End of June Pictures

A view of the front with sidewalks and rough road.

Counters and cabinets for the secretaries in the office.

Faculty workroom and storage area.

Librarian's workspace and book checkout area.

The gym/cafeteria already has basketball hoops and lunch tables installed.

The classrooms are getting carpet and whiteboards.

Latest Pictures

The front entrance of the school is taking shape. The large skylights (covered with green protective plastic at the moment) are almost complete.

These cabinets still need to be installed, but it gives you an idea of what the cabinetry in the classrooms will look like.

Here is a picture of the fine faculty restrooms. Aren't they marvelous! :-)

Latest Pictures

 This will be the floor in the cafeteria kitchen.

This will be the steps in the "kiva" (or small theater) connected to the library.

This is the skylight in the southwest hallway.

This is a view of the Grand Canyon from Mather Point (where my family was fortunate to be able to spend some time during Spring Break).

A Few Helpful Tidbits

#1) Thunder Ridge now has a mascot. We are the Raptors (as in the dinosaur)! We have a couple of graphic artists working on some "kid-friendly" versions of this fun mascot that has ties to Utah's geologic history. There are no other schools in the district with this mascot, so it will be unique!

#2) Our school colors will be blue, green, and silver.

#3) The school is scheduled to be finished on July 29. Look for more details about the dedication of the building and other celebrations as we get closer to the completion date.

#4) Nearly all of our K-6th teaching positions have tentatively been filled by teachers who excitedly volunteered to come to Thunder Ridge Elementary. Most of the volunteers are coming from Harvest Elementary, Saratoga Shores Elementary, and Pony Express Elementary (and a couple coming with me from Lindon Elementary). Once placements are official, I will publish a faculty list. I think you will be very pleased with the quality, experience, and energy of our staff!

Most Recent Pics

Here is a look at the gym/cafeteria. You can see the stage in the background.

This is a view from the main hallway looking west out toward main entrance.

This picture is of the media center. You can see the large skylight in the middle.

Here is a picture of a classroom. The blue part of the wall is impact resistant drywall--not paint.

This picture was taken from where the playground will eventually be (the mountains are southwest).

It's Official! We are Thunder Ridge Elementary!

I would like to thank all of the students and parents that submitted names for consideration. I would also like to thank the wonderful PTA moms that joined me on the Naming Committee. As a Naming Committee we sifted through the submitted names, weighed pro and cons, and used consensus and voting procedures to decide on three potential names--Thunder Ridge, Skyview, and Hillside. Those names were submitted to the the Board of Education two weeks ago for their consideration. Tonight the Board of Education announced that our new school will officially be named Thunder Ridge Elementary!

The Special Needs school being built right next door has been named Horizon School.

The other new elementary school being built behind Wal-Mart has been dubbed Riverview Elementary.

Good Transportation News for Silver Lake

I just received confirmation from the Transportation Department that they will provide busing to all of the students in the Silver Lake neighborhood! As with the concerns from Dalmore Meadows and Sunrise Meadows, it is great to know that the district is willing to work hard and commit resources to find solutions! I hope this news helps brighten your day and relieve some of the stress you might have about attending the new school.

P.S. Soon I will be able to post the three potential new school names we will submit to the Board of Education on March 8th.

Good Transportation News!

One of the common themes I have heard over the last month is concern about students getting to the new school safely. I have stressed this issue with my supervisors at the district office and I have seen them work very thoughtfully with the several parties involved to secure solutions. I am grateful to report that they appear to have found solutions to two of the most pressing concerns:

#1) There will be a bus stop in Dalmore Meadows. It is tentatively planned for the intersection of Braemar Way and Dalmore Drive. (I believe this is the same spot where students currently catch the bus for Saratoga Shores.)

#2) The city and district have reached an agreement with the property holders along 800 W to create a path that will provide a safe walking/biking route for the students in Sunrise Meadows. There is currently a sidewalk on the west side of 800 W that reaches partway to the school. A new path will be constructed on the east side of 800 W that will complete the journey to the school. (However, please note that this path cannot be constructed until a trenching and piping project already slated for the east side of 800 W is completed. Hopefully, the project will be finished this spring or early summer so construction on the walking/biking path can done by the start of school.)

#3) I hope to be able to provide information about how Silver Lake students will get to school, but I still do not have any definitive news. As soon as I have something solid to report, I will update the blog.

Q&A with Mr. Theler

You probably have questions about me so I’ve done a short Q & A session below.

Q: What is your educational experience?

A: I graduated from BYU with a degree in Elementary Education. I taught at Northridge Elementary (in Orem) for six years. During that time I got a Masters Degree in Diverse Learning from the University of Phoenix.  I then served as the Assistant Principal at Rocky Mountain Elementary (in Lindon) for three years. During that time I got a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from BYU. I have been serving as the principal of Lindon Elementary for the last six years.

Q: What is your favorite part about being a principal?

A: My motto is “Work hard. Learn well. Play often.” As a principal, I get to help dozens of adults and hundreds of students enjoy the learning process together. I also cherish the wonderful relationships I have forged with many fantastic PTA moms and dads here at Lindon Elementary. I hope those same bonds of mutual respect and admiration will quickly develop at this new school.

Q: What are some reasons we should have confidence in you as our new principal?

A: In 2007, Lindon Elementary’s CRT scores were 83%, 74%, and 70% in Language, Math, and Science. In 2010 those same scores were 84%, 84%, and 80%. In 2007, I received “Rookie Principal of the Year” for the State of Utah. In 2010, I received the “PTA Principal of the Year” for the State of Utah. We have implemented many successful innovative programs at Lindon ELemetnary in the last six years, including Reteach & Enrich, Family Math Nights, and the Lindon Literacy Project.

Q: What is your family like?

A: My wife, three children, and I live in American Fork. My wife is talented in many ways, but her passion is writing. She has had two book published and is a Board Member of the LDS Storymakers. My fun-loving kids are 12, 10, and 7 years old. My wife and I enjoy running relay races together. I like to cook, play golf with my brothers, and play board games with my kids.

Help us pick a name for the school!

We are looking for your help in picking the name, mascot, and colors for the new school. Suggestion forms were given to the student at Pony Express on Friday (Feb. 11th) and the same forms will be given to the students at Saratoga Shores on Tuesday (Feb. 15th). Please fill them out and return them to your school office as soon as possible! You can also submit your suggestions by sending an email to jtheler AT alpine.k12.ut.us and putting “Parent of New School” in the subject heading. (Of course the AT in my email address really is the @ symbol, but I don't want to use it so I can avoid spam-bots that are voraciously patrolling the internet searching for email addresses to spam.)

Recent Pics

Here are pictures of the new school that were taken on Friday.

 This will be the gym/cafeteria.

This will be the front entrance.

This is a picture of the Special Education School that is being built next door (to the east).

Welcome!

Welcome to the blog for the new Saratoga Springs West Elementary! I'll post updates, news, pictures, and events here so you can be in the know. I'm very excited to be the principal at the new school, and I've already met some fantastic students and parents. Check back often for the latest happenings with our new school. Together we can make it a wonderful place to work, learn, and play!

If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas, don't hesitate to contact me at jtheler AT alpine.k12.ut.us. You can also leave comments on any of the blog posts and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.