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Show A-8 The Park Record Wed/Thurs/Fri, May 30-June 1, 2018 Student rangers patrol to protect Mother Earth The program helps teachers, students be more conscious C T CAROLYN WEBBER The Park Record Each day at the Park City Day School, two to three students stop by Brad McCutcheon’s office to put on construction vests and green hats emblazoned with the words “Green Rangers.” With a clipboard in hand, they scan the school for dripping water, lights that were left on and recyclable materials that were put in the trash. The Green Rangers program, a student-led patrol that checks to see that the school is being eco-friendly, began in January. McCutcheon, director of the lower schools, said that the program is to help “empower young people to take a leadership position at the school.” Plus, it reminds teachers and students to be more aware of the waste they produce. McCutcheon brought Green Rangers to the school after stepping into his position this school year. The students go through training, during which they learn about the causes of air and water pollution and its effect on the population. They do a mock patrol and then read an oath, promising to serve and protect Mother Earth. So far, he said that the program has been a success. “(The students) come running to my office,” he said. “They love it.” One grade is assigned to patrol the school each month. Aside from patrolling the school for behaviors to correct, they also look for “eco-superstars,” or individuals who go above and beyond with their sustainability efforts, McCutcheon said. This year, the entire second-grade was recognized because students frequently pick up trash on the playground during Continued from A-7 TANZI PROPST/PARK RECORD “Because of his influence, that led to my interest in becoming a superintendent. I’ve had some really strong career goal role models.” At the district level, she worked as curriculum director, educational programs director and assistant superintendent before deciding to become a superintendent at Fremont School District 79 in Illinois. She stayed there for seven years before leaving for the East Coast with her family. Her husband was set to work at a position in New York, and Gildea planned to find a new position close by. She was hired to be the superintendent in Greenwich, Connecticut. But, after a couple of months, her husband’s work required that he move to West Jordan. Gildea remained in Connecticut to finish out the school year. She saw the opening in Park City and thought that it would be the perfect fit. Although she said that she was sad to leave Greenwich, she was glad to find a position that made it so her family could live together again. She will be moving to Utah with her husband, daughter and two dogs. Because of the experience that led her to become a superintendent, one of her priorities in Park City is to create a culture of teams and mentors within the district in order to continually prepare individuals from within to take on new leadership roles. “We have to grow the next generation of leaders,” she said. She also plans to focus on keeping the school’s facilities and technology up to date. She has seen education evolve over the decades she has spent in schools and hopes to prepare students for college, careers and life. She said that teaching concepts rather than lessons is the direction education is moving in. Park City is on the right track, but she hopes to see it continue to improve, she said. She is excited to be a part of the new master-planning projects in order to ensure that students have the tools they need Leader excited for role COURTESY OF BRAD MCCUTCHEON From left: Josh Hokanson, a kindergarten buddy, joins second-graders Noah Chao, Natalia Szwajkun and Jon Hokanson on their patrol as Green Rangers at Park City Day School. The students search for ways that the school can be more environmentally sustainable. their recess time. Once, after an event, a second-grade student asked why they didn’t reuse the cups rather than throw them away, he said. He said that the school already had a great environmental program that teaches about recycling, composting and gardening, but this program is expanding the students’ education. “All of those things were happening, but the piece to me that was missing was the student leadership piece, where the students could monitor each other and keep track of where we were making progress or where we needed to improve,” he said. And McCutcheon said that he has seen a difference. People are more conscious of their waste because someone is watching for both good and bad behavior. Even though sometimes it is first-grade students who must correct their older classmates, McCutcheon said that students respect the uniform and listen to those who wear it. It has not been difficult to get parents and teachers on board either, because he said that the program teaches teamwork, integrity, respect and responsibility, all values of the school. Jill Gildea was recently selected as the new superintendent of Park City School District. She is coming from a superintendent position in Greenwich, Connecticut. to succeed. She was involved in a master-planning project at her last position in Connecticut and worked continuously on keeping resources and facilities updated for students while in Illinois. Gildea will be stepping into the role along with several new hires. Traci Evans will step in as interim associate superintendent of teaching, learning and technology after Kathleen Einhorn steps down this summer. The new principal of Park City High School, Roger Arbabi, and interim principal of Ecker Hill Middle School, Sam Salinas, are set to start this summer as well. But she said that having so many new people could have its benefits. “I think it’s great because we learn the place together,” she said. Her plan is to remain in Park City for as long as she can, hopefully long enough to see the kindergarten class go all the way through its senior year. “I feel like Park City is such a positive, vibrant place,” she said. “That is the part that I am really so excited about. ... We are excited for this adventure.” 540 Main Street, Park City RiverhorseParkCity.com 435-649-3536 Riverhorse on Main @riverhorseonmain DINNER NIGHTLY AT 5PM WEEKEND LIVE MUSIC ALSO JOIN US IN OUR LOUNGE 25 $ OFF DINNER with the purchase of TWO ENTRÉES PLEASE PRESENT THIS COUPON TO YOUR SERVER WHEN ORDERING AT RIVERHORSE ON MAIN Limit TWO dining certificates per group | Not valid in conjunction with any other promotional offer | Food must be consumed on premises | A 20% service charge will be added to the bill before the discount | Contracted parties not valid Valid Through June 15th, 2018 |