We love highlighting our amazing teachers at ICS! Read this spotlight to learn more about Mrs. Harmon, middle school math faculty!
Harmon Highlight!
September 2022 Employee Spotlight
September 2022 Students of the Month
August 2022 Student of the Month
April 2022 Students of the Month
Congratulations to Weston Williams (Pre-K), the April ICS Lower School Student of the Month!
Weston has such a big heart! Kind, hardworking and thoughtful are just a few ways to describe what an outstanding student he is. Weston actively participates in class discussions and has worked hard to accomplish our Pre-K goals. He is a good friend to many and frequently offers a helping hand to his classmates. Weston is very active and loves running, BMX biking and skiing! We are proud to honor Weston as our student of the month!
Congratulations to Rebecca Curtis, the April ICS Upper School Student of the Month!
Rebecca selflessly gives of her time as the stage manager for ICS Theater Department productions. She also kindly helps her peers in class and is a wonderful example of having a servant’s heart. Rebecca's teachers admire her humility and maturity! She truly reflects the heart of Jesus in all that she does!
A Jazzy Friday Night
By Jennifer Adema, ICS admissions director
Miss Potter has been on staff at ICS for 27 years. She has carried a love for the Utah Jazz for 35 years. Earlier this year, her calling and her passion collided on a special night. Miss Potter put in a request for tickets to a Utah Jazz game through the player donation program sponsored by team members of the Jazz.
Miss Potter’s request was honored! She received 30 complimentary tickets to the Jazz vs Clippers game on March 18, 2022. This meant the entire class could be included, as well as a few lucky chaperones! The night proved to be a fantastic time of building community and celebrating one of Utah’s beloved professional sports teams.
Some of the Jazz key players were unable to compete against the Clippers due to injuries. However, this proved not to be a problem as the Jazz dominated the entire game. The final score was 121-92.
For the majority of the students and chaperones, this was their first professional basketball game. What a fantastic night of staying out past bedtimes, riding the school bus downtown, feasting on arena snacks and cheering with friends.
For Miss Potter, this night wrapped up her birthday week! She was thrilled to share one of her favorite pastimes with her entire class. As important as learning is in the 3rd grade classroom, it’s also important to learn under the influence of a lifelong Jazz fan how to fully support the team! What a fun and special evening this was for our 3rd graders and their teacher. We celebrate our student’s “wins” in and out of the classroom. This Utah Jazz win on the court will not soon be forgotten!
Meet Our New Head of School Gabe Pethtel
The ICS community is excited to welcome its new Head of School Gabe Pethtel! Gabe began his career as a middle school English teacher and wrestling coach, and since then, his resumé in the world of education as well as his passion for Christian education has only grown. Read a Q&A below to get to know Gabe and see why we are greatly looking forward to him joining our ICS community this May!
Q: Why are you passionate about Christian Education?
A: I am passionate about Christian Education because I firmly believe in the words of Psalm 24 that, “The Earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world, and all who dwell therein”. Trusting God through the grace of Jesus Christ as the foundation of all truth has opened my eyes to the amazing ways that our Christian faith integrates into all areas of learning and life. My wife, Dana, and I have been blessed to have two children attend Christian schools from pre-kindergarten through high school graduation with one graduating from the US Air Force Academy and one attending Baylor University on a full scholarship. We now have two younger children attending Christian school at the elementary and high school levels. Christian Education, the living witness of the teachers, the family atmosphere, the academic rigor combined with individual attention, the outstanding extracurricular opportunities, and the legacy of true faith in Jesus Christ and God’s Word have all been the greatest investment we could make as parents. My goal as Head of School is to partner with parents, students, teachers, and staff who feel called to lCS, so that they may receive the robust blessing of investing in the mission and vision of Christian Education.
Q: What're you looking forward to most in your new role as ICS Head of School?
A: I am most looking forward to getting to know the staff, teachers, parents, and students of ICS. My greatest desire is to listen to what they love about our school, and also what they would like to see grow and develop.
Q: What motivates you?
A: I am motivated by a great mission and a compelling vision that displays the love, power, and mercy of Jesus Christ to people who are seeking Him. I also love seeing people achieve their dreams through prayer, hard work, and perseverance.
Q: Tell us about your family!
A: My wife, Dana and I met our sophomore year in college. We both were college level athletes who decided to begin learning more about Jesus and met with Campus Crusade for Christ. We both dedicated our lives to Jesus and education at the age of 20 and realized that God was guiding us to such a similar mission and vision that we were better together. We have now been married and pursuing our passion as Christian educators for 27 years. God has blessed us with four wonderful children, Logan (pilot in the US Air Force), Caleb, (Junior at Baylor University), Emma (rising ICS Junior), and Hudson (rising ICS second grader). Our family loves music, dance, skiing (water and snow), and outdoor activities, including cooking outdoors. We look forward to living among the beautiful landscape of Utah, and meeting new friends.
Q: What is something most people don't know about you?
A: Most people don’t know that my brother and I started a band in college with two other friends that got to be a pretty big regional act around our college town and the greater Indianapolis area. We began by playing coffee house gigs for free on weekday nights, then practiced a ton, recorded a bit, and started playing larger and larger venues until a branch of MCA records asked us to tour with some up and coming groups. We eventually all decided to take jobs in the “real world” though, and now I just play guitar and sing for family and friends.
Q: Anything else you'd like to add?
A: I want people to know that I believe in three simple rules. Be Godly, be gracious, and be gritty!
March 2022 Students of the Month
Congratulations to Harper Parrish (K), the March ICS Lower School Student of the Month!
Harper Parrish is new to ICS this year. She is a very joyful girl, who loves God and worships in chapel with all of her heart. She made friends quickly because she is so fun to be with. She is always kind to her friends and plays well with lots of different friends. Harper is a very hard worker. She focuses on her work and doesn’t give up if things get difficult. She is amazingly flexible, ask her to do a split for you! Her smile is contagious and she brightens the room when she comes in. If you haven’t met her yet please make it a point to, you will be so happy that you did.
Congratulations to Claire Carpenter (6th), the March ICS Upper School Student of the Month!
Congratulations to Claire Carpenter, the March ICS Upper School Student of the Month! She is a 6th grader who loves singing, acting, and dancing! She also enjoys boogie boarding and skiing. She was born in California and moved to Utah in the summer of 2021. She has three siblings, all of which attend ICS as well. Claire is an exceptional and enthusiastic student who demonstrates a positive attitude in and out of the classroom. Her smile and love for learning are infectious. We are so grateful to have her as a new student in our middle school community this school year!
February 2022 Students of the Month
Congratulations to Petra Mauer (Pre-K), the February ICS Lower School Student of the Month!
Petra has such a kind and helpful spirit. When she sees her classmates or her teacher in need, she is always the first to offer a hand. She exemplifies one of her first memory verses beautifully, "A friend loves at all times" (Proverbs 17:17). She is a very bright and eager student; always happy to participate in class discussions. Mrs. Saullo is so excited to see how God will continue to mold and grow Petra in the months and years to come.
Congratulations to Joey Menning (12th), the February ICS Upper School Student of the Month!
Joey worked as the production manager of Mr. ICS, coordinating and communicating with STUCO, contestants, and hosts. He spent much of his free time working to make the pageant a fantastic show for the whole community. Joey opts out of his study hall to work with and tutor an elementary student twice a week as well. Joey is a fantastic leader with a servant’s heart!
January 2022 Students of the Month
Congratulations to Jackson Hobbs (2nd), the January ICS Lower School Student of the Month!
Jackson Hobbs is a new student at ICS this year! He comes to school each day with a smile and an eagerness to learn! When he’s facing something new and challenging, he works hard and keeps a good attitude. He’s even asked to take his assignments home so that he can keep working on them. He treats his classmates with kindness and loves to lend a helping hand to others. “Thank you,” are words he often uses in the classroom to show his appreciation to his teacher. ICS is a better place because of Jackson’s enthusiasm for learning and his kindness toward others.
Congratulations to Olivia Frazee (8th), the January ICS Upper School Student of the Month!
Olivia steps up to lead in all areas of middle school. She excitedly serves as a student ambassador to welcome new or interested students to the class. She takes initiative by asking and answering questions in class and handles herself with a grown up level of maturity. Olivia's knowledge and understanding of God’s word is evident in the classroom and in the hallways. She shows leadership through her involvement in sports, dance and theater. Olivia's God-given talents run deep through singing and dancing! Congrats, Olivia!
Meet Mrs. Provost!
Meet Mrs. Saullo!
What's your new ICS title and position? Part-time Pre-K Teacher
Where are you from? If you're not originally from UT, how did you end up here? For the last 20 years my husband has been in the navy. As a result, I have followed him around the country, moving 13 times! I would still consider TN home though, even though I haven't lived there in over 20 years. It is where I went to middle school, high school and college. It's also where my family still lives!
Where do you go to Church? We only moved to UT two months ago, but we have attended Salt Lake Evangelical Free Church several times and so far it feels like where we are meant to be.
Tell us about your family! My husband is in a residency program at the University of Utah for occupational medicine. He is one of the most hard working and dedicated men I've ever known. We have three loving and adventurous boys. Our oldest, Nate, is almost 10. He is a voracious reader and has an overall love of learning. Our middle son, Dean, is seven. He is an excellent playmate with his older brother as well as his younger brother. I love watching him transition from one to the other! He excels in building, design, and overall creativity. Our youngest, Gabe, is five. Gabe loves nothing more than spending time with his brothers. Concrete facts are his strength! His knowledge of our world, especially geography, is mind blowing!
What is something most people don't know about you? OR What are you most passionate about? I love to design cut flowers. It is a skill I picked up almost 15 years ago and something that brings me such joy.
What are you looking forward to most in your new role at ICS? I look forward to the chance to get back into the classroom after taking some time off to be home with my boys. The opportunity to work where they will be attending school is an experience I have always dreamed of. Teaching at such a Christ-centered school is such a blessing to me. I'm excited to instill in my class God's love for them!
What else would you like the ICS community to know about you? This opportunity to teach again at ICS was 100% God's will for my life! I've never had so many doors fly wide open for any other experience, job, or decision that I've been faced with. God is good!
Welcome to ICS, Mrs. Saullo! We are excited for you to be a part of the lion community!
JA CITY
“Practically speaking, seeds are being planted in terms of financial Literacy (i.e. balancing a checkbook), awareness of the economy and community interdependency, work readiness skills and basics of business management. I’m more than a little bit jealous that I didn’t get to have this experience as a 5th grader!”
1st grade science: He is still in charge
“Teaching Science class through Distance Learning is definitely a challenge, especially when we are studying plant growth!”
Elementary School Highlight: JA City
“ICS students fulfilled all the roles to operate a Chick-Fil-A, First Security Bank, Merit Medical, and KSL News station, and declared the experience “the best school day ever!’”
I AM CONFIDENT: SPEECH AND DEBATE
“He kept writing, practicing, and competing. By the end of his sophomore year, that stutter had disappeared and, in his senior year, he was a respected and confident contributor in classes. This young man morphed from a quiet and shy freshman with a stuttering problem to a confident young man currently attending college.”
SPEECH AND DEBATE TEAM REGION CHAMPS FOR 3RD YEAR IN A ROW!
The success of the Speech and Debate program is not necessarily about the high intelligence of the students (although that doesn’t hurt), but it is the way each student is valued as an individual.
ELEMENTARY ENRICHMENT: FOR THE LOVE OF LEGO
ICS did so much for me socially, academically and spiritually, but it also developed in me a love for math and science.
TRUSTING THROUGH TRAGEDY
“This past week our family experienced an emotional and unexpected journey. Our oldest son, who is an ICS Alum (c/o 2016), is a Cadet at West Point Military Academy in New York. He was home for our youngest son’s 2019 graduation from ICS and headed back to WP for field training.”
TOP 4 WAYS TO BEAT THE SUMMER SLUMP
“As a busy parent, who hopes to create a reading culture for your family, you might need to multi-task while read-aloud is happening. Instead of being the voice reading the story, allow an audible device (car, Audible App or CD player) to play that part. While prepping for dinner, folding laundry or driving to dance class, you, along with your children, will have the opportunity to hear exceptional vocabulary and the templates of beautiful language patterns.”