Recently, the Woods Cross community came together for the second annual Multicultural Showcase, celebrating the rich tapestry of cultures that make each student unique.

“It’s a beautiful reminder that diversity is our strength, and this event is growing bigger every year,” said Boulton Elementary School Principal Sarah Johnson. “I’m grateful to be part of this community that truly values inclusion.”

The high school welcomed neighboring elementary and junior high schools to join the festivities, creating a vibrant evening filled with music, dance and cultural displays. Highlights included a captivating performance by the Muir Elementary Chinese Immersion choir and a special New Zealand table hosted by Boulton Elementary families, proudly sharing their heritage.

Woods Cross High student Alisi Tapaatoutai shared her enthusiasm for the showcase, emphasizing the importance of the performances and the cultural exchange they foster.

“It's so important to celebrate the different cultures of every individual,” Tapaatoutai said. “And being able to have a sense of unity and belonging in your own space and finding people who can celebrate you just for every different heritage and culture you can bring is just amazing.”

Beyond the performances, the event provided a meaningful opportunity for students and families to come together in celebration of their unique backgrounds.

“The arts—whether it’s music, dance or art—create a space for our students to connect, learn and appreciate one another's unique backgrounds,” said Johnson. “Let’s continue to embrace our differences and celebrate what makes us unique, knowing that together, we are stronger. I can't wait to see how much this event will grow in the years to come!”

Seventh-grade students from Shoreline and South Davis junior high schools recently converged on the Davis School District’s Richard E. Kendell Building to take part in a National History Day celebration.

The activity is underway in the building’s Professional Development Center, and the space teams with excitement as judges and students converse back and forth, asking questions and describing the projects being judged.

Traditional three-paneled display boards—commonplace during such gatherings— stand behind the students, serving as silent sentinels of the work that’s been accomplished.

One display: “Scott O’Grady’s Story.” Another: “The Long Road to Rights: Women Patriots Fight.” A third: “Ada Lovelace: The First Computer Programmer.”

The three projects, as well as others, sport blue-colored “National History Day District Finalist” ribbons.

Other eye-catching historical displays include the titles, “Japanese Internment,” “History of TSA: Airport Security,” and “Battle of Gettysburg: Pickett’s Charge.”

While elementary students have, for years, participated in such history days at their schools and at Farmington’s Legacy Center, this gathering, according to Davis School District Gifted & Talented Program Supervisor Kristi Burgess and District Social Studies Curriculum Supervisor Chris Hall, is the first for students in the Davis Enhanced Education Program (DEEP) at the district level.

Burgess and Hall explain English and social studies classes worked together in a year-long effort to produce the work.

The DEEP program is in its first year of existence at the junior high level and is currently offered at Shoreline, South Davis and West Point junior highs. 

“These kids come from across the district because they magnet into those schools,” Hall said. “So it is districtwide.”

Burgess adds, “The students could choose their subject and their format. They could do an exhibit or a website, a documentary, a paper, and there was one student who did a performance.”

Following the district celebration, 20 of the blue-ribbon awarded projects move on to regional National History Day competition at Weber State University. Following that, the winners move to state competition and could qualify for national competition.  

Hall and Burgess explain there are elementary and secondary competitions, and that students could be from a DEEP program, gifted and talented program or a general education program.

“You can enter and not even have a teacher,” Hall says. “You can just enter as a student. You just need to be a student, a school and an age group and you can enter.”

Central Davis Junior High School, under the guidance of a now-retired teacher, has, for years, advanced students to regional competition.

Hall adds, “There are always students, always, in random schools that say, ‘I’m doing it. I’m entering. I’m doing it, and they (find themselves) go(ing) to region.”

DEEP students now advancing to state after successfully competing in region competition are:

Recently, Davis Education Foundation named Bountiful Elementary School Counselor Kari Harrison as this year’s recipient of the Heidi Martin Mighty Educator of Excellence Award.

Named after Heidi Ann Martin, whose battle with a congenital heart condition inspired many, the award celebrates educators who significantly impact their students’ academic and emotional growth. Harrison embodies these qualities through her work at Bountiful Elementary, where she is known for her unwavering commitment to student success, well-being and resilience building. 

“Kids come to school with grown-up problems, and they are carrying them on their backs,” Harrison said. “That affects them with the ability to do their work well with the worries they have.”

Harrison’s efforts include leading small group sessions and one-on-one counseling support, spearheading the impact Hope Squad program, and establishing “The Rack.” A resource that provides gently used clothing and necessities for families in need. She also organizes special events and fosters a culture of belonging through initiatives that encourages kindness, grit and resilience.

The Heidi Martin Mighty Heart Educator of Excellence Award grants $10,000 to Bountiful Elementary for improvements at Kari’s discretion.

Mountain High School’s Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) team recently participated in the Utah DECA State Conference, where five members advanced to the finals.

Senior Natalia Martinez earned third-place in the Restaurant and Food Management role play, qualifying her to compete at DECA’s International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in Orlando, Florida. Charles Juarez and Hannah Nielson also excelled, placing in the top 10 for their Financial Service Management role play.

Other members of the Mountain High DECA team include Willow Thompson-Gorman, Emily Parrish, Aaron Garcia Soto, and Jordan Vogel. The team’s advisers are Kayla Kaiser and Gerson Lucas Barreda.

“We are incredibly proud of our DECA students for stepping out of their comfort zones and taking on the challenge of competition,” Kaiser said. “Their dedication, creativity, and willingness to push themselves in a professional setting is truly inspiring.”

Five Mountain High DECA members will attend ICDC and will be accompanied by their advisers. Kaiser said she is excited for her students to join more than 23,000 participants from around the world in activities and competitions focused on college and career readiness, leadership, and skill development.

“Competition at ICDC is intense, but no matter the outcome, they will gain valuable experience and skills that will serve them well in the future,” Kaiser said.

Congratulations to Millcreek Junior High for winning this year’s Davis Academic League! This quiz-show-style competition showcases academic excellence, and thanks to the dedication of District K-12 Social Studies Supervisor Chris Hall, District Teaching and Learning Supervisor TJ Strain and many others, junior high students continue to have this valuable opportunity.

With the National Academic League’s dissolution, the team has worked tirelessly to develop questions, train coaches and judges, and organize events—all to keep academic achievement at the forefront. North Layton Jr. placed second.

Do you know or are you a student or employee in the Davis School District who has won an award or been honored in some way? Please share on this form who the person is and what their accolade is.

This March, we’re inviting you to be part of something meaningful. The No Hunger Zone: Catch for a Cause is here to help support students across the Davis School District—and we need your help!

For every $25 donation, you’ll help:

🍽️ Pay off school lunch balances for students in need

🎒 Provide pantry packs to ensure children have food over weekends and breaks

🧸 Gift a 20” Fuecoco Pokémon Squishmallow to a student at a Title I school

Plus, there’s a bonus! Every donation enters you into a weekly drawing for 2 tickets to our Annual Gala. The more you give, the better your chances to win!

When you donate, you can choose to:

• Keep the Squishmallow as a thank-you gift (available for pickup at the Davis Education Foundation office), or

• Donate it directly to a student at a Title I school and brighten a child’s day

Let’s make a difference together. Support our students and help us Catch Hope today!

👉 [Donate Now]