Connect Canyons
Learning is about making connections, and we invite you to learn and connect with us. Connect Canyons is a show about what we teach in Canyons District, how we teach, and why. We get up close and personal with some of the people who make our schools great: students, teachers, principals, parents, and more. We meet national experts, too. And we spotlight the “connection makers” — personalities, programs and prospects — we find compelling and inspiring.
Connect Canyons
Ep 118: Making a Difference: How Volunteering Helps Build Stronger Schools
Here in the Beehive state, we are no strangers to volunteering. Utah consistently tops the nation when it comes to donating time to help others. In the Canyon School District, our community goes above and beyond to volunteer in our schools in a variety of ways.
In this latest episode of Connect Canyons, we hear from two members of the Canyons community who have dedicated countless hours to schools throughout the District – Jessica Davies, and Teneil Hansen. Davies began volunteering to be near her children and has since spent more than a decade in various positions from volunteer, to currently serving as the Central Elementary PTA Council President. Davies was also the 2024 Canyons Apex Volunteer of the Year. Hansen is no stranger to helping out in the classroom, volunteering for more than 15 years, and now service as a member of the Alta High School PTSA, as well as Secondary Council PTA Secretary.
Welcome to Connect Canyons, a podcast sponsored by Canyon School District. This is a show about what we teach, how we teach, and why we get up close and personal with some of the people who make our schools great. Students, teachers, principals, parents, and more. We meet national experts too. Learning is about making connections. So connect with us.
SPEAKER_03:Here in the Beehive State, we're no strangers to volunteering. Utah consistently tops the nation when it comes to donating time to help others. In the Canyon School District, our community goes above and beyond to volunteer in our schools in a number of ways. Welcome to Connect Canyons. I'm your host, Francis Cohen. Joining me today are some of the queens of volunteering. We have 2024 Apex Volunteer of the Year and Central Elementary PTA Council President, not to mention office guru for Alta View Elementary, Jessica Davies, as well as Tanil Hansen, PTA member at Alta High School, and Secondary Council PTA Secretary. Not to mention both of you are fantastic photographers, just to name a few of your accomplishments. Thank you both for joining us today.
SPEAKER_02:We're glad to be here.
SPEAKER_03:You both have a lot of titles. Can you tell us a little bit about all of the things that you do? Taniil, why don't you start us off?
SPEAKER_02:This year, I am back down to volunteering just at one school because all of my kids are at one school. And so at Alta, I am the reflections chair. And I'm also helping on the hospitality doing the teacher meals.
SPEAKER_03:Just sharing reflections. That's a small, small task. Feeding just a few teachers. Just doing a few things. Just a few things. And only at one school now. How many schools were you at before?
SPEAKER_02:I've had three kids and they're spread out enough that I have been at three schools before. J separate.
SPEAKER_03:Jessica, how about you?
SPEAKER_01:So I'm currently the essential elementary council president. And so I'm working with nine different schools, elementary schools, to help the presidents at their schools with the PTA. And before that, I was helping at Jordan High School as the treasurer, and I was the president at Alta View Elementary. My kids currently go to Mount Jordan Middle School and to Jordan High School. So I'm still a little bit involved with the PTAs there. And then other than that, I've done SCC, the School Community Council before, and I really enjoy spending my time at the schools. So just a few things for you as well.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. What is it that got you both started volunteering in the first place? And I'm curious to know what it is that keeps you coming back.
SPEAKER_02:I started about 15 years ago exactly. I was doing the dates in my head when my oldest started school. And I think it began because before that I taught first grade and I had some amazing parent volunteers into my classroom. And it makes a huge difference if you have parents that are involved, or even just parents that you know their name and you've seen their face, whether it just be a drop-off or pickup or a nice word, you know. I just a couple where they're like, You're doing a great job. You have my kid all day. Thank you. And so I knew as soon as he started kindergarten that I needed to be involved just to to help the teachers on one hand, to see where he was going and what he was doing all day. And then just that fills that little bit of my bucket, the little bit of a teaching bug to be back in the classroom. Well, were you a teacher? Yeah. Um just a few years. And then once my kids started coming, I was made the choice that I could stay home and I've been blessed that I've been able to stay home. I found a nice highway right in the middle. Yep. And I was able to be back in the classroom helping. Or like teaching the junior achievement classes in elementary, and that gets you back in for once a week for a little bit, or the art appreciation, or just helping helping in the classroom once a week kind of fills that filled enough of the void for what I want to do right now. So very nice. Yeah, that's why I started is because I I had some great parents in my classroom when I was the teacher. And so I'm like, we're gonna be that nobody else.
SPEAKER_03:And you've been coming back for 15 years. Yes. What keeps what keeps you waking up every morning going, let's go, let's do this?
SPEAKER_02:I think I do love the school environment and the kids and the teaching, and and so I've just been involved. How about you, Jessica?
SPEAKER_01:So when my oldest, who's now 16, was in kindergarten, I wanted to be involved with her schooling. I had a little two-year-old at home, so I knew I couldn't be in the school a lot. Um, so I was kind of looking for an opportunity to be involved, and I saw that the school community council still needed some people, and the meeting was only once a month, and it was just for a few hours, and I thought, okay, I can do that. I can I can be on the SEC. So I started there and I just loved it. And I felt like I knew so much more about what was going on in my daughter's school, and I just felt so much more involved as a parent. And it was important for her to see that I was engaged in her education and that it was important to me. I think that that sent the message to her that it was an important thing if I was willing to take my time and find a babysitter and go to these meetings. I think it it taught her that I really cared about her education, and that made her feel like it was important. So I started there on the SEC and then I just slowly, you know, got sucked in. I had I met more people at the school, and then they'd say, Hey, will you help with this? Will you help with that? So then I started helping with the PTA, and that was, I mean, the SEC was great. PTA was even more fun. I started helping with that. I started helping with classroom parties, and then I ended up being the PTA president there for a year. Well, president-elect the year before that. And um, I just haven't looked back. It's just been such a great experience and it's been fulfilling for me as well. And I get to see what's going on in my kids' schools and really know what they're up to, and I can have more conversations with them at dinner. I know the people at their schools, so when they're dropping names of different teachers or different people that work at their schools, I know who they're talking about. So it's been really great.
SPEAKER_03:I imagine it's kind of nice to have that extra connection with your kids when they're back in school because a lot of times, you know, they're gone the whole day when you've been used to them being home all summer long or up until they're in preschool or kindergarten. So it's beautiful to see you're able to get that connection with your kids, but then also with just a few hundred others. Right.
SPEAKER_02:Right. And it is kind of fun to have the other, the other kids. Yeah. I remember one time I was in the middle school parking lot after school one day, and I had a couple of kids come up to me and say, Hey, you're the PTA lady from like the elementary. Like, so they'd remembered me from years before, and they're like, I, you know, I can't find my ring. Can I borrow your phone and call my mom? And I mean, it was one of those like, I'm a familiar face, and I was in the school enough that they knew me, and I they kind of looked familiar, but it wasn't it wasn't one of like my kids' friends, or it wasn't someone that I knew by name, but they had seen me at the school enough that they were comfortable to be like, hey, PTA Lee. Can you help us?
SPEAKER_03:That's very cool. They knew you were trustworthy and were there to help them. Yeah. Listen, when they get to middle school, they change so much from when you probably saw them last in fourth, fifth grade. Your roles are obviously top tier. You've dedicated countless hours to students across the district, but that's not the only way to volunteer, Jessica. You mentioned that when you started out, it was just an hour-long meeting once a month. What are some of the ways, whether it's PTA or just general volunteering in the schools, that parents can get involved, whether, you know, from quick little jumps into the classroom or maybe they do want to spend all day, what are some of the options out there for them?
SPEAKER_01:Well, I think that even just, you know, if you're just trying to get started and you don't know what to do, reach out to your students' teachers and see if there's anything that they need help with. They may need help with classroom parties that are coming up. They may need help with cutting things out. If you're staying at home and maybe you have little kids or you don't have the time to spend time in the school, maybe you can take some things home and cut them out and get them ready for the teachers if they need, or make little booklets for them. Or you can get involved with your SEC or just talk to your PTA, and I promise they will find something for you to do, even if it's just very small and a one-off project. Um, we've had parents who have come and they've helped set up the stereo system, or they've figured found a playlist for an activity, or even just taking pictures at an event. There are a lot of things that you can do that it doesn't have to be a huge time commitment. So find a way to get involved. I think it's important for our students and for our children to know that we care about the school and what's going on there. And I promise that you will make friends and you'll get to know everybody at the school a lot better. It's definitely worth it. Some other things you can do from home are if you see comments on maybe social media pages, you know, asking about schools within the district or asking about your school in particular, you know, maybe you reach out to those people and tell them why your school is good and tell them about the teachers and the experience that you've had. Or if you're talking to people in your community, make sure that you are being a good ambassador for your the school district and for the students at the schools, because I think a lot of parents who aren't involved at school don't recognize how hard the school works to take care of the children that are there. And that's one thing that I just loved when I was there as president. I was there every single day for probably two or three hours, mostly not because I had to be there as a president, but it was so inspiring for me to be there. And I was just amazed to see how many people in that school are looking out for every single one of those students. I didn't see anybody that was bad mouthing any students, anybody that was, you know, frustrated with those students. I just saw so much care and so much love for those students and everybody working together. And it was really inspiring. And I think the parents who are more involved are in a really great place to let other parents know what's really going on in our schools and how wonderful the people are that are working there.
SPEAKER_03:It can be so fun to see those comments too. You know, on the district webpage, we'll we've been posting about our some of our new principals stepping into new roles at different schools. And to see the comments, you know, oh, we love Mrs. So-and-so or Mr. So-and-so was our favorite at this school. And they all kind of then feed off each other. Oh, yeah, my daughter had his class too, and how great it was. And it's beautiful to kind of see that community coming together. I loved your idea about playlists and uh setting up the entertainment center. You know, people have different talents that you may not think of being extremely useful when it comes to setting up for events and things like that.
SPEAKER_01:And I think if you do have a talent that you want to share, or if you think of something that you could do that they're not necessarily asking for, you should reach out to them. If you think of things and ways that you can help the school, reach out to your PTA president or reach out to your classroom teacher and see if you can help with those things. I don't think we necessarily need to wait for somebody to come and ask us to do something, or for somebody to come and share the needs that they're seeing. If you feel like there's something that you can do to help the school, you should just go ahead and reach out and see if you can do it for them. You may have an idea that they don't even think of.
SPEAKER_02:Right. I think there's a lot of things that that people can do that we have no idea they can do. And so even just going to the monthly PTA meeting as a parent. I mean, they're open. You can attend SEC meeting as a parent. You can just show up and sit in the back and get involved that way just by gleaning all the information that's out there that you might not know. And then if something does come up and they need one of the schools, I would help with the book fair, and we would just do a little book talk. And I'm like, I love to read picture books outside. I mean love to read picture books. And so we would just go in and and share a book and say, Hey, we have a book fair during Pirateacher Conference. Come and see. And that, you know, that's if you just did that, that's once a year or twice a year.
SPEAKER_03:And that's who didn't love a book fair too.
SPEAKER_02:That was it. Yeah. So I think there's a lot of things and just coming to a PTA meeting or coming into the classroom where you can kind of gauge what's needed and then don't be afraid to say, hey, I could help with that.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. And then you're seeing what's going on at your kids' school, whether you want to, you know, be involved on a daily basis, like you said, or even just being able to talk with your kid about, oh yeah, I I heard in the meeting that you guys are doing that this week. That sounds like so much fun. That's really great. We've been talking about PTA and SCC. Can you explain the differences between those two?
SPEAKER_01:The PTA is the parent teacher association. So that is the parent group for the school. And so they will do a lot of different activities. They'll do things to support the children in the school. A lot of times they'll support the teachers in the school as well. The SCC is the school community council, and that is set up at the school, and they go over land trust money and some other funding that's provided by the state. And it's nice because as a parent, you actually get to have a say in where that money is going at your school. And both of those meetings are very informative, at least at our school. The principal is at those meetings every time and shares a lot of information about what's going on at the school and you know, different projects that they're working on. And so you learn a lot as a parent when you're involved in either one of those things.
SPEAKER_03:Very cool. I actually didn't know that about the SEC. You've worn a lot of different hats in your time volunteering, whether it's PTA, whether it's as a parent in a classroom. What have you gotten out of your time volunteering? What is it that, you know, when you go home and like you said, it fills your cup. What is it that fills your cup when it comes to volunteering?
SPEAKER_02:I think there's a lot of different parts that can fill you up. One of them is just the association you have with the students or the kids. And, you know, they can look up to you as an adult that, you know, is not scary or is not, you know, it's just a person that cares about you and your welfare. Um, another one is just the association with all of the other parents that are volunteering. And like you like have an instant group of people that are like-minded and they care about the kids and they care about the school and they care about what is going on. And so all of a sudden you have a whole group of people that that want to be there. They're not forced to be there. So when you're like, hey, we need someone to do this, you have people that go, Oh, I want to do that. And so that's kind of a fun, um, that's kind of a fun group to be in, is because everyone chose to come. Everyone chose to show up and everyone cares. Kind of a shared triumph.
SPEAKER_01:Yes. A lot of times we joke in the PTA that it's the same ten people doing things, and you'll hear that over and over again. But I think there's a reason that those 10 people at, you know, whatever school they're at are super engaged. And it's because they started uh volunteering and then they discovered how awesome it is. And and I think if more people were to get involved even at a smaller level, I think they would find out that it's really addictive. And so those same 10 people that are super involved, they've really caught that bug. And I started volunteering to help be there for my student and to be aware of what was going on in the school. I keep volunteering because it's it's helpful to me and it makes me a better person and it makes me a much happier person. And I actually go home from the day and I'm a lot more involved in my stu my children's lives, and I'm a lot patient, more patient than I thought I would be. I thought if I was at the school all day, every day, or you know, for large hours of the day volunteering, and then now I'm actually working at a school because I didn't want to leave it because I love volunteering so much. Um, but after being at the school for hours during the day, you'd think that you'd go home and you'd just be exhausted and you'd be sick of kids, but I've actually found the opposite is true. And I'm a lot more patient with my kids. And I think a lot of that has to do with that I am filling that cup and I'm going home feeling rejuvenated because I have been able to give my time and do things that I love. And it's so inspiring to be at a school and see all of these people that are just doing their best for these kids and see them go showing up every single day and getting to be involved in something like that is really neat and it's very unique. Most people who are, you know, going to jobs and things don't get to spend that time just trying to make sure that kids are okay. And so I really like that and I think it's really inspiring.
SPEAKER_03:That does sound very inspiring. I need to go do some volunteering now. You know, I've we've spoken with a lot of uh PTA members and SEC members here, and I think that's one of the main takeaways that they always say is it's spending time with the kids and understanding them a little bit more and getting those, you know, those brilliant smiles. Hey PTA lady, you know, those moments. But then also the camaraderie with maybe it is just 10 people, but I've heard so many members and volunteers say they have come away with a lifelong group of friends, you know, whether it's talking once a day or once a month at a meeting, it's just something that really sticks with you. What would you say to, I mean, if that doesn't sell volunteering, I don't know what will, but what what message would you have for any parents who may be on the fence about volunteering?
SPEAKER_02:I would just say get out of your comfort zone and ask, or just show up, or just just be there just one time. Ask your teacher one time what you can do. And it doesn't go away like from elementary. Elementary is really busy. There's lots of stuff, there's lots of activities that teachers are like, yes, come, come in my classroom. You know, you can read books on Friday, or you can help with a small group, or you can cut stuff out for me. But the gate continues on, and middle school and high school kids also need they need some caring adults around. Yeah. And if you're if you're the one friendly face and they're having a rough time and they're not passing their classes, and so their teachers are frustrated, and they're, you know, and you're like, hey, it's so good to see you. I'm so glad you came. I mean, they they need that. Yeah. They need that too. And so don't forget about middle school and high school. And I know at the middle schools I've been at, we've done lunchtime activities. PTAs sometimes put on a lunchtime activity, and it's an eye-opening experience to come at lunchtime in a middle school and uh, you know, run a game, or you can you can really see what's going on. So that night at dinner with your kids, you can be like, Hey, how's lunch going? You know, like I've been there. And so when they're like, ah, lunch, or they're like, Oh, it's great, you're like, I understand. Yeah. So don't count out the the big kids too. They need they need a friendly face, and whether that's just a smile, because you show up once a month and walk through the cafeteria to get to the PTA meeting, and that counts too.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. I think you're right, everyone needs that, you know, even just a smile or a kind word. You don't know. Maybe it's just an extra boost to a great day that they're already having, but maybe they're not having such a great day. And it's amazing to see what one kind word can do to boost your make you put you on a better track for the day. Yeah. Who watch you, Jessica?
SPEAKER_01:I would just add to that that just start small if you feel overwhelmed by it, find something small to do and just slowly get your foot in the door. And I think we need to remember that everybody is busy and every family has varying levels of busy, and some families may not be able to volunteer. So if you have the time to volunteer, you know, whether you're a parent or a grandparent, volunteer not just for you, your student, but for those students whose families can't volunteer because it really takes a village. And the more adults we can get there into those elementary schools that are there helping those kids and volunteering, the better off our education system will be. And we just all really need to work together. So find time if you have it. I know there are a lot of parents that are at home that might be able to give even just a couple hours a week. And I promise that you'll make a difference, and not only for them, but it'll make a difference in your life. Totally agree with that.
SPEAKER_03:I think that's perfect. You know, an hour can make a difference, a smile can make a difference. And if you have the time to donate beyond that, by all means. I mean, you guys have established quite a great community here at Canyons, and we appreciate all the hard work you do. Thank you. Thank you. And thank you for listening. If there's a topic you would like to hear discussed on the podcast, send us an email to communications at canyonsdistrict.org.
SPEAKER_00:Thanks for listening to this episode of Connect Canyons. Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at Canyons District, or on our website, CanyonsDistrict.org.
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