OCR Text |
Show Education The Park Record. Editor: Carolyn Webber education@parkrecord.com 435.649.9014 ex.118 SCHEDULES TO CHANGE DURING SUNDANCE Due to heavy traffic from the Sundance Film Festival, Park City schools on Kearns Boulevard will have modified schedules. According to the Park City School District’s Facebook page, Treasure Mountain Junior High will be released at 2:15 p.m. on Jan. 18 and Jan. 22-25. On Jan. 19 and Jan. 26, students will be released at 2:25 p.m. At Park City High School, students will be released at 2:15 p.m. on Jan. 18 and Jan. 23-25. On Jan. 19 and Jan. 26, they will be released at 2:25 p.m. On Jan. 22, they will be released at 1:45 p.m. McPolin Elementary School’s schedule will remain the same. SCIENCE FAIRS SCHEDULED AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS Jeremy Ranch Elementary School is set to host its Science and Engineering Fair on Jan. 17 from 8:15 a.m. to 7 p.m. with a public walk through starting at 5:30 p.m., according to the school’s respective newsletters and social media. McPolin Elementary School is set to host its Science Fair on Jan. 24 from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Parley’s Park’s Science and Engineering Fair is scheduled for Jan. 25 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration is set to close on Jan. 18. Trailside Elementary School’s Science and Engineering Fair is scheduled for Feb. 1 from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with a public walk through scheduled for 5 to 6:30 p.m. SUICIDE PREVENTION TOPIC OF LUNCH AND LEARN The Park City School District is planning to host a lunch and learn on Wednesday, Jan. 17, from 12:15 to 1 p.m. at the district office. According to the district’s website, the lunch and learn will focus on QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training for parents, which is a method of suicide prevention. All parents are invited to attend. Kathy Day from Valley Behavioral Health is scheduled to present at the event. EDUCATION FOUNDATION AWARDS GRANTS, A-8 A-7 HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL WILL NOT RETURN, A-8 www.parkrecord.com WED/THURS/FRI, JANUARY 17-19, 2018 Vaping blows up in Summit County schools Park City High School has had 10-plus cases this school year CAROLYN WEBBER The Park Record On the principals’ desks of secondary schools around Summit County, you’ll likely find typical items like a computer and notes. Then, there is one thing that you might not expect: A vaping device. As some principals have been confiscating the items almost weekly, they keep them in their office until the police picks them up. Caleb Fine, assistant principal of Park City High School, said that there has been a major uptick in vaping cases at the school this year – more than 10 have been reported — and there is growing concern about how to stop underage students from participating in the behavior. Fine said that part of the problem is the covertness of vaping. Some of the devices are as small as a USB stick, and since students can vape without exhaling smoke, they can vape in the middle of class without a teacher having any idea. At Park City High School and Treasure Mountain Junior High, students have been caught vaping in the classroom. “They can do it so easily. All they have to do is put their hands in their mouth and they might have vaped,” Fine said. Amy Jenkins, assistant principal of Treasure Mountain, said that the surge is also due to vaping devices being easier to acquire this year. “The more kids who have it, the more kids want it, the more kids get it,” she said. “It’s a cycle that we’re stuck in.” It does not help that many of the teachers and parents have not been aware of what vaping products look like until recently, Jenkins added. Earlier this month, the Summit County Health Department met with faculty at both Treasure Mountain and South Summit High School to explain what vaping is and signs to catch it. Emily Sutherland, principal of Treasure Mountain, said that, since the training, the amount of students getting caught has increased, but the jump is likely due PHOTO BY ALYSSA MITCHELL The vaping devices, cartridges and juice are part of a display kit that Alyssa Mitchell, health educator for Summit County Health Department, brings to educate parents, teachers and community members about the dangers of vaping. to more eyes spotting suspicious behavior and noses smelling the fruity vapor released from the devices. Wade Woolstenhulme, principal of South Summit High, said that the school caught its first students vaping right before the winter break, but he said that there were hints of vaping taking place at the school prior to that. One of the ways the schools are addressing the problem is by educating parents as well. On Feb. 5, Woolstenhulme said, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office plans to host an event for parents and community members to learn about vaping, among other issues. Sutherland has sent out information about vaping and photos of devices to Treasure Mountain parents in newsletters and emails. Woolstenhulme said many students have convinced their parents that vaping is OK since they are inhaling nicotine and not using cigarettes, marijuana or other drugs. “But there are so many chemicals and things in that vape that you are inhaling that, more likely, it is a lot worse than smoking,” he said. Fine said that many students are ordering their vaping devices and vaping liquid from illegitimate sources that could be laced with chemicals the students are not aware of. Woolstenhulme said he heard from the school’s resource officer that he found meth in a vaping device at a school in Wasatch County. Most of the time, students are not aware of the dangers when they are caught vaping, Fine and Sutherland said. When school officials ask why they do it, some say they like the buzz, some say they like the taste and some admit to using it as a way to relieve stress. “We never like to hear people self-medicating for stress or anxiety,” Sutherland said. When students say they vape for that reason, Jenkins said she and Sutherland coordinate with counselors at the school in order to give social and emotional support to the students. While the reasons might be similar, the school officials agreed that there is no pattern when it comes to the type of students vaping. “It’s 10-12th (grade), all races, all sexes,” Fine said. “Just when you think that you have a trend, someone that is completely opposite of it is the next person Please see Vaping, A-9 THE BARN AT VICTORY RANCH The Warming Hut The Basketball Court Take a look inside The Barn, our newest amenity at Victory Ranch. The Barn is our members’ destination for recreation, food and fun and a retreat for relaxation and wellness. The Barn will also be home to a 75-foot swimming pool with a winding water slide, surrounded by a tranquil stream and pond, a great lawn and bocce ball court. The Spa The Parlor Pizzeria & Ice Cream Fitness Center & Juice Bar Find yourself at VictoryRanchUtah.com Art Studio & Game Room Paddle Tennis Pavilion Call 435.785.5000 to schedule a tour of our cabin homes starting at $2,250,000 and homesites from $525,000. Victory Ranch does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. Read the property report for Victory Ranch before signing anything. No federal or state agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of property in Victory Ranch. Access to golf and other amenities is restricted to Victory Ranch Club members and subject to applicable membership fees and other limitations. Each office is independently owned and operated. |