TOOELE, Utah — What’s the best-kept secret in Tooele? Well, according to a quote on a wall, it’s Northlake Elementary — which is why they’re our Cool School of the Week.
"We often say that Northlake is a family, and it's very true. Everyone here takes care of each other; the students are amazing,” said Principal Stephanie Lindsay.
"All the teachers are really supportive, and I've met a lot of friends I think I'll have throughout my life, and it's a great opportunity to go to school and have a great education," one student said.
Normally, our Cool School nominations come from parents or teachers, but our Cool School nomination for Northlake came from an 8-year-old student named Vladimir. He wrote an email to FOX13 News sharing all his favorite things about this school. When we talked with him Wednesday, he knew right away what makes his school so “cool.”
“We have art, gym, computers, and library,” Vladamir said.
The school also has a choir where they learn all sorts of songs from The Rolling Stones to Dolly Parton and more, but my favorite is the Northlake School Song. It's still stuck in my head.
"We get to learn new songs and perform, although it's very scary performing in front of a lot of people,” said one choir student.
One thing that sets Northlake apart from other schools is that they have Chinese and Spanish Dual Language Immersion Programs.
"It's really fun to walk the halls and hear some people say, 'Good morning Mr. Mecham,' some say 'ni hao' and some say 'hola,'" Assistant Principal Matt Mecham said.
On Wednesday, the Chinese Dual Immersion Program was celebrating the start of the Lunar New Year. They celebrated with crafts, dancing, and more. One student is already thinking about the doors the DLI program will open.
"It gives us more job opportunities as we get older with more scholarships and stuff as we go to college."
At the end of the morning, Granite Credit Union and FOX 13 had a donation for the Spanish DLI teacher, Senora Vilchez. This is her first year in the United States and the first year of the new DLI program.
"We're just excited for you and all of the good you're doing with your kids," said Spencer Carver, Granite Credit Union's marketing director.
Senora Vilchez responded in Spanish, saying she's grateful for Granite Credit Union's donation, which will benefit her classroom and, most importantly, her students.
If you know a "Cool School," you can email nominations to GoodDayUtah@fox13now.com.
