Don’t forget to nominate an Ogden teacher for the 2026 Telitha Lindquist Greiner Excellence in Teaching Award! 🍎
Submit your nomination here ➡️ www.ogdenschoolfoundation.org/nominate
We still have a few incredible 2025 recipients left to highlight, including today’s teacher spotlight: Tina Olter from Heritage Elementary! Here are a few words from Ms. Olter’s nominations:
-Tina is amazing with the little scholars in our school. She not only brings high achievement in their academics but also is great at teaching social skills. She makes connections not only with the students but also their families. Glad we have her!
-She is a dedicated member of SLT, actively participates in everything, and helps everyone in need. Her students cling to her, feeling safe and loved—even years after being in her class. She builds strong, lasting bonds with all of them.
-I love the relationship she has with her kids! They love her and I can tell that she shows them this love every day!
-Tina is the happiest teacher at the school. She is always in a great mood and that is reflected in her students. She shows them so much love and they love to learn because of her.
-Tina Olter not only is an amazing teacher to her tiny humans but also to students that need help from other grades. Tina helps her students and other students in the building to grow academically by offering them help in areas that they are lacking.
-She helped my daughter (who has a learning disorder) graduate and go to first grade after having to repeat kindergarten. She was super patient and understanding with her and NEVER gave up on her. I wish she could teach her forever!
With Ogden hosting the World Curling Championship later this month, the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation and the Ogden Curling Club brought the ice to our 5th and 6th grade students, giving them a fun introduction to the sport before letting them jump in and play a few short games of their own. The experience was a sweeping success! 🧹🥌 Who knew we had so many future curlers in our classrooms?
Thanks to our community partners for helping students slide into something new and for bringing some world-class excitement right into our schools!
Amazing things are happening in our classrooms because of this program—like this recently funded grant at Liberty Elementary! ✨
MOTION, MAGNETS, AND MOLECULES (OH, MY!) 🧲 Providing her sixth-grade students with interactive, hands-on science experiences is a priority for Ms. Lunt. Thanks to funding from the Classroom Grants Program, her students are now thinking, designing, and discovering like real scientists! With the addition of reusable learning tools such as LEGO Gear Bots, Dowling Science Magnets, and Molymod Molecular Model Sets, students are able to explore energy, motion, forces, and molecular structures in creative and collaborative ways that spark curiosity, discussion, and deeper learning. These materials will remain a permanent part of the sixth-grade science classroom, ensuring students will benefit from engaging STEM experiences for years to come.
“Thank you so much for your donations for the supplies for my classroom. It may not seem like a big deal, but it truly is,” said Ms. Lunt. “My students are very much engaged with the activities because they are hands-on, and they often do not want to stop working because they want to try something else. This is so exciting as a teacher because I know they are learning new things at a deeper level. If you ever wonder, did my donations make a difference, the answer is YES!”
Submit nominations here ➡️ www.ogdenschoolfoundation.org/nominate
And speaking of excellence, we’re excited to highlight another 2025 award winner: Nicole Doolan from Lincoln Elementary! A few of her nominations include:
-Nikki is an incredible coworker who consistently leaves a positive impact on both her students and colleagues. Her students absolutely adore her, often sharing the memorable and inspiring experiences they’ve had in her class.
-She gives students positive compliments about their performance and I have seen this reinforcement affect their self-esteem greatly. They have a sense of pride in their reading abilities and are excited to pursue more reading.
-Nikki Doolan creates a supportive space where students thrive. With enthusiasm and innovation, she makes learning engaging, integrates best practices, and goes beyond expectations to ensure success in and out of the classroom.
-Nikki is a kind and generous teacher. She welcomes her students to class everyday and they feel her love. She is always asking questions about how to improve her teaching. Nikki is data driven in her teaching.
-She is such a hard worker and keeps her positive attitude towards kids and teachers.
-She has fostered not only personal growth, but resilience, strong academic skills, and confidence in her students.
Share some love for the incredible educators in Ogden! Drop a comment with your congratulations or share this post to show your support for our amazing teachers!
Today's teacher highlight: Chris Davidson from Ogden High School, winner of the Telitha Lindquist Greiner Excellence in Teaching Award for the 24-25 school year! A few of Mr. Davidson's nomination include:
-Chris is one of the best teachers I know. I can walk into his class at any time and see kids actively working on something. He knows what each kid is working on and what step they are on because he is constantly walking around and supporting them.
-Chris inspires so many students to look at careers in architecture and design. He is always striving to be better and expose students to more. We are grateful he chooses to be a Tiger.
-Chris is passionate about his subject and helping students succeed. His classes use a project based approach. He teaches all his courses to standards required of the WSU courses, and a majority of his students receive CE credit.
-Chris is deeply passionate about the content he teaches and strives to instill that same enthusiasm in his students. He recognizes that learning should be more than just memorization—it should be an experience that sparks curiosity and excitement.
-Chris is an incredibly dedicated teacher who prioritizes his students. He’s built an amazing program, fosters positive relationships, organizes internships, and gives back to his students without seeking recognition.
"When my students first walked into our newly refreshed classroom, they could hardly contain their excitement," shared Ms. McLaughlin. "The soft cushions and cozy bean bag chairs immediately set a welcoming tone, and students quickly found their favorite reading spots. The Fujifilm Instax camera has become a highlight of our days — we capture moments of teamwork, perseverance, and friendship, then proudly display the photos on our classroom wall. Each new photo reminds us that we're building something special together: a community that values kindness, effort, and belonging. These new materials have helped transform our daily routines into opportunities for connection and joy. Thanks to your generosity, our classroom now feels like a true home for learning. Your support made this transformation possible, and we're so grateful for the joy and pride you've helped bring to our classroom."
Learn more and get your tickets: ogdenschoolfoundation.org/fallauthor
-Amanda consistently embodies what it is like to be an outstanding teacher and colleague every day. She brings a positive attitude and puts her best foot forward when it comes to helping her students succeed academically and emotionally.
-She recently got a new-comer who speaks a language that is not common. She goes above and beyond for this student to make them feel safe and welcomed.
-She is an enthusiastic, well-prepared teacher who goes above and beyond with her students both in lessons and behavior management. She has high expectations for her students, but they achieve these expectations due to her own example and love.
-Ms. Mutz goes above and beyond making sure that her students are well inside and outside the classroom. Ms. Mutz constantly checks on her students' families.
-Amanda goes above and beyond in making her classroom a place of learning. All of her students know that she cares about them and wants them to be successful.
-Ms. Mutz always went out of her way to help my daughter in everything she needed. Her ability to teach to and comprehend each student's individual learning style while being patient with them is amazing.
-Pops is our foundation for Malan’s Peak (Weber Valley). He is our organizer. In the classroom, he is getting our students to apply math daily. He teaches them through different activities and gets them to think about it rather than guess.
-Outstanding teacher! He can work with all types of students and is a team player. Always willing to help where needed.
-Dedication, expertise and teamwork. Dave not only teaches with great ability but with a great deal of humanity. He cares about his students and that comes across in all he does. He goes above and beyond to keep things running smoothly.
-He is a hard worker, and is dedicated to his job. He keeps things organized and is a good example to his peers and his students.
-He goes above and beyond his role as a teacher and is the first to extend a helping hand without asking. He loves teaching the kids and they enjoy learning math from him. He makes learning fun.
"Thank you for your support of my classroom," said Ms. Harris. "These labs really helped students see the impact. When we added fertilizers to our terrariums we saw a decline in the health of the ecosystem. Watching this occur in real life was far more effective at helping students understand the negative impacts of human impact than just reading about it. Thank you for your generous donation that provided this valuable experience for my students."
Another great teacher highlight today! Congratulations to Sara Jakoubek from New Bridge Elementary, winner of the Telitha Lindquist Greiner Excellence in Teaching Award for the 24-25 school year! A few of her nominations include:
-Sara is always willing to try new approaches in order to ensure the best instruction for students. She uses her data constantly to make decisions in planning and instruction. She is magical with students in the classroom and with their families.
-Not only is she a supportive coworker, but each student and their growth is also present in her mind. She finds unique ways to push each child to their best and meet them where they are to bring them to success. She creates a strong positive classroom.
-Sara is a motivated and supportive educator who goes beyond academics to help students grow socially and emotionally. With dedication and care, she creates a positive learning environment where every student feels valued and empowered to succeed!
-Everything Sara does begins with the relationships she forms with her students. From the relationships, she is able to motivate them, build their self-efficacy, and help them make consistent progress academically, emotionally, and behaviorally.
At a Día de los Muertos themed art show held during Parent-Teacher Conferences, students proudly shared their radiant creations with family, friends, and classmates. As predicted, the event earned glowing reviews from everyone in attendance. Pure magic! We’re thrilled to have helped bring this brilliant and bright idea to life!
