Alpine School District welcomes students back to school
Aug 15, 2024, 11:38 AM | Updated: 7:06 pm
LEHI — Students in Utah’s largest school district, Alpine School District, are back in the classroom today.
Alpine School District welcomed 85,000 students across their district, including Liberty Hills Elementary School, home of the Huskies.
“We actually hired our computer teacher about two weeks ago. We’re fully staffed now. Got all the teachers. Got lots of experience on our staff which is exciting,” Brady Farr, principal of Liberty Hills Elementary School, said.
Third time’s the charm for Farr, who is entering his third year here as the school’s principal.
Liberty Hills Elementary School is one of the 61 schools that is part of the rollout for all-day kindergarten across the district this year.
During the pilot, the district said they saw great results from all-day kindergarten.
“Just students having the extra time and support, and the teachers have that extra time to really get those kids those foundational skills that are so crucial,” Farr said.
Before the doors opened for students, teachers and staff at Viewpoint Middle School had been preparing to put their best foot forward.
“We talked about the buzzwords. So, we’re ready with like, ‘rizz,’ and ‘sigma’ and all that. Like, bring it! We’re ready!” Crystal Nielson, a seventh-grade English teacher at Viewpoint Middle School, said. “If you’re cooked, it’s bad, but if you’re cooking, it’s good. And I’m like, awesome, because now we’re talking about different parts of speech and that’s great.”
When it comes to middle school, transitioning from elementary can be tough, which is why school leaders said it is so important to be there for their students.
“And so that really comes down to being in the halls,” Aaron Barth, principal of Viewpoint Middle School, said. “All of our teachers greet every student at their doors every day. Admin, we are in the halls. All of our support staff. We’re in the halls talking to kids, connecting with them, so they have a trusted adult here in the building.”
With 92 schools, the district said that even as they grow in certain parts of the district and maybe stay stable in other parts, they strive to match resources to student needs throughout.
