Southeast Education Service Center

2025 SESC Region Quiz Bowl Winners: A Two-Day Celebration of Knowledge and Skill Some of the brightest young minds from three school districts and one charter school showcased their knowledge, teamwork, and strategy during the 2025 SESC Region Quiz Bowl held on March 25 - 26 at USU Eastern’s Jennifer Leavitt Student Center. The high school division winners were: 1st Place - Carbon High School, 2nd Place - Emery High School, and 3rd Place - Grand County High School. In the middle school division, Margaret L. Hopkin Middle School captured 1st place, followed by 2nd Place - San Rafael Middle School, and 3rd place - Mont Harmon Middle School. The competitions were staged from 10:00 am to 2 pm beginning with a ten round Red Robin, where teams were tested across a range of subjects, demonstrating their depth of knowledge and quick-thinking abilities. After a break for lunch, the teams began a single-elimination tournament, where the intensity ratcheted up significantly. The knockout rounds kept everyone on the edge of their seats as each team fought for their chance at the ultimate victory. By Sara Bryant, SESC Media Specialist Read the full article on our Quiz Bowl page: https://www.mysescutah.gov/o/sesc/page/quizbowl

After twenty-one rounds of intense spelling challenges, 7th grader Ashley Bryner, Mont Harmon Middle School, emerged as the first-place winner in this year’s SESC Regional Spelling Bee. Second place went to 7th grader Amelia Gardner, from Helper Middle School, who battled Miss Heaton for ten rounds until misspelling the word isms. Ashley Bryner’s winning word was extinguished. Third place was captured by 6th grader Oliver Jeppesen from Albert R. Lyman Middle School. The spelling bee was held at Moab’s Grand County High School on March 6, 2025. As the champion, Bryner received a trophy, an all-expense paid trip for two to the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee Week, along with The Samuel Louis Sugarman Award, 1 year of Britannica Online Premium, and one year of Merriam-Webster unabridged online subscriptions. Second and third-place spellers received a trophy, and all other participants received a recognition plaque for making it to the regional bee. The national spelling bee will be held in Read the full article here: https://www.mysescutah.gov/o/sesc/page/spelling-bee

SESC Educators! Registration for the 2025 Rural School Summer Conference is OPEN! From March 3rd-April 1st, rural educators have priority registration, so don't delay! We expect the conference to sell out! Utah Rural Schools Association (URSA) is excited to announce that registration is open for the Annual URSA Conference, which will be held in Park City, Utah, from July 9 to 11. IF YOUR DISTRICT IS PAYING FOR YOUR REGISTRATION: Go to General Registration Select 'Reserve Ticket' At the bottom of the page, Create or Log in to your SCHED account Type in the Promo code URSA2025 Click 'Apply' Click the + button to add one ticket The total should show FREE Click 'Next' Enter Registration Information Click 'Register' IF YOU ARE PAYING USING A PERSONAL CREDIT CARD: Go to General Registration Select 'Reserve Ticket' At the bottom of the page Create or Log in to your SCHED account Click the + button to add one ticket The total should show $50.00 Click 'Place Order' Enter Payment Information Enter Registration Information Click 'Register' To reserve hotel accommodations, visit the URSA website at https://utahruralschools.org/conference Please register before April 1st, as the registration site will open statewide for any non-rural Utah educator to register. We expect to max out the conference capacity this year, and we don't want any educator from our region planning to attend to miss out on getting a ticket!

As we head into our region's holiday vacation, we invite you to consider signing up for our Healthy Cook Class for Educators AND/OR our ESL Endorsement Course! You can learn more on our BRAND NEW website: mySESCutah.gov (scroll down to the news section). Both opportunities have a limited number of participants. Grab a friend or two, and sign up now!

It's time to announce the winning classrooms of the 1st Annual SESC Book Blast November Reading Challenge! DRUM ROLL PLEASE......... Congratulations to the following classrooms and teachers: CARBON DISTRICT Caroline Barrington’s Classroom - Sally Mauro Elementary EMERY DISTRICT Shellet Rowley’s Classroom - Huntington Elementary GRAND DISTRICT David Lewis’ Classrooms -Helen M. Knight Elementary SAN JUAN DISTRICT Emma Walker’s Classrooms - Blanding Elementary REGION CHARTER SCHOOLS Ina Marie Balajadia’s Classroom -Moab Charter School We are SO excited for you! Thank you to the many other classrooms and students who participated. We had over 420 students participate region-wide, and 40% read 600+ minutes! When we added up the minutes, our students read the equivalent of 115 days in November! HOLY MOLEY! Even more impressive is that each student read an average of 392 minutes! Way to go, SESC Region! You totally rocked it! We will contact our winning classrooms in early January to arrange a pizza party. We can't wait to celebrate with you all!

Dear Educators, Exciting news! The Southeast Education Service Center (SESC) is partnering with Southern Utah University K-12 Programs to offer an ESL Endorsement Program. Here's why you should enroll: Flexible & Online: Learn from the comfort of your own home. This hybrid program is designed to work with your existing teaching schedule. Classes are held via Zoom, and coursework is completed via Canvas. Affordable: The cost is low, making it an accessible way to enhance your skills and qualifications. Participants can earn up to 15 credit hours over the course of the endorsement. Impactful Skills: Gain valuable expertise in supporting English Learners. This program will equip you to better serve all your students, especially those acquiring English. By participating, you'll: Build a strong foundation in ESL methodology and best practices Learn research-based strategies to enhance student learning Become more confident in supporting multilingual learners in your classroom Space is limited! Enroll today and join a cohort of dedicated educators committed to student success. Find complete enrollment information on the attached flyer or visit our website: Flyer: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DIT-EbyodwHA6FX66of_hxhiEvIOq8ZD/view?usp=sharing (Links are clickable on digital edition) Website: https://www.mysescutah.gov/page/educator-endorsement-programs Don't miss this opportunity! Classes are capped at 30 participants. Enroll early to secure your spot. The last day to enroll in the first course is January 15, 2025! We look forward to having you join us!

The Southeast Education Service Center (SESC) and Castle View Hospital are proud to bring you a hands-on healthy cooking class just for school educators! Space will be limited to the first 16 school educators who register on a first-come, first-served basis. We will also create a waiting list for those who would like to be on standby if space opens up. The class will be held on January 29, 2025, from 6 pm-8 pm at Pinnacle Canyon Academy located at 210 N 600 E, Price, Utah. If you have questions about the class, please contact SESC! There is NO COST to attend the class, and all materials will be provided for you. Get your teacher friends together and come and enjoy an evening of cooking, eating, and fun! Register Here: https://bit.ly/sesc-cooking

Thanks to those who participated in the SESC/PBS Book Blast Reading Contest. November is over- so that means it's time to submit your class minutes for the chance to win the pizza party for your class! Here is the info and links you need to submit your class minutes for students to submit their individual minutes to PBS OR BOTH. (https://drive.google.com/file/d/11QpI3ZOhb2OgEzR9rEU57W45PNWYZ2Om/view) Please ensure those who helped with the contest in your school see this information (principals, librarians, teachers, etc.) We are excited to party down with the winning classes, and we will be hosting this event again next fall. If you want a fun December literacy activity for your students, try our Christmas BINGO Book Challenge! You can find it on our website (mySESCutah.gov) A few additional notes: *We do NOT need you to keep or return the reading logs. Honor system is in place here. 😄 *If your class participated, you're eligible to win the Pizza Party, so be sure to submit that Google form. (The link is on the info flyer linked above) *In addition to the chance at the pizza party, your students can go to the PBS link and fill out the info to get the Adventure Pass. (The link is on the info flyer above.) *If your class didn't participate but individual students in your class chose to do so on their own and read 600+ minutes in November, please be sure they're aware of the link to get the Adventure Pass from PBS. That prize is available to ALL PARTICIPANTS.

Want to have some reading fun? Try our Christmas BINGO Book Challenge! You can learn more about it here: https://www.mysescutah.gov/o/sesc/page/book-activities

It's the last day of November! We hope our K-6th grade friends in the SESC Region have been able to read their 600+ pages! We look forward to gathering all the data and sharing which class in each district/charter will win a class pizza party! WAHOO!

Check out the latest edition of the SESC Tech Integration Newsletter!

Teachers! Mark your calendar for this two-hour healthy cooking class! Not only will you learn how to make quick and easy healthy meals, but you will also get to taste-test several different recipes! Walk away with practical tips and recipes to help make the most of your limited time at home! Details on how to register for this limited-seat class will be sent out soon!

CALLING ALL 6th-12th Grade Science Teachers! We have an opportunity you WILL NOT WANT TO MISS! We have partnered with BYU and the 3D-RST program to bring you a full day of 3D science lessons! Hand one, engaging, and informative! Refer to the picture for all the details regarding what is provided for you! Don't wait, register today! Fill out the registration form found here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc9eh4MJmCfn5owcuTEojFi2Yf8EmFy2r8lHgs2G_j0Jt-0Fw/viewform?pli=1

SESC is excited to announce a second cohort for LETRS Units 1-4 in the region's southern end. Please check the dates and location. If you are interested in joining the cohort, don't hesitate to get in touch with Dina at SESC for details on enrolling.

SESC REGION! Today is the half-way point in our reading challenge, meaning participants need to have at least 300 minutes logged to be on target to finish on the 30th! We are SO excited to see which classes in each district/charter will be celebrating with a PIZZA PARTY! Keep on Reading!

SESC held our first bi-annual in-person Regional IT directors meeting! Thanks to our regional IT departments for making time to come and spend the day learning together! UEN also joined us for this excellent insight and training. Thanks to our IT Specialist, Jeremiah, for leading the meeting!

SESC was grateful for the opportunity to participate in Grand County School District's Teacher Professional Development Day on November 1st! JoLynn, one of our tech integration specialists, hit it out of the park with her presentation on AI and Google Quick Tips, leaving participants with something new to try in their classrooms! Thanks, Grand County School District, for letting us come!

We're excited to announce that the SESC Reading Challenge for region's our K-6 students STARTS TODAY! SESC has partnered with PBS Kids/PBS Utah to provide a reading challenge for our districts and charters during November! WAHOO! We need your help getting the word out to our region's classrooms and students! It's easy: Just forward this email to your K-6 teachers! How it works: Read: Encourage your students to read 20 minutes a day for 30 days, totaling 600 minutes. Students can read physical or digital books, and reading more than 600 minutes is allowed! Students can read extra the next day to make up the minutes if a day is missed. The goal is 600 or more for the month. Track: Use the provided reading trackers to monitor progress (or make one of your own). Trackers can be found in the email that was sent to all teachers. Didn't get it? Reach out to us! Celebrate: The top-reading classroom in each district/charter will win a pizza party courtesy of PBS Utah and SESC! Additional Incentives: Utah Fun Pass: Students who read over 600 minutes can earn a FREE Utah Fun Pass for FREE and discounted admission to popular Utah attractions. Promotional Materials: To engage students and parents, utilize the resources provided by our media specialist, Sara Bryant. You can access them from the email sent to each district/charter. If you haven't received your email, teachers, contact your district supervisor or school librarian! Next Steps: Share: Distribute the challenge information and promotional materials to your K-6 teachers, students, and families. Track: Have teachers collect and track student reading minutes. Report: In December, we will ask teachers to submit a simple form with their class's total reading minutes. Happy Reading!

SESC appreciated the opportunity to train the Emery and San Juan School District secretaries on AdobeExpress, AI tools, and time-saving work tips in the email and calendars! We also provided training in tandem with USBE on student records and data privacy. Both days were full of fun, learning, and food! We here at SESC look forward to serving our region again soon!

SESC will be offering LETRS Units 1-4! If you would like to attend, please contact Dina Wise, our Early Literacy Coach, for more details on what you need to have in place before the first class on December 13th! Don't miss out on this AWESOME opportunity to get your in-person training right here in our region!