SYRACUSE, Utah — Bluff Ridge Elementary in Syracuse is our Cool School of the Week, and it would be hard to find a school with as big of a personality as this one!
Bluff Ridge Elementary in Syracuse is our Cool School of the Week, and it would be hard to find a school with as big of a personality as this one!
They're raising money by partnering with local businesses like Beehive Meals, putting on the first school play in school history, and hosting a 1K and 5K.
"We believe that each child deserves a place to play," said third-grade teacher Rhonda Stoker.
One of those students who deserves a place to play is Lydia, a nonverbal first-grade student who communicates through an electronic device.
"There's cameras across the bottom that watch her eyes so when she looks at one of these pictures and dwells on it, it will speak it out loud for her," explained Lydia's mom.
Bluff Ridge is recognized as a Unified Champion School, a designation that includes three parts: unified sports, inclusive youth leadership, and whole school engagement.
Special Education students like Rueben get to participate in a variety of activities where they practice skills and build friendships.
"I'm going to bounce and shoot the ball," Reuben explained wearing his medal from a recent tournament.
According to instructor Karissa Illu, Bluff Ridge offers targeted academic interventions to help students succeed. Programs like BRIDGES help students in math, and SIPPS focuses on reading intervention.
"This is our classroom where we are really able to take small groups in and really fine tune students right where they are currently in their education," said Illu.
At the end of the morning, Granite Credit Union gave Illu and the other instructional aids a donation to help them support student success.
"Having support is everything, and [we] as a team really support these students to build up their education and when we have people backing us up, it makes a world of difference," Illu said.
If you know a Cool School, you can email nominations to GoodDayUtah@Fox13Now.com or fill out the nomination form on our website.
"Bluff Ridge is very inclusive, and we have lots of fun," said one student council member.
