January 2024 / Vol. 005
Nebo News
Welcome to the New Semester
Happy New Year, Nebo School District! We're thrilled to welcome everyone back for the second half of the school year, feeling refreshed, recharged, and ready to tackle new challenges and exciting opportunities.
As we settle back into our routines, it's easy to remember the fun and growth that already filled our classrooms this fall. We witnessed students dive into captivating lessons, participate in thrilling extracurricular activities, and forge strong bonds with classmates and teachers. But the best is yet to come!
These are just a few glimpses into the vibrant tapestry of learning and experiences that await us. Our teachers, armed with their passion for education and a renewed sense of purpose, are eager to guide students on this journey of discovery.
Together, as a Nebo family, we can make the second half of this school year truly phenomenal. Let's support each other, celebrate individual and collective achievements, and embrace the joy of learning. Remember, every day is an opportunity to grow, explore, and reach new heights.
So, Nebo students, teachers, staff, and families, let's dive into the second half with enthusiasm, determination, and a shared spirit of collaboration. The possibilities are endless, and we can achieve anything together!
We're excited to see what amazing things this semester brings. Onward, Nebo family!
Superintendent's Message:
Welcome back from the holidays! I hope everyone enjoyed the break and is reenergized for the remainder of the school year. We have just wrapped up several weeks of full immersion in Christmas music. Whether you are a year-round Christmas listener, one that starts in early November, or one who can hold off until after Thanksgiving, there are assuredly Christmas songs you love so deeply you play them repeatedly while singing along and savoring the season. There are also some songs you automatically skip, delete, or change the station (for us older folks) when they start to play.
“Little Drummer Boy” has always been a “change the station” song for me. The annoying “pa-rum-pum-pum-pum” monotonously repeated over and over again causes me to change to anything else. Even “The Chipmunk Christmas” song is less irritating than those “rum-pum-pum-pum’s.”
(Erroneously) assuming that everyone else in the world felt the same as me about “Little Drummer Boy,” I was shocked to hear it start playing on Carrie Underwood’s Christmas Album “My Gift” a couple of years ago. John Legend and Carrie Underwood had just finished their angelic “Hallelujah” when the all-to- familiar beating of drums began. I quickly pushed pause and looked to see if this really was “DrummerBoy” and saw this:
Despite my past tendencies, I decided to listen for two reasons: 1) Underwood can make just about anything sound good and 2) the John Legend duet was amazing, so maybe a duet with this Isaiah Fisher guy might make this dreaded song less tedious.
All I really remember from my first experience with the Underwood/Fisher duet was Isaiah expressively singing in his best little 5-year-old voice: “Little baby, pa-wum-pum-pum-pum; I am a poor boy too, pa-wum-pum-pum-pum; I have no gift to bring, pa-wum-pum-pum-pum; That’s fit to give our King, pa-wum-pum-pum-pum, wum-pum- pum-pum, wum-pum-pum-pum; Shall I play for you; pa-wum-pum-pum-pum; On my dwrum?”
Superintendent's Message Continued:
Three years after it’s initial release, you have all surely heard this rendition of “Little Drummer Boy.” It is one of my all-time favorite Christmas songs and I can listen to it over and over again. The difference that a child can make amazes me every time.
As we celebrate “The Gift of You” this year, I am reminded we all have gifts to bring: a drummer boy playing for a King; a 5-year-old capturing center stage with a world class performer; and each of us sharing our own gifts and talents in ways that elevate others.
Thank you for your amazing work in education and have a wonderful second half of the school year.
Learn more about Carrie and Isaiah’s gift at this YouTube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xavIL1XaTQo&t=24s
Don’t forget...
Thinking of Retiring?
The District is once again offering a Retirement Notice Incentive in order to find the best possible candidates for open positions in this competitive job market. The intent of the Retirement Notice Incentive is to reward those employees who complete their 2023-2024 employment commitments and who give sufficient notice to supervisors to enable them to hire qualified new employees.
The guidelines to receive the Retirement Notice Incentive are as follows:
- Be employed by the District for a minimum of four (4) years immediately
preceding District retirement
- Submit completed retirement forms to the Human Resources office at least four
(4) months prior to District retirement date
- Retire from URS within forty-five (45) days of retirement from District service
The payment details of the Retirement Notice Incentive are as follows:
- Employees who meet the above guidelines and submit completed retirement
forms to the Human Resources office by:
- January 8, 2024 will receive $1,000 in their January 31 paycheck, or
- February 2, 2024 will receive $500 in their February 29 paycheck
The final deadline to submit completed retirement forms to the Human Resources office and qualify this Retirement Notice Incentive is February 2, 2024.
Although we have offered this option for a handful of years, this incentive should be considered a one-time option and may not be offered in future years. Interested employees who are or will be retirement eligible and would like to learn more about this incentive and their individual benefits are encouraged to schedule an appointment with Troy Bohling by calling 801-354-7480.
PEAK Award Winners
Rhiannon Bradley
Riverview
Andy Kadomtsev
Park
Haylee Whiteley
SHHS
Morgan Peterson
Meadow Brook
Kate Searle
SFHS