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2025 Utah Rural Schools Conference

Welcome to URSA 2025 at Park City High School!

1:30pm MDT

How to Ukulele Your Way to Classroom Success

Wednesday July 9, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm MDT

Ukulele has become a popular instrument of choice for music educators of all grade levels. It is affordable, simple to learn, and kids love it because they can play their favorite popular songs. This workshop is designed to help administrators and music educators build thriving ukulele programs or ukulele units in their classrooms. It will introduce strategies through hands-on learning on how to get kids playing songs the very first day. Ukulele instruction is best when playing popular music and when singing is encouraged, so we will be singing and playing popular songs.

Participants MUST HAVE one of the following platforms/devices in order to participate in this session: Not Applicable

Participants MAY FIND IT USEFUL to have one or more of the following platforms/devices during this session: Bring their Ukuleles if they have one

Speakers

Chris Woods

Music Teacher, Rich High School

Chris has been a music educator, songwriter, composer, and performer for over 20 years. He began his teaching career at a small after-school academy in Park City in which he taught guitar lessons to students ages 10-50. When he became a full-time teacher, he was able to expand the... Read More →

Wednesday July 9, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm MDT
Room #237 1750 Kearns Blvd, Park City, UT 84060

1 hour BYOD (Bring Your Own Device): Hands-On-Activities, Advanced - considerable experience; significant prerequisite skills required.

Learning Strand or Track Instructional Coaching
Subject Area Performing Arts / Visual Arts, Music
Audience Teachers, All of the above
Grade Level 3 - 4, 5 - 6, Elementary - grades K - 6, Middle School / Jr. High - grades 6 - 8, High School - grades 9 - 12

11:10am MDT

Learning How to be Diagnostic. Evidence-Based Interventions Made Easy and How to Intensify Them for Each Tier.

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:10am - 2:40pm MDT

Room #145

This collaborative learning opportunity will present the research-based information obtained from Matt Burns's book Effective School Interventions and combine it with research by Stevenson and Reed 2017 (Instruction for intensify interventions), The National Center for Intensify Instruction, The Taxonomy of Intensify Instruction by Fuch et al. 2017 and the High-Level Practices (CDC). So when a teacher returns to their classroom, they will be able to pinpoint what intervention each student needs (through diagnosis) and then adjust its intensity. Attendees, please be prepared to share information about successes and failures with the intervention, in confidence.

Participants MUST HAVE one of the following platforms/devices in order to participate in this session: iPad / iPhone

Participants MAY FIND IT USEFUL to have one or more of the following platforms/devices during this session: Mac Laptop, Windows Laptop, iPad / iPhone

Speakers

Sheryl Vernon

School Psychologist, CUES - Central Utah Educational Services

Sheryl Vernon is a School Psychologist Ed.S. at CUES, where she covers diagnostic testing and Trust Based Relationship Intervention for the region. She received her degree from Brigham Young University.
Before working at CUES, Sheryl ran the Crayon Academy Preschool from her home for 16 years. Before that, she was a Special Education Teacher in the Nebo district for five years. She earned an associate's degree from Utah Valley University and a dual Bachelor of Science in special... Read More →

How to be Diagnostic URSA 2025 pdf

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:10am - 2:40pm MDT
Room #145 1750 Kearns Blvd, Park City, UT 84060

2 hour BYOD (Bring Your Own Device): Hands-On-Activities, Intermediate - basic core competency; some prerequisite skills required.

Learning Strand or Track Instructional Coaching, Professional Learning Communities (PLCs & PLNs), Assessment & Data Management, Other
Subject Area Language Arts, Performing Arts / Visual Arts, Music, Computer Science, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, World Languages, Special Education
Audience Teachers, District / School Administrators, Instructional Coaches
Grade Level All Grade Levels

1:40pm MDT

Rock Band - The Secret to Building Meaningful Music Programs in Rural Schools

Thursday July 10, 2025 1:40pm - 4:10pm MDT

Gym: LUNCH Hall

Table #4: Great music changes lives, but making and playing great music in a rock band can change the world. To quote Jack Black from The School of Rock, "One Great Rock Show Can Change the World!" Are you interested in building a meaningful, life-changing and school-culture changing music program at your school, or do you already have a music program that needs a little more spice and pizzazz? Then this is the presentation for you. Rock Band represents all genres of popular music heard on the radio - rock, country, pop, punk, hip hop, etc. Most importantly, it represents the popular music that connects our students to the world in which they live. In this presentation/workshop, I will share experiences from my own life and 20 plus years of teaching that reinforce the idea of Rock Band and popular music as essential elements of modern music programs. I will teach you how to build Rock Band programs in your school on a limited budget. Lastly, I will demonstrate with volunteers from the audience how to create a performing rock ensemble on day 1 using ukuleles. And if I am able, I will include live performances from the Rich High School Rock Band.

Participants MUST HAVE one of the following platforms/devices in order to participate in this session: Not Applicable

Participants MAY FIND IT USEFUL to have one or more of the following platforms/devices during this session: Not Applicable

Speakers

Chris Woods

Music Teacher, Rich High School

Thursday July 10, 2025 1:40pm - 4:10pm MDT
Gym: LUNCH Hall

2 hour Playground - hands-on and discussion, Advanced - considerable experience; significant prerequisite skills required.

Learning Strand or Track Leadership, Instructional Coaching, School-based Mental & Behavioral Health
Subject Area Performing Arts / Visual Arts, Music
Audience Teachers, Counselors or School-based Mental/Behavioral Health Professionals, District / School Administrators
Grade Level Middle School / Jr. High - grades 6 - 8, High School - grades 9 - 12

9:45am MDT

Elevating Your Literacy Instruction with the Arts

Friday July 11, 2025 9:45am - 12:00pm MDT

Room #132

How can you get more engagement in your reading lessons? Arts Integration! A visual art specialist and a music specialist will model some fun, engaging ways to enhance any literacy lessons with the arts. They will share tips, tricks, and strategies that any teacher can use to be successful in breathing more excitement into their classroom!

Participants MUST HAVE one of the following platforms/devices in order to participate in this session: Not Applicable

Participants MAY FIND IT USEFUL to have one or more of the following platforms/devices during this session: Not Applicable

Speakers

Liz Brown

BTS Arts Integration Coach

Liz Brown is a BTS Art Integration educator. She was the 2025 Utah Art Educator of the Year for the National Art Education Association and the 2024 Art Educator of the Year for the Utah Art Education Association. She is passionate about arts integration and children getting the opportunity... Read More →

Amy Hickenlooper

BTS Music Specialist, Early Light Academy

Friday July 11, 2025 9:45am - 12:00pm MDT
Room #132 1750 Kearns Blvd, Park City, UT 84060

2 hour In-Depth exploration workshop, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required.

Learning Strand or Track Utah Core Curriculum
Subject Area Language Arts, Performing Arts / Visual Arts, Music
Audience Teachers, Library Media Specialists, Instructional Coaches, Curriculum Specialists
Grade Level PK - 2, 3 - 4, 5 - 6, Elementary - grades K - 6

11:00am MDT

Integrated Singing Games for the Elementary Classroom

Friday July 11, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT

Room #147

Unlock the power of music to enhance learning across subjects with singing games that captivate, engage, and educate! In this lively, hands-on session, you'll discover how singing games can be seamlessly integrated into the elementary general education classroom to support language arts, math, social studies, and more. We’ll explore games that promote collaboration, reinforce academic concepts, and build classroom community—all while nurturing students' musical growth. Be ready to move, sing, and play as you leave with practical ideas to energize your lessons and inspire your students!

Participants MUST HAVE one of the following platforms/devices in order to participate in this session: Mac Laptop

Participants MAY FIND IT USEFUL to have one or more of the following platforms/devices during this session: Not Applicable

Speakers

Katie Hejazi-Far

Independent Contractor, Independent Contractor

Katie Ross Hejazi-Far graduated from West Virginia University’s School of Music with a Bachelor of Music Education and received her Master of Music Education from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Katie taught general music in Virginia before moving to Utah where she... Read More →

URSA Singing Games for the Elementary Classroom (Hejazi Far 2025) pdf

URSA Singing Games Presentation pdf

Sound Scape Lessons Resources Page pdf

Friday July 11, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Room #147 1762 Kearns Blvd, Park City, UT 84060

1 hour BYOD (Bring Your Own Device): Hands-On-Activities, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required.