Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Whittier Elementary marks 140th anniversary; city names nearby street Whittier Way after student-led request
Summary
Whittier Elementary held a community celebration for its 140th anniversary after fifth graders researched the school, advocated to West Valley City Council and helped secure a resolution to install a commemorative sign naming the road "Whittier Way."
Whittier Elementary celebrated its 140th anniversary with a community event outside the school in West Valley City and a commemorative sign after the city council approved a resolution to name the street Whittier Way.
The celebration drew the school principal, elected officials and “hundreds” of community members to eat corn dogs, tacos and churros, and to recognize student civic work that led to the street naming. Missus Bodell, principal at Whittier Elementary, said fifth-grade students studied the school’s history and city government, then addressed the city council to request a commemorative road sign.
“The fifth graders learned all about Whittier and then all about city government. And they went and spoke at city council persuading the city council and the mayor to do a commemorative road,” Bodell said. She told the host the council asked the students to return and subsequently “passed a resolution for a commemorative road sign and naming … Whittier Way.”
Bodell said one of the fifth graders told her, “the huge deal to me because I'm gonna be a mom and I'm gonna drive my kids down Whittier Way and say I did that.” Bodell said the students were “the happiest part of the night.”
Event footage and the on-site interview indicate participation from the mayor, several city council members and school board members; no formal vote tally or resolution number was provided in the remarks.
The event combined a community celebration of the school’s long history with an example of local civic engagement: students researched an issue, presented to elected officials and saw a public outcome — a commemorative sign and a named roadway — enacted by the city council. The speakers did not specify the date of the council action, the exact text of the resolution, or the formal vote record.
Organizers and educators framed the activity as part of hands-on civics education; Bodell said it created a lasting experience for students who participated in the project.
