to all situations as they arise and work with our partners to keep roads clear. With that said, keep students in good winter shoes, remind them to wipe their feet as they walk into buildings, and bundle up!

We have a new data specialist at the district office that is assisting us with data management and privacy. This work includes efforts to protect our school data, keep students safe as they use district technology, and manage digital tools for learning. Part of our efforts moving forward is to be vigilant about the information that is sent over email. If you are communicating with us through email about student concerns, please note that we cannot send you student information more than would allow anyone to identify that student. I hope this makes sense. To simplify, we are going to avoid any email or text communication containing extensive student information. It is an ongoing effort, but it is helpful for you to know our priorities and our goal in this area of work. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the district office.

We recently sent out instructions for parents to access the Bark portal for Schools (a service that monitors the Google domain for our students). We have found it to be a powerful tool in our efforts to maintain student safety and are grateful to the Bark Team for making that service available to our community. JAMF is a separate tool that we utilize to manage our student devices. Be on the lookout for an email introduction to JAMF parents that includes instructions to allow parents similar control over student devices after school hours. 

Eleven school days… this is how many days of school we have left in 2022. Our Holiday Break begins on December 21^st at 11:30 a.m. I would ask that you do all that you can as a family to keep students in school every day, all day until this date. We value the time we have with your student and know that their attendance makes a difference in their progress and growth. Keep in communication with our great teachers and administrators if you have concerns and need help. Students return from the break on January 3^rd.

Waterford UPSTART received funding from the state of Utah to support all 4- and 5-year-old children, whether they are enrolled in school or not. Waterford Upstart is a FREE online learning program for children entering kindergarten in 2022 or 2023. This valuable resource provides additional support to children enrolled in our preschool program. It helps children learn the skills they need in reading, math, and science in minutes a day. Waterford UPSTART is a certified Autism resource and is aligned with UT state and Head Start standards. Registration is easy. Families can register three ways: 

1. Scan the QR code on the attached flyer
2. Visit www.waterford.org/UPSTART
3. Call 1-888-982-9898

If you need help with food during the holiday break, please reach out to our local food pantry. They are dedicated to serving the families in our county and can offer the support you may need. Don’t hesitate to reach out. Their contact information is (435) 462-3006.

Many of us struggle with the stress of the holidays. The SafeUT tipline is available for everyone, not just students. Students have access to this resource to report ANY concern, but adults can use this resource as well. Load this app on your phone or just go directly to their website to access all available resources. We need to take care of ourselves and those around us. There is help available. If in crisis, call 988 to reach the suicide hotline.

I wish the North Sanpete community my best…always.

Be safe and take care,

Nan