Friday, October 5, 2007

Inspirational Students Dreaming Big!


Our fourth grade students at Summit Elementary in Smithfield Utah are the cream of the crop! In fourth grade we teach all about Utah History. One of our veteran teachers, Don Sheffer, brought it to our attention that the matter of the state tree has bothered him for awhile now and he wanted this year to be the year we did something about it! While teaching the state symbols in my class the students got a little riled up about the Utah State Tree being the Colorado Blue Spruce. I guided their inquiry as they did a lot of research and came up with the tree they thought our state tree should be. They came up with some really great facts and presented a GREAT case to me that convinced me I should support their decision to push for the Utah Juniper to be our new state tree! They wrote a movie script and filmed a movie with the intent of showing it to other fourth grade classrooms in the state to get them to join with us and help us make a great change in Utah.

The other fourth grade classrooms at Summit have jumped right on board and have been contributing a lot to the whole effort to move this project along. Mr. Sheffer's class did research and added a lot of neat ideas to our already great movie! Mr. Benson and Mr. Rigby have been involved in the political part of the process. Mrs. Harris' class came up with the logo and the other three classes are contributing wherever needed. We have an excellent team of 8 teachers and 200 of the BEST 4th grade students out there!

We'll keep you posted on how the project is moving along. We welcome your comments and if you'd like to contact us directly you can email us at jumpforthejuniper@yahoo.com, thanks for visiting!


68 comments:

Melissa Jenkins said...

I think this is an excellent idea. I went to Summit Elementary myself and thought it was a great school with great teachers and students. I would love to sign the petition and will tell others about this! Keep up the good work 4th graders!

The Watson's said...

You have my vote!

Ang said...

I always wondered why the state tree was what it is. I am glad someone is trying to change it. Way To GO Kids!!! You have my vote!

Avery Family said...

Way to go fourth graders! You guys did an awesome job! Good Luck!

looloom6 said...

You have my vote for sure!! Keep us all posted on how things are going!

Amy said...

I heard there was some type of petition...where is it? You got my vote!

Alyson said...

Congratulations, Mrs. Kreitzer on a successful campaign! You have my vote. ;)

Anonymous said...

We love the Utah Juniper!! So lets change the tree!! Get on the website and vote!! We want to change it cause we do not live in Colerado do we. We live in Utah!! So fourth graders of Utah ITS TIME TO BAND TOGETHER!!

Anonymous said...

We are with you all the way! How can we help? We are JUMPING FOR THE JUNIPER!!!!

Anonymous said...

COME ON YOU GUYS ITS TIME TO CHANGE THE STATE TREE SO JOIN WITH US!!!

Anonymous said...

Fourth graders at Washington Elementary are with you! We all agree that we should change the state tree to the Juniper. You have all of our votes. Keep up the great work!

Anonymous said...

We here in Washington, Utah think that we should change the state tree to the Utah Juniper because we do not want a Colorado tree as our state tree here in UTAH! You have our votes!!!

Shay Millett said...

Go 4th graders! What an undertaking. I think it is great that you feel so strongly about something and are willing to work hard to see your project through! We here in St. George are on your side!

Anonymous said...

You have my vote! Go kids!

Anonymous said...

We the fourth graders in Mrs. M's class in Washington, Utah think that we should change the state tree name from the Colorado Blue Spruce to the Utah Juniper. We think that it is a great idea that you want to change the tree. The fourth graders say "GET 'ER DONE!"

Anonymous said...

You have me vote because I like the Utah Juniper.

Anonymous said...

I think we should change the state
tree because we dont want a tree
from Colorado because we live in
Utah

Anonymous said...

You guys rock I hope you can do it, because I think that is wrong to have a Colorado Blue Spruce if you live in Utah, Well you have my vote!!!!!

Anonymous said...

i think changing the state tree is a great idea u have me vote.

Anonymous said...

YOU GUYS ROCK!!!!$$$
YOU HAVE MY VOTE, I MEAN WHO WOULD
WANT A COLORADO BLUE SPR

Anonymous said...

You guys rock you guys need to change that tree who wants a state tree called the colorado blue spruce

Anonymous said...

go fourth graders you can change it to the Utah juniper
get-r-done
4th grader washington

Anonymous said...

Hi fourth graders.Ithink it's cool that you want to change the Colorado Blue Spruce to the Utah Juniper.

Anonymous said...

I want the Juniper to be the state tree for Utah because I like it. The Colorado Blue Spruce doesn't sound as good.

Anonymous said...

I think you should change the tree
name because you fourth grades GO

Anonymous said...

I think I should leave it because
it looks great.

Anonymous said...

Dear 4th graders I think it is great
that you want to change the state
tree.I want to change the state tree
with you. Keep on rockin and 'geter
done.
from 4th grader from Washington
Elemanty

Anonymous said...

i think it is a good idea to change the colorado blue spruceto utah;s juniper.

Anonymous said...

good I idea I thek so to

Anonymous said...

good job Ang and her class.from,a fourth grade student at Washinton Elementary

Anonymous said...

I think that it is a great idea to change the Colorado blue spruce to the Utah juniper. You have my vote!

Anonymous said...

lets change it

Anonymous said...

I think that you should change the tree. It is a great idea because it is not a utah tree.

Anonymous said...

4th grader at Washington Elementary
I think its a great idea because
we don't live in Colorado.
Go kids

Anonymous said...

Go Kids! I am a 4th grade student at Washington Elem. School.And I don't think it is right to have a tree named the Colorado Blue Spruce, but it's right next to us. You are definitely right about the Utah Juniper and it sounds so cool to have a tree like that. And we as a class have looked at the website about two time and a lot of us want to change it. Hope you win!
4th grade from Washington Ut

Anonymous said...

Hi this is Washington Eiementary i think it shoud be change
and i think it is a good idea.

Anonymous said...

I think you guys are right you
got my vote.

Anonymous said...

Hey, This is 4th grader from Washington Elementary. I think it is a great idea to change the state tree. You go girls and boy. You guys are awsome. You rock. signed 4th grader from Washington Elementary

Anonymous said...

I think it is a great idea to change the state tree because we don't live in Colorado.GO FOURTH GRADERS!!!
signed Fourth Grader Washington, UT

Anonymous said...

hi i am a fourth grader i think you should change the Colorado blue spruce i hope you succeed in your goal way to go fourth graders and you to mrs.Kreitzer
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4th grader from Washington UT
you rock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I think we should not change the utah
tree because we should leave it the way that it was before. So Utah 4th grade get er done.
4th grader from Washington, UT

Anonymous said...

I agree you have my vote

Anonymous said...

this is a 4th grader from washingtion elementary. I think it is a great idea to change it.I really like your show on the news because it is a great to me.you guys are so so great to me really great.I say geter done dude!!!

Anonymous said...

you guys rock ... GO FORTH GRADERS

Anonymous said...

You Guys Rock!!!! GET er Done

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

We should definitely change the tree because we don't want to have a tree named after Colorado if we are here in Utah. Change it DEFINITELY!!!!!

4th Grade Washington, Utah

Anonymous said...

I say we should vote for the Utah juniper so you have my vote peace
4th grader washington utah

Anonymous said...

i think that we shouldn't have a Colorado blue spruce tree because we don't live in Colorado
fourth grade Washington Utah

Anonymous said...

I want the tree changed because it
belongs in UTAH.

4th grade Washington Utah

Anonymous said...

you should change the tree


4th washington utah

Anonymous said...

I think we should be change the tree we live in Washington Utah.

Anonymous said...

I am with you all the way> I hope my fourth grade class agrees with me> even if they do not you still have my vote>

Washington Utah

Anonymous said...

Summit Fourth Graders I think we
should change the state tree
to the Utah Juniper .

Fourth Grader at
Washington Elm. WASHINGTON .UTAH

Anonymous said...

I think the state tree should change and not be the Colorado blue spruce i like your thinking.

Anonymous said...

I think we should change the Utah state tree from the Colorado blue spruce to the Utah juniper because I think the Utah juniper will go better
with our state name.4th grade washington,Utah.

Anonymous said...

I think we should change the trees name you have my vote 4rth Washington Utah

Anonymous said...

sure I'll change the state tree.We're
in Utah,duh!Ya got my vote.


4th grader Washington Utah

Anonymous said...

YOU GUYS ROCK!!!$$$
who wants a state tree thats a Colorado blue spuce. I dont.
you definitely have my vote!!!$$$

Anonymous said...

You guys rock! I hope you get a lot
of votes for the Utah Juniper. you,ve got my vote.Washington Utah 4 grade

Anonymous said...

I say we should change the name to Utah Juniper.Because we live in Utah we don't want to have a tree thats Colorado Spruce for a Utah tree.We us fourth grader's will want to change the name.I agree that we should.The forth grader's are right.We should change the name and try to.I hope you guys do change the name.Good luck to the choice! bye.Fourth Grade Washington Utah

Anonymous said...

I'm soooo Glad you are changing the
state tree. i like the way you are
changing the Colorado blue spruce
thank you soo much 4th graders
Washington Utah

Anonymous said...

I agree with you guys because I do want a Colorado Blue Spruce.it's Utah ,not Colorado is it? No! It is Utah. Utah is my home state. I don't want a tree that is not my states name. I would like it if my home state tree is named after my home state. The tree is supposed to be the name of my home state. by the way, I think you guys should go after the State Bird after. I love the idea of changing the tree. You know that you are standing up for our state. My state is important to me and hopefully you and everybody else. You have my vote.
4th grade Washington Utah

Anonymous said...

hi, I think we should change our state tree because, the Colorado Blue Spruce it doesn't represent Utah like the Utah Juniper. That sounds like a really good name . U ROCK. Keep up the good work!!!washington Utah!!!

Anonymous said...

The great state of Utah should change
the state tree because we don't live
in Colorado.Utah's tree should be the
Utah Juniper. Fourth grade Washington YUtah

Anonymous said...

thats a great idea,I definitely think we should change the state tree.because we don't want a tree from Colorado.because we live in Utah not Colorado!!!! you've got my vote. Washington, Utah 4th grade

Anonymous said...

I don't think that the state tree is
right. you have my vote.


Washington Elementary 4th grade Washington Utah

Anonymous said...

The Utah Juniper Rocks! You Will allways have my vote!