“Barriers Mean Growth”: How Timpview’s FCCLA Students Learn to Lead through Service
- November 13th, 2024
FCCLA students have built a legacy of hands-on service, transforming simple materials into real...
Dear Provo City Residents, When I walked into Kathy Mesenbrink’s third grade class at Provo Peaks Elementary in May 2023, I knew that Provo City School District was a special place. Ms. Mesenbrink’s class was magical, just as Principal Burge described it. I knew I was in a district where learning was a priority and where children were seen and cared about.
Since that time, I have been in many classrooms in every school across the district and witnessed similar levels of excitement and learning and care. I am amazed at the opportunities that we provide our students here in Provo from our Center for Advanced Professional Studies for high school students, to Dual Language Immersion, Career and Technical Education, elementary arts, athletic and performing arts opportunities, Camp Big Springs and middle school trips to Washington, D.C. and Boston. These experiences only happen because of the dedication of our employees and the willingness of our community to support these unique learning opportunities for our students. I love that we are a community dedicated to providing multiple opportunities for students to find their niche and acquire the skills they need to be incredible humans and contributors to our society.
In collaboration with our Board of Education, our District Leadership Team and school leaders also recognize that even with these successes, we still have areas for growth and improvement. This past year, we formed a Steering Committee made up of employees, parents, board members, and students to help us draft a strategic plan that will guide our work for the next five years. The final draft of this plan will be shared with our entire Provo community in August. Our stakeholders have communicated that maximizing academic achievement, fostering welcoming environments across the district for our families and students, and demonstrating that we are faithful stewards of the resources of our constituents are the top priorities for our community. We cannot wait to share with you the details of these priorities, goals, and performance indicators as we report on our progress with transparent metrics as we strive to make Provo a destination district for all.
These priorities of our strategic plan require increased communication, transparency and trust. We have worked to improve weekly communication with our employees and entire school community through videocasts, podcasts, website updates, and social media. We are dedicated to reach more of you so that we can have a conversation with our constituents to receive feedback. We have added ways on our website for individuals to submit questions and feedback on anything from curriculum, instructional materials, schools, construction, and future plans for facilities and maintenance. We want you to be part of the conversation. We commit to sharing our decisionmaking processes to receive input before decisions are made, enabling us to be more thoughtful and responsive to the community we serve.
Our community and our parents have made it known that increasing academic performance is our number one priority. We have restructured our district to ensure collaborative problem-solving and to prevent schools from receiving mixed messages. To improve academic performance, we must recruit and retain the very best teachers by compensating them financially and providing a work environment where they are supported, fulfilled, and effective, and you will see these efforts reflected in our negotiated salaries with our employees.
It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as the Superintendent of Provo City School District for the past year. We have such unique opportunities as a single-city school district to align our work as we strive to provide one of the best education systems in Utah and one of the best cities to live in the United States. We commit to continue our work in making Provo City a destination district and city for families, students, and employees. We wish you a happy and safe summer and we’ll see you shortly in August when school is back in session!
Cordially,
Wendy Dau,
Provo City School District Superintendent
One week into kindergarten, I asked my oldest son, “what’s your favorite part of school? He proudly reported, “Riding the bus to school and riding the bus home!” Every day when I picked him up from the bus stop, I would watch him deliberately hop down each step one at a time, take a big leap onto the pavement, then happily exclaim, “That was AWESOME!”
I hope we all feel that same, simple enthusiasm and excitement as we get ready to start a new school year! Here are a few AWESOME things we can look forward to as school begins:
Parents, teachers, staff, and community members have been working on a brand-new vision, mission and strategic plan to help guide the direction of our school district. Upon adoption, we will refer to this plan daily to ensure that each student feels welcomed, inspired to be their best selves, and is well-educated. I encourage you to check it out on our website so you can see the awesome strategic plan in detail.
We are excited for extra support in our schools through the addition of new or extra vice-principals and instructional coaches at each school site. As our amazing staff receives better support in their jobs, we hope to see happier teachers, and in turn, happier and higher-achieving students. What an awesome goal!
Shoreline Middle School will open its doors to students for the first time this August! And the rebuilt Wasatch Elementary is not far behind (scheduled to open in early 2025). These beautiful new schools will be a huge blessing to our students where they can learn in a safe, updated & innovative space. We’ll miss Dixon Middle School and the Wasatch building that have served our students well for 92 and 75 years respectively. But we are also thrilled for the new legacies and traditions we’ll build at our awesome, freshly constructed buildings.
There are many other things to look forward to and not enough space to write it all! So as we start school again, I hope you will look for both the big and little, obvious and not-so-noticeable, amazing and ordinary, AWESOME things in our schools. I’m confident you’ll find them wherever you look if you just take a little time to notice. Welcome back!
Rebecca Nielsen, School Board President
Learn more, and see Board Meeting Updates, Agendas, Boundary Maps, and more at the School Board website above.
The Provo City School District Board of Education wants to hear from you. Your feedback is invaluable as the district looks to strengthen and improve. Please be involved and join the conversation!
Here is how to learn more:
Here are ways to provide feedback:
Current
Upcoming
The Superintendent creates and emails a weekly roundup videocast for up-to-date details on programs, resources, events, and more. Past episodes can be found on YouTube.
Read the latest district news, explore schools and departments, and access essential district resources, tools and information.
When important and timely notifications must be sent, the district and your school contact families by phone, email, and text message using the information you provide when registering your student.
Learn more about “What’s Up” in Provo City School District with Superintendent Dau’s What’s Up with the Sup’ episodes. New episodes are released every Friday and can be found anywhere you get your podcast.
You can see the latest news, enjoy fun stories, prepare for upcoming events and celebrate accomplishments by tuning into our social media channels.
Watch for printed news, like this summer newsletter, coming to your home quarterly. You can also sign up to receive a construction newsletter emailed monthly.
Starting school can feel daunting– but we’re here to help. Below is our guide to getting new, returning, and inactive students– students who withdrew from school before May 24, 2024– through our three-step online registration with some valuable tips.
Remember that you must complete the online registration annually through the Parent Portal Account in PowerSchool. The Portal offers access to grades, attendance, assignments, and vital safety notifications and communications from your school and district. If your student is enrolled but you don’t have a Portal Account, visit the grades powerschool page through our website. Note that the portal is closed each year from July 1st to July 22nd for a system update.
School always arrives too soon—but don’t stress! Check our Resource Roadmap for quick shortcuts. Check out the Resource Roadmap webpage to get more detailed information on the following:
If your child is having significant difficulty with vision, hearing, speech, behavior, physical development, learning difficulty or is experiencing slow development typical for his/her age, he/she may qualify for differentiated services to meet his/her needs. We offer a large array of services to support students with special needs. We provide testing at no cost and then coordinate an educational experience tailored to meet the needs of your student. Visit the Resources Roadmap webpage or call 801.373.4933 for more information.
If your child lives 1.5 miles from their elementary school or 2 miles from their middle or high school they are eligible to ride the bus. We also provide transportation for special needs students at any distance. Visit the Resources Roadmap webpage or call 801.374.4860 for more information.
We encourage all parents to become observers in their students’ Canvas courses. This will help you better understand how your child is participating in their classes. Keep an eye on your student’s day-to-day assigned coursework, missing and delivered assignments, and more.
Parents can initiate the process of being an observer in a student’s course by following a few simple steps:
Each PCSD student is provided a Chromebook for use at school. Students are assigned their Chromebook during the first weeks of school. For any issues, please contact the Chromebook Help Desk at 801.373.2188 or complete the work order form.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students who are 18 years old or older (“eligible students”) certain rights concerning the student’s education records.
PCSD has an audiologist on staff who can provide hearing evaluations at no charge for students and answer questions about classroom listening. For more information please call 801-374-4895 or email jeramyj@provo.edu.
Utah law requires that school records include complete immunization records, including documentation of the day, month, and year each immunization was given. Please allow USIS (United States Information Service) access to your immunization records. This allows our nurses to save your immunization records for future usage so you won’t have to find old records for future registrations. Visit the Resources Roadmap webpage or call 801.374.4838 for more information.
The District does not discriminate in programs, services, activities or employment on the basis of religion, sex, sexual orientation, race, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, or disability. Learn more about inquiries regarding students, programs, services or activity compliance at our Notice of Non-Discrimination page by visiting the Resources Roadmap webpage.
Make sure your school knows how to contact you and stay connected to your school. PowerSchool isn’t just for communication. From PowerSchool, parents can check grades, track attendance, register new students, review district policies and procedures, and access applications for the meals program and school fee waivers.
For more information, contact Student Services: 801-374-4838
The School Board approves each policy, states the district’s position on a particular issue, which may lead to the creation of specific procedures and forms.
Provo City has created an online mapping interface that allows you to access vital information, including finding your school boundary.
For more information, contact Student Services: 801-374-4838
There are fees associated with some classes in middle and high school, as well as some after school elementary programs. These fees vary according to class. You may be eligible for a fee waiver. All school fees are subject to fee waivers. Items not subject to fee waiver are yearbooks, personal consumables (letterman jacket, class rings, optional school clothing), school lunch/breakfast, fines, charges for AP tests, non-curricular clubs, refundable deposits and damages to school property.
For transcripts less than 5 years old, please contact the school’s registrar. For older transcripts, or to order transcripts in July, please contact our Student and Family Services Department.
Our schools offer all students a variety of nutritious meals. Check out the Resource Roadmap webpage for a link to add student meal funds, find monthly menus, and learn more about our Child Nutrition Department.
Meal prices for 2024-2025:
Provo City School District believes it is our calling to create specialized experiences fitting you or your child’s ambitions. Whether it’s rubbing shoulders with elite entrepreneurs, coding bots, or learning new languages, we have a path for you. Start your academic journey within minutes. Visit the Programs Overlook webpage to learn more, and experience one of our specially designed programs.
Challenge your gifted student. The Center for Accelerated Studies is a full-time, gifted magnet program for grades 4-6.
Empower your high school student to take a step toward their future by providing them with in-school college courses that are accessible, affordable, and high-quality. Visit the Programs Overlook webpage to learn more.
Driver’s Ed students have traditional or online options. Our program requires 40 hours of driving supervised by a parent before course enrollment.
Whether it’s Camp Big Springs, tutoring, STEM programs, or credit recovery, we’ve got programs to fit your needs.
Learn to speak Mandarin Chinese, French, Portuguese, or Spanish through our Dual-Immersion Program.
For students with significant cognitive disabilities 18-22 years of age, our district provides a post-high high program.
We have English classes at every level for any age. We hold daytime and evening classes.
Flexible learners will receive quality education through our virtual online education program.
Career and Technical Education (CTE) is a program of study that involves an industry-specific sequence of courses that integrate core academic knowledge with technical and occupational skills to provide students with pathways to postsecondary education and in-demand careers.
Business Management
Culinary Arts
Computer Science
Engineering & Technology
Health Science
Media Arts
Education & Training
Manufacturing
Automotive
We have a way to maximize your schooling experience through sports, school clubs, running for student government and more.
Students may apply to attend a school other than their boundary school.
If you’re looking for smaller class sizes, more hands-on experiences, supportive classroom relationships, and a graduation-focused experience, look no further than Independence.
Whether it’s Camp Big Springs, tutoring, STEM programs, or credit recovery, we’ve got programs to fit your needs. Visit the webpage linked below, or call your school’s office.
We offer tuition-based Early Intervention and Title 1 Preschool options for families interested in fostering an early love of learning.
No matter where your high school student is in their academic journey, it is never too early to start preparing and applying for scholarships. Find our webpage for scholarship advice, scholarship application site links, and directions on how to sign up and a scholarship resume. Visit the Programs Overlook webpage to learn more.
It’s not too late to get your high school diploma. We offer high school completion and GED prep for all ages.
We strive to ensure that all students with disabilities have a free, appropriate public education, emphasizing special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs in preparation for further education, employment, and independent living.
Join Provo CAPS to gain hands-on experience solving real-world problems for local businesses and organizations.
Apply now to collaborate in dynamic teams and jump start your future.
Do you have items on your to-do list that you never get to? Would you be willing to turn these tasks over to a team of talented high school students?
CAPS is here to help you! Submit a project today!
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