The Sugar Beat

1 Sugar-Salem School District March 2010 vol. 7

Inside : Educator of Year Award Read Across America High school receives ’50s themed family fun
pg. 1 pg. 2 $9,700 grant pg. 3 pg. 4

Twin sisters awarded Educator of Year

By Jessica Hunt, BYU–Idaho I~Comm Agency Photo by Jessica Hunt

Monthly Highlights:
• Spring Break - April 2–6

• Knowledge Bowl - Thurs. April 8 - 5

p.m. - Kershaw Intermediate School

• Higher Education Day - Tues. April

13 - SS High School

• 6th grade D.A.R.E. Graduation - Wed.

April 14 - 7 p.m. - SS High School

Sugar-Salem teachers Joy Ball & Jill Moss show off their plaques.

The Rexburg Chamber of Commerce
honored twin sisters Joy Ball and Jill Moss
with the Sugar-Salem Educator of the Year
Award at the annual fund-raising banquet
on Thursday, March 11.
When Joy received the phone call telling
her she was to be awarded with such an
honor, the first thing she said was, “You’re
kidding. You don’t have the wrong person
do you?”
spotlight,” Joy said. “We would both just
rather go on teaching and not get recognized
for anything.”
However, she said they were excited to both
be awarded the honor in the same year.
The twins are accustomed to sharing. In fact,
both Joy and Jill teach first grade at Central
Elementary School with their classrooms
right next door to each other.

District superintendents make nominations They’ve both traveled the nation to

for the Educator of the Year award and do presentations at the national Core
submit their selections Knowledge conferences. They grew up in
Idaho and graduated
to the Chamber
of Commerce. Joy “You’re kidding. You from Sugar-Salem High
School, Ricks College
and Jill were both
nominated by many don’t have the wrong and BYU. They were
separated for 18 months
former students and
students’ parents to person do you?” – Jill in Norway and
Joy in New Zealand
receive the award.
- Joy Ball serving LDS missions.
Joy and Jill said they
were very honored to receive such an award, They also shared the rare experience of
though they weren’t expecting it. having taken the places of their own first
“Neither one of us really like to be in the
. . . continued on page 3

Sugar-Salem School District 1 March 2010

 Read Across America at Central Elementary
By Michelle Larsen, BYU–Idaho I~Comm Agency
The “Cat in the Hat” reads Dr. Seuss’ Bartholomew and the Oobleck to the second grade students.
District Superintendent Alan Dunn and
other school board members joined students
at Central Elementary School Friday,
March 5, for a day of reading and fun as
students participated in the “Read Across
America” program.
Read Across America is an annual reading
motivation program sponsored by the
National Education Association (NEA).
Read Across America invites every child in
every community to celebrate reading on
March 2, the birthday of children’s author
Dr. Seuss.
As part of the celebration, district federal
program specialist Bryon Kennedy dressed
up as the Cat in the Hat and read books to
the students.
Kennedy said that he enjoyed seeing the
excitement of the students and watching
their reactions to the books.
“It’s fun to bring the books to life for the
students,” Kennedy said.
District board members also enjoyed
visiting different classrooms and reading
books to students.
“It’s good to have a day to focus just on
reading,” said board member Mark Blaser.
Blaser and other members mentioned that
they didn’t grow up with all the computers
and technologies that students grow up
with now, and that they hope students
Sugar-Salem School District
Photos by Erica Rascon
“It’s fun to bring the
Photo courtesy of Helen Stewart
books to life . . .”
- Bryon Kennedy
recognize the value of reading. version of what is called Gak; made of glue,
Borax soap, food coloring and water.
“Books are invaluable … I think Read
Across America helps [the students] The school board and Superintendent
recognize that,” said board member Dunn joined students for lunch and then
Dwight Little. stayed to read more books to students.
Different classes also combined in the
“It increases their interest in books and
afternoon to read books to one another;
gives them a desire to read. Reading is
second and third graders read books to first
essential for them to succeed. It’s one of the
graders and kindergartners.
most important parts of their education.”
Board member Norm Spackman said he
Teachers planned different activities for
was impressed by the teachers’ emphasis on
their classes in connection with Read
reading in the classroom.
Across America.
“You know our teachers are doing a great
Mrs. Hammond, a second grade teacher,
job because of the ISAT test results. Our
helped students make hats resembling the
students are always scoring extremely
“Cat in the Hat’s,” red-and-white-striped
high on those tests. It’s a reflection of the
hat and sang a song about Dr. Seuss. Mrs.
teachers’ dedication towards helping the
Hammond also took the opportunity to
students learn,” Spackman said.
read one of her favorite
Dr. Seuss stories,
Bartholomew and the
Oobleck, to the class and
let them play with what
she calls “oobleck.”
Second-grader Krystel
Meng said her favorite
part of the day was
the oobleck.
“It’s gooey and fun,”
she said.
The “oobleck” that Mrs.
Hammond made is a
Board member Norm Spackman reads Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?
2 March 2010
 Sugar-Salem High School Receives $9,700 Grant
By Whitney Hollman, BYU–Idaho I~Comm Agency

Sugar-Salem High School’s driver’s education class recently

received a grant totaling $9,709.64. School counselor and driver’s
education teacher Fred Woolley applied for a grant that allows
teachers to purchase innovative technology in the classroom. The
grant is funded by the Qwest Foundation for Education.
Teachers apply for the grants and the Idaho State Department
of Education reviews each application. The panel then averages
each one and picks the ones that would provide the best
educational opportunities.
Qwest Idaho president Jim Schmidt is pleased with the grants provided.
“What we are doing is looking for teachers that should be given
some recognition for what they’re doing,” he said.
Qwest Idaho president Jim Schmidt presents the grant to school counselor Fred Woolley,
Idaho State Department of Education Educational Technology Coordinator Jimmy Takata
Qwest awarded $75,000 worth of grants this year to eight teachers and principal Jared Jenks.
and Fred Woolley was one of them. Qwest will award grants
again this year, which will be available differences of having a simulator in the
classroom is to test distracted driving. I
starting May.
“What we are doing is can have the students engage in texting-
Woolley has used the money to purchase
three software-based driving simulators for looking for teachers that while-driving, eating and other distractions
to show the dangers when preoccupied
the class. With these simulators, Woolley
is able to give supplemental practice to should be given some while driving.”

the on-the-road requirements of Driver’s

Education and show students real world
recognition for what Woolley said he hopes the new technology
will help Sugar-Salem Driver’s Education
consequences for dangerous activities
behind the wheel.
they’re doing,” program better prepare teens for
safer driving.
-Jim Schmidt, Qwest Idaho president
Woolley said, “One of the major

. . . Educator of Year continued

grade teachers as they retired. The twins
have now been teaching elementary school
for about 30 years.
Joy has also been the recipient of the Going
the Distance Award from the Sugar-Salem
school board. As a teacher, she incorporates
music into her daily lessons with original
songs, chants and rhymes to help her
students retain concepts. Joy believes
in teaching children to be responsible,
respectful and resourceful. She never
wants to be what she calls, a “2x4 teacher”:
someone who limits education to what
is between the two covers of a book and
inside the four walls of the classroom.
Jill is an active member of the Sugar-Salem
Education Association. She has served as
president, treasurer and as a member of the
negotiation team. She has mentored many
student teachers from local colleges and
universities. Jill finds pleasure in following
the successes and challenges of her students
throughout the years. The 2010 Rexburg
Chamber of Commerce Community
Banquet booklet reads, “Hundreds of students have entered Miss
Jill’s classroom, leaving each day knowing they are respected,
encouraged and loved.”
The sisters attribute their teaching success to their parents, who
were also educators. In the Banquet booklet, their parents were
noted as, “wonderful examples of what effective teaching looked
like and how it changed lives.”
The Rexburg Chamber of Commerce awards several business and
community leaders each year with similar honors to what Joy and
Jill received. Some of these awards include the Farmer of the Year
Award, the Customer Service Award and the Business of the Year
Award. Each award carries with it a standard of requirements that
need to be met in order to receive such an honor.
For Educator of the Year, one must exhibit a sincere love for
children. One must abide by the “Standards of Professional
Conduct” and have made a positive influence on students or the
district educational process. They were both given a plaque of their
own in remembrance of their appreciated contributions to the
Rexburg community.
Carson Grover and Lauren Winter also contributed to
this story.

Sugar-Salem School District 3 March 2010

 Family night – ‘50s style Board of Trustees:
By Amber Cook, BYU–Idaho I~Comm Agency

Kershaw Intermediate
Norm Spackman, Board Chair
School’s PTO served up a
night of ‘50s themed family ncspackman@gmail.com
fun on March 7 to help kick
off the Scholastic Book Fair. Brian Kinghorn, Board Vice Chair
kinghornbr@byui.edu
The night began with Hoola
hoop contests and drawings followed
by ‘50s diner-style food. The families in Doug McBride
attendance enjoyed hamburgers, french mcbrided@byui.edu
fries and root beer floats all served by PTO
members decked out in poodle skirts. Dwight Little
spudfarmer2002@hotmail.com
Parent Tracie Maughan thought that the
event was, “a fun way to be together with
[her] kids.” Mark Blaser
blasfam8@msn.com
About 300 people attended the family
night and approximately $1,250 was raised change received three books for their
classroom and a pizza party.
Alan Dunn, Superintendent
between the book fair and ‘50s Night.
adunn@sugarsalem.org
The Book Fair is the main fundraising Principal Gwen Kerbs said, “The kids
event of the year. The money is used for really enjoyed the week-long event, Vern Thurber
library books and other school equipment. especially the culminating activity on vthurber@sugarsalem.org
Friday where a parent volunteer, Melanie
With a challenge from the PTO committee Schwendiman, taught them ‘50s
to collect money for books for under- dance moves.”
privileged students, classes raised an
additional $267 by donating their spare
change. The class that collected the most Next Board Meeting:
Photos by Amber Cook

Thursday, April 15 - 8 p.m.

Beverly Ricks, Carolyn Moulton and Erlene Torgrimson helped make the night a success.

PO Box 150 / 105 W Center

Sugar City, ID 83448
208-356-8802

Sugar-Salem School District 4 March 2010