The Uintah School Board held a regularly scheduled work session and business meeting on Wednesday. Visit the district’s YouTube channel to watch a recording of both meetings.
During the business meeting, the board celebrated the district’s Students of the Month for March. The students are Riley Sommerville (Central Cove Preschool), Westyn Hacking (Ashley Elementary), Josie Boren (Davis Elementary), Kayden Fisher (Discovery Elementary), Evanjolean Poowegup Nephi (Eagle View Elementary), Drayce Reed (Lapoint Elementary), Stetson Shoopman (Maeser Elementary), Samarra Barney (Naples Elementary), Kenneth Head (Uintah Middle School), Lucy Gale (Vernal Middle School), Treysen McKeachnie (Uintah High School), and Austin Nyberg (Ashley Valley Education Center/Uintah Online).
The board also celebrated:
· Vernal Middle School student Denton Martin, who won the Fall 2024 Stock Market Game competition with classmate Traysen Clyde. Clyde was honored at February’s board meeting.
· The Uintah High Boys Wrestling Team for their dominant performance during the 2024-2025 season. The program won its 5th consecutive team championship in commanding fashion. Wrestlers Maddax Hacking, Ethan Sharp, Michael Alexander, Rykan Hacking, Brody Rhoades and Parker Streight each earned individual state titles. Alexander became the first Uintah High wrestler to win four individual state crowns. Seventeen Utes placed at the state tournament.
· Uintah High student-athletes Jaten Barraclough, Paul Buschkowsky, Keith Caldwell and Jarom Thomas, who set a school record in the 200 Freestyle Relay with a time of 1:32.34.
· Uintah High student-athlete Kenadie Maughan, who set single-season girls basketball team records for the Utes this year with 391 points, 283 rebounds, and 55 blocks.
· Uintah High student-athlete Dauson Gardiner, who set boys basketball team records for career points and single-season points. He scored 441 during the 2024-2025 season and ended his high school career with 1,372 points.
Congratulations to these outstanding students and thanks to everyone who supports them.
Central Cove Waitlist Opens
The waitlist for 2025-2026 enrollment at Central Cove Preschool is open. First offers of enrollment will be sent by email starting on April 4 and will continue until all spots are filled.
To be eligible, children must:
· live in Uintah County,
· be at least 3 years old by Sept. 1, and
· not turn 5 years old before Sept. 1.
Families can apply by completing the waitlist application. Tuition financial assistance may be available based on income. For questions or more information, call Ryshann Searle at Central Cove at 435-781-3125.
USD Adds Local Beef to Menu
The Uintah School District Foods Department has begun using local ground beef in several school meals.
The ground beef is purchased from Bell-Mont Meats in Vernal with money the district received from the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) Child Nutrition Department through the federal Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program. Uintah School District received a little over $38,000 in grant funds.
The purchasing process began last year. USBE solicited bids from across the state as part of the process. The state awarded Bell-Mont Meats the Uintah Basin contract.
USD is using ground beef from Bell-Mont Meats in some of its from-scratch menu items, including tacos, spaghetti, chili, sloppy Joes, macho nachos, Frito pie, and hamburger gravy.
UHS Choir Concert
The Uintah High Choir program will hold its Festival Concert on Tuesday, March 18, at 7 p.m. in the UHS auditorium. Admission is FREE. The concert will be streamed live on the Uintah High Choir Facebook page for those who cannot attend in person.
Celebrations
Uintah High Sterling Scholars did well at the Northeast Region competition on Monday at UVU. Of the 10 UHS Sterling Scholars this year, three won their categories: Lily Carlson in Visual Arts, Stockton Jolley in Science, and Teran Nash in Skilled and Technical Sciences. Two Utes were named as runners up in their categories: Tommy Cruz IV in Computer Technology and Ethan Pierce in Speech, Theatre Arts and Debate. Congratulations to all our Sterling Scholars.
Congratulations as well to Uintah High FBLA! Of the 15 chapter members who attended State this week, 13 placed in the Top 10 and eight qualified for Nationals in Anaheim, California, in June.
Taylor Kurtz finished 1st in Business Ethics, earning a spot at Nationals. Kurtz also finished 7th in Business Law, Business Communication, and Human Resource Management, and finished 6th in Supply Chain Management.
The Parliamentary Team of Teri Williams, Rope Williams, Natalie Tenney, Luken Merrell, and Holden Thomas qualified for Nationals with a 3rd place finish. Teri Williams also qualified for Nationals with a 4th place finish on with her Agribusiness test.
The chapter's Community Service Project, presented by Colbi McLean and Aiden Hansen, received a 3rd place finish and qualified for Nationals. McLean also placed 5th in Financial Statement Analysis and 7th in Intro to Event Planning, which was a team event with fellow chapter members EmaLee Richens and Taylor Thornton.
Emma Gardiner, Celeste Aycock and Rita Nunes also earned 7th place in Graphic Design.
The finalists for this year's Utah High School Musical Theatre Awards were announced Thursday. Uintah High Theatre had 11 finalists among the nominees.
For Hadestown: Teen Edition, Benson Baumgarten is a finalist for Best Actor; Reed Uasila'a is a finalist for Best Supporting Actor; Aurelia Harrison is a finalist for Best Actress; Lily Carlson is a finalist for Best Student Scenic Design; and Uintah High is finalist for Best Lighting Design.
Uintah Theatre’s production of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is also a finalist in the Best Musical, Best Ensemble, Best Costume Design, and Best Technical Crew categories. Chris Piner is a finalist as well for Best Director and Lily Carlson is a finalist for Best Student Scenic Design.
There were other UHS students nominated for awards who were not named as finalists. Cecilia Benjamin was nominated for Best Actress and Ethan Pierce was nominated for Best Cameo for their roles in Hadestown. Pierce was also nominated for Best Actor for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Ashlyn Adams was nominated for Best Actress, Mae Coonradt was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, and Macy Carlson and Sam Sorenson were nominated for Best Featured Performers.
The Utah High School Musical Theatre Awards ceremony is April 12 in Salt Lake. Break legs, Uintah High Theatre!
Weekend Events
The Uintah High Boys Tennis Team is on the road this weekend, playing in the Carbon Invitational in Price. So far, the team is undefeated, beating Richfield 5-0 and Carbon 5-0. They were scheduled to play Delta High at 3 p.m. today. On Saturday, the Utes will play Union High at 12:15 p.m. and Gunnison High at 4 p.m.
Uintah High Baseball is in St. George this weekend for the KJ Harrison Classic at Snow Canyon High. The Utes are scheduled to play Cedar Valley at 4:30 p.m and Snow Canyon at 9:30 p.m. today. On Saturday, they’ll play Cedar High at 9 a.m. and Ridgeline at 1 p.m.
Uintah High Softball is also in St. George, playing in the Warrior Elite Invitational at Snow Canyon High. The Utes schedule includes Friday games against Stansbury at 1 p.m. and Enterprise at 5 p.m. On Saturday, Uintah faces Mountain Ridge at 9 a.m. and Salem Hills at 11 a.m.
The Uintah High Track and Field Team is headed to Price to compete in the Farm Bureau Invitational. The meet starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Carbon High School.
Good luck to all our student-athletes and GO UTES!