Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MARCH 17, 2025

MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELOR SHARES TIPS FOR HELPING KIDS TAKE A SCREEN BREAK THIS SPRING BREAK

SALT LAKE CITY—Spring break season is quickly approaching, and whether families are traveling or staying close to home, parents are inundated with tips: what to pack, must-see attractions, how to have the best staycation ever. But what about how to manage kids’ screen time during a week away from school?

Megan Shaw, social-emotional support counselor at Rowland Hall’s Middle School, believes one of the best ways to help students recharge during school breaks is by limiting screen time—and for good reason. Breaks from screen, especially for adolescents:

• allow for better sleep quality;
• improve mental health and ease stress and anxiety; and
• make time for family connections.

But how can parents successfully manage a screen break? Megan recently wrote a blog post, titled “Why It's Important to Schedule Screen Breaks During School Breaks,” that’s filled with helpful tips for families, including:

• the importance of managing notifications and setting time limits;
• planning alternative activities that allow you to connect as a family;
• partnering with other parents who are also committed to screen-free time; and
• starting family conversations about why screen breaks are important.

Megan is available to share more details on the above tips, beginning March 19. Please reach out to Stephanie Orfanakis or Ashley Atwood for scheduling support.

About Rowland Hall
Founded in 1867, Rowland Hall is Utah's oldest independent coeducational college-preparatory day school, serving students in 3PreK through 12th grade. Driven by our vision of developing people the world needs, we believe in a transformational education that gives students agency and purpose, connects them to their global community and empowers them to make the world a better place for all.

Contact
Stephanie Orfanakis, Director of Marketing and Communications
stephanieorfanakis@rowlandhall.org
801-924-2960

Ashley Atwood, Marketing Content Associate
ashleyatwood@rowlandhall.org
801-924-5964

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FEBRUARY 10, 2025

FORMER SALT LAKE CITY RESIDENT BREEZY JOHNSON CLAIMS HISTORIC DOWNHILL VICTORY AT THE 2025 FIS ALPINE WORLD SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS

SALT LAKE CITY—US alpine skier Breezy Johnson stunned the ski world on Saturday with a commanding win in the downhill event at the 2025 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Saalbach, Austria. Johnson, who attended Rowland Hall and Rowmark Ski Academy in Salt Lake City, Utah, from 2009 to 2013, delivered a fearless performance on the challenging course to capture her first career World Championship title.

Johnson blazed down the run in a time of 1:41.29, winning by a mere 0.15 seconds. Johnson’s high-speed precision earned her the gold medal in one of skiing’s most prestigious events.

“This victory means everything to me,” Johnson said in a post-race interview with Eurosport. “I’ve been working toward this moment my entire life, and to achieve it on this stage, with my family and teammates here, is a dream come true.”

Johnson’s journey to the top has been marked by perseverance and passion for the sport. Born and raised in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, she spent her formative racing years in Salt Lake City at Rowland Hall and the Rowmark Ski Academy (2009–2013), honing her skills on Utah’s mountain slopes. As a junior athlete, Johnson quickly stood out for her tenacity and raw speed—qualities that propelled her to the US Ski Team and ultimately paved the way to today’s breakthrough.

“Breezy’s work ethic, fearlessness, and drive were evident from the moment she stepped onto the slopes here,” said Todd Brickson, a longtime coach at Rowmark Ski Academy. “From her days as a U16 racer, her dedication and perseverance have been unmatched, and we believe this is only the beginning of what she will accomplish on the world stage.”

Key Highlights

• Gold Medal Win: Johnson clocked 1:41.29 in the downhill, taking first place by a razor-thin margin of 0.15 seconds.
• Utah Roots: Attended Rowland Hall and Rowmark Ski Academy from 2009–2013, where she developed the speed-racing skills that now define her on the World Cup circuit.
• World-Class Field: Johnson bested an elite field of fellow Olympians and World Cup winners on one of the more demanding downhill tracks in the world.
• Next Steps: Following her gold medal performance, Johnson will be paired with Mikaela Shiffrin, one of the most decorated and successful alpine skiers of all time, in the women’s team combined event.

Johnson, with seven World Cup podiums to her name, secured her first top-step finish in this race. Johnson’s accomplishment places her among the sport’s elite and continues a proud legacy of American success in international alpine skiing. This 29-year-old has firmly established herself as one of the most formidable downhill racers in the world.

About Breezy Johnson
Breezy Johnson is an American alpine ski racer specializing in downhill and super-G speed disciplines. Raised in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, she refined her skills in Salt Lake City while attending Rowland Hall and Rowmark Ski Academy (2009–2013) before joining the US Ski Team. Johnson has represented the United States in multiple World Cup seasons and is now a World Champion, continuing to inspire young athletes with her dedication, perseverance, and passion for alpine ski racing.

About Rowland Hall and Rowmark Ski Academy
Rowland Hall is an independent school in Salt Lake City serving students in preschool through twelfth grade. Driven by a vision of inspiring students who make a difference, Rowland Hall sets the standard for teaching and learning excellence in a warm, inclusive environment where students form meaningful relationships that cultivate confidence and self-discovery.

In 1982, Rowmark Ski Academy was founded as a division of Rowland Hall. Just over three decades later, in 2014, Rowmark proudly became one of the first clubs designated for the US Ski and Snowboard Association’s highest Gold Certification level. Rowmark skiers are full-time ninth through twelfth graders at Rowland Hall. Here you find a rigorous, year-round racing program coupled with an extraordinary academic high school. There's nothing quite like it in North America.

For more information, please contact:

Stephanie Orfanakis, Director of Marketing and Communications, Rowland Hall and Rowmark Ski Academy
stephanieorfanakis@rowlandhall.org
801-924-2960

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JANUARY 28, 2025

UTAH TEACHER RECEIVES EMMY FOR OUTSTANDING NATURE DOCUMENTARY

SALT LAKE CITY—Rowland Hall media arts teacher Danny Schmidt enjoyed a bright moment on a recent January day when he opened a package delivered to his Salt Lake City home.

Inside gleamed Danny’s Emmy for the 2023–2024 Outstanding Nature Documentary Path of the Panther, for which he worked as cinematographer and consulting producer.

“It’s incredibly gratifying,” said Danny about the recognition, which was announced in fall 2024 and is the first national Emmy for the Utah-born director, producer, and cinematographer. Danny has also won Northwest Regional Emmys for his work on the PBS films Indian Relay and Finding Traction.

Path of the Panther, a Disney+/National Geographic film, documents the efforts of a wildlife photographer, veterinarians, ranchers, conservationists, and Indigenous people working to protect the endangered Florida panther by saving its shrinking habitat. The film was part of a larger impact strategy, including a series of National Geographic films, to protect Florida wildlife. It successfully brought more attention to conservation, including millions of dollars in state investments in the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

For Danny, who spent weeks in the Florida Everglades capturing wildlife footage for the documentary, the project was a natural fit for the work he likes to take on: passion projects for which he can capture the essence of a place or an experience, opening up people’s perspectives and making positive change. It’s the kind of work that’s led him to share his talents in the classroom, where he’s inspiring Utah middle and high schoolers to use film to share what they’re most passionate about.

About Rowland Hall
Founded in 1867, Rowland Hall is Utah's oldest independent coeducational college-preparatory day school, serving students in 3PreK through 12th grade. Driven by our vision of developing people the world needs, we believe in a transformational education that gives students agency and purpose, connects them to their global community and empowers them to make the world a better place for all.

Contact
Stephanie Orfanakis, Director of Marketing and Communications
stephanieorfanakis@rowlandhall.org
801-924-2960

Ashley Atwood, Marketing Content Associate
ashleyatwood@rowlandhall.org
801-924-5964

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DECEMBER 20, 2024

ROWMARK SKI ACADEMY DIRECTOR TODD BRICKSON TO RETIRE

SALT LAKE CITY—After 23 years of exceptional leadership, Rowmark Ski Academy Director Todd Brickson is retiring.

Todd joined Rowmark, an elite alpine ski racing academy founded as a division of Rowland Hall, in 2002. In his more than two decades at Rowmark’s helm, Todd has continued to raise the bar for the program, cementing its status as one of the country’s top ski-racing academies.

Founded in 1982, Rowmark offers a unique blend of academic and athletic excellence. Both areas were furthered by Todd’s coaching and mentoring style, which has inspired generations of students by developing them not only as athletes, but also as well-rounded people.

Many of Todd’s athletes have gone on to ski in college or professionally; this list includes 13 US Ski Team members since 2003. Today, four Rowmarkers are on the US Ski Team: Olympians Breezy Johnson and Katie Hensien, and sisters Mary Bocock and Elisabeth Bocock, who made their World Cup debuts together in October 2023.

Rowmark has also continued to have a strong Olympic presence since Todd became director. The program has had at least one representative at each Winter Olympics since 1988, and it was recently named one of 12 schools grooming future Olympians by SKI Magazine.

Todd’s mentorship hasn’t been limited to athletes. He’s well known for developing strong coaches (three of his staff members went on to join the US Ski Team coaching staff between 2021 and 2023) and for serving alongside other coaching professionals on US Ski & Snowboard committees.

"Todd has had a tremendous impact on ski racing in America, while also developing some of our nation's best athletes. His leadership will be missed,” said Anouk Patty, chief of sport for US Ski & Snowboard.

Under Todd’s leadership, Rowmark was one of the first clubs to be awarded US Ski & Snowboard’s Gold Certification in 2014, an honor for clubs considered to be the best in the world organizationally and athletically. He led Rowmark through two accreditation processes considered models for other academies. And, focusing on the future of the program, he also led Rowmark as one of one of three founding clubs behind the Spencer F. Eccles Olympic Mountain Center at Utah Olympic Park, an Olympic-level training and competition facility.

Troy Price, executive director of the Snowbasin Ski Team and a former Rowmark Junior Program director, summed up Todd’s career and influence when he said, “Todd Brickson is a mentor and friend to so many, embodying the ideal balance of professional excellence and competitive drive needed to inspire athletes to reach their full potential.”

Todd Brickson’s Career at a Glance
Todd Brickson has over three decades of alpine ski coaching experience at all levels, including World Cup and World Junior Championships, and is a certified International Level 500 Coach. He earned a bachelor of science in zoology from the University of New Hampshire, where he was a member of the school’s ski team (as well as team captain during his senior year). After graduation, Todd coached FIS-level athletes and taught biology and chemistry at Squaw Valley Academy (1987–1989) and Green Mountain Valley School (1989–1997). He then served as head coach of the US Ski Team's Women's Development Team (1997–2002) before becoming Rowmark Ski Academy director in 2002.

Rowmark Ski Academy Director Posting
Following Todd’s retirement announcement, Rowmark is accepting applications for the program director position.

About Rowland Hall and Rowmark Ski Academy
Founded in 1867, Rowland Hall is Utah's oldest independent coeducational college-preparatory day school, serving students in 3PreK through 12th grade. Driven by our vision of developing people the world needs, we believe in a transformational education that gives students agency and purpose, connects them to their global community and empowers them to make the world a better place for all.

Rowmark Ski Academy was founded as a division of Rowland Hall in 1982. Just over three decades later, in 2014, Rowmark proudly became one of the first clubs designated for US Ski and Snowboard’s highest Gold Certification level. Rowmark skiers are full-time ninth through twelfth graders at Rowland Hall. Here you find a rigorous, year-round racing program coupled with an extraordinary academic high school. There's nothing quite like it in North America.

Contact
Stephanie Orfanakis, Director of Marketing and Communications
stephanieorfanakis@rowlandhall.org
801-924-2960

Ashley Atwood, Marketing Content Associate
ashleyatwood@rowlandhall.org
801-924-5964

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 25, 2024

KENDRA TOMSIC, UTAH HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS ICON AND FIRST WOMAN PRESIDENT OF THE UTAH INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATORS ASSOCIATION, TO RETIRE

SALT LAKE CITY—After 46 years as an iconic Utah high school athletics leader, including 32 years as Rowland Hall’s director of athletics, Kendra Tomsic is retiring.

Rowland Hall will honor the beloved coach and athletic director this Tuesday, April 30, from 3:45 to 5:45 p.m. at its Lincoln Street Campus (843 Lincoln Street). The gathering will bring together students, alumni, colleagues and community members touched by Kendra’s years of service and her indelible mark on Utah high school athletics—particularly for young women.

“Kendra's commitment to excellence, sportsmanship and integrity in athletics and in life have benefitted a generation of students at Rowland Hall. But it is not just Rowland Hall that has benefited from Kendra's leadership,” said Alan Sparrow, former head of school, who worked closely with Kendra between 1992 and 2020. “Due to Kendra's own experiences as a female athlete early in life, she made a commitment to helping female athletes get the same opportunities and respect as males. She kept that commitment, and thanks to her advocacy, girls athletics in Utah schools have improved dramatically.”

During her career, Kendra was invaluable to organizations including the Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA) and the Utah Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (UIAAA). She helped ensure that conversations about girls sports happened equally alongside conversations about boys sports, and she advocated for female athletes in the state.

Early Athletics Career
Growing up in a pre-Title IX America, Kendra was unable to join a school sports team until she enrolled at the College of Eastern Utah (now Utah State University Eastern) in Price. There, Kendra was a standout athlete, joining the softball, volleyball, gymnastics and swimming teams. She was named all-conference in softball and volleyball, as well as the school’s Outstanding Female Athlete in 1974 and 1975. (She was inducted into the College of Eastern Utah’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996.)

After graduating valedictorian from Utah State University’s College of Education in 1977, Kendra taught physical education and was the head women’s volleyball, basketball and softball coach at the College of Eastern Utah. She then held those same positions at Grand County middle and high schools in Moab and, in 1987, was named athletic director at Grand County High School. In 1991, Kendra moved to Highland High School in Salt Lake City. In 1992, she was named director of athletics at Rowland Hall, a role she would hold until her 2024 retirement.

Over her years as a coach and director of athletics, Kendra believed deeply in impacting female athletes through modeling and mentorship, and encouraged young women to get involved in athletics. She dedicated herself to teaching not only athletic skills and strategies but also, in her words, “leadership, strength, confidence, courage, tenacity, resiliency and the importance of teamwork.” She mentored her coaching staff in this important work.

“I hope that bringing coaches into the fold who were passionate about equality for women in sports, and the great care I've always had to make sure that equality existed at Rowland Hall, has made an impression upon young women, and our male athletes as well, that women have a place in the world of sports and that athletic participation can make a difference in their lives forever,” said Kendra.

Professional Legacy and Accolades
In addition to her work in Utah schools, Kendra was active in the wider community, including in state athletics leadership positions. She long served in the UIAAA, including on the organization’s Awards Selection Committee, Scholarship Selection Committee and Basketball Hall of Fame Game Committee. In 2003, Kendra was named president-elect of the UIAAA and, in 2004, was elected UIAAA’s first-ever woman president. 

Over the years, both Utah and national communities have honored Kendra’s impact as a coach and, in UIAAA’s words, “a trailblazing athletic administrator.” Among these honors:

• In 1999, Kendra was named Pathfinder for Utah by the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport
• In 2003, Kendra was named Utah State Volleyball Coach of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)
• In 2005, Kendra was named Athletic Director of the Year for 2004–2005 by the UHSAA
• In 2006, Kendra received a State Award of Merit from the NIAAA
• In 2007, Kendra was named Southwest District Athletic Director of the Year by the National Council of Secondary School Athletic Directors and UIAAA Athletic Director of the Year, as well as received an NFHS Citation Award at the NIAAA/NFHS National Conference
• In 2012, Kendra received a national Distinguished Service Award by the NIAAA and a UIAAA Meritorious Service Award
• In 2019, Kendra received YWCA Utah’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Sports and Athletics
• In 2020, Kendra was chosen as one of 250 of Utah’s most influential women depicted in the “Utah Women 2020” mural, which appeared on the Dinwoody building in downtown Salt Lake City

Swing for Life Nonprofit
Long committed to and active in community service, Kendra is the co-founder of Swing for Life, a nonprofit that raises funds for breast cancer research. Since 2002, Swing for Life has raised more than $1,500,000 for breast cancer research at the Huntsman Cancer Foundation through sports fundraisers that bring together young female athletes from across the state.

Retirement Event
Media are invited to join us as we honor Utah high school athletics icon Kendra Tomsic at next week’s event. Interviews with Kendra are available and photos can be provided. Please contact Stephanie Orfanakis for support.

Date:  Tuesday, April 30, 2024 
Time:  3:45–5:45 p.m.
Location:  Rowland Hall Lincoln Street Campus front lawn, 843 Lincoln Street

About Rowland Hall
Rowland Hall is Utah's oldest independent coeducational college-preparatory day school, serving students in 3PreK through 12th grade. Driven by our vision of developing people the world needs, we believe in a transformational education that gives students agency and purpose, connects them to their global community and empowers them to make the world a better place for all.

Contact
Stephanie Orfanakis, Director of Marketing and Communication
stephanieorfanakis@rowlandhall.org
801-924-2960

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 16, 2024

UTAH’S OLDEST SCHOOL TO BREAK GROUND ON NEW, INNOVATIVE CAMPUS THIS WEEK

SALT LAKE CITY—Rowland Hall, Utah’s oldest primary and secondary school, is pleased to announce the groundbreaking of the Richard R. Steiner Campus this Friday, April 19, at 3:30 p.m. on the west field of the school’s Philip G. McCarthey Campus (720 Guardsman Way).

Scheduled to open for the 2026–2027 school year, the Steiner Campus will reunite all Rowland Hall students (grades 3PreK through 12) at one location for the first time in four decades. The project has been supported by generous philanthropy from Rowland Hall donors, and the school is now kicking off the community phase of its $45 million capital campaign.

Rowland Hall Buildings History
Founded in 1867 as St. Mark’s Grammar School, Rowland Hall first held classes in the basement of a bowling alley on Salt Lake City’s Main Street. The school later moved to a larger campus in Salt Lake’s historic Avenues neighborhood. In 1984, during a period of growth, Rowland Hall purchased the Lincoln Street Campus (formerly Roosevelt Junior High) at 843 Lincoln Street to house middle and high school students. The school also continued to serve preschool and elementary students at the Avenues Campus at this time.

In 2002, after more than a century in the Avenues, Rowland Hall sold its historic campus to the Madeleine Choir School and moved its lower grades to the newly built McCarthey Campus. Bringing the school’s upper grades to this campus has been a goal for more than a decade—the campus site was purchased in 2010 thanks to a generous donation from the Steiner family.

“The Rowland Hall community has long looked forward to the day when all our students would be reunited at one location,” said Head of School Mick Gee. “But reuniting our community has never just been about a new building. Our focus is on providing thoughtfully designed, modern learning spaces that aren’t available at our Lincoln Street Campus—spaces that better support how today’s students learn. This new campus is about providing an extraordinary learning environment that’s in line with our school’s extraordinary vision.”

Rowland Hall’s Steiner Campus: An Extraordinary Learning Environment
Rowland Hall’s extraordinary vision, unveiled in 2022, is Developing People the World Needs. One of the school’s strategic priorities in support of this vision is to provide students with a learning environment that promotes innovation and collaboration.

In line with this goal, the new Steiner Campus will include state-of-the-art facilities that support programmatic priorities—including applied mathematics, engineering, environmental and research science, technology and entrepreneurship—and flexible-use spaces.

The Steiner Campus will also house three centers that emphasize deep learning:

• The Center for Community Impact, designed to educate, empower and inspire students to become agents of positive change in their local communities and beyond (this center also supports Rowland Hall’s commitment to being an indispensable partner to educational institutions, nonprofits and businesses in the region)
• The Center for Science, Engineering and Research, which will feature collaborative science classrooms and student-led research areas
• The Center for Design and Creativity, featuring maker workshops and a robotics hub

Additionally, the Steiner Campus will provide space for an expanded student body, welcoming more students who are interested in joining an inclusive community that emphasizes innovative, authentic learning.

“For more than 155 years, Rowland Hall has been a leader in what’s possible in education,” said Rowland Hall Board Chair Sarah Lehman. “Our united campus will provide our incredible students with spaces that will enable them to take their learning even further, as well as expand programmatic opportunities, grow our student body and deepen community connections.”

Local media are invited to cover this groundbreaking event. Interviews with Head of School Mick Gee and Board Chair Sarah Lehman are available, and event photos and design plans can also be provided. Please contact Stephanie Orfanakis for support.

About Rowland Hall
Rowland Hall is Utah's oldest independent coeducational college-preparatory day school, serving students in 3PreK through 12th grade. Driven by our vision of developing people the world needs, we believe in a transformational education that gives students agency and purpose, connects them to their global community and empowers them to make the world a better place for all.

Contact
Stephanie Orfanakis, Director of Marketing and Communication
stephanieorfanakis@rowlandhall.org
801-924-2960

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 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NOVEMBER 13, 2023

FIRST LADY JILL BIDEN TO HONOR UTAH STUDENT GABRIELLA MIRANDA AT 2023 NATIONAL STUDENT POET APPOINTMENT CEREMONY

SALT LAKE CITY—On Monday, November 13, at 11 a.m MST, First Lady Jill Biden will host an event to honor and celebrate the Class of 2023 National Student Poets at the White House. The event will feature poetry readings from each of the poets facilitated by author and poet Cleo Wade. The First Lady will deliver remarks.

The event will also be live streamed at wh.gov/live. Local media are invited to a watch party of the live stream at Rowland Hall’s Lincoln Street Campus (843 Lincoln Street, Salt Lake City). Outlets that would like to attend the watch party to film B-roll should arrive by 10:50 a.m.

From 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. MST, local and regional bureaus will interview Gabriella Miranda; outlets can request this footage through their bureaus.

Virtual interview slots with Gabriella are also available to Utah media today from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. MST. Please contact Kelly Forsythe at kelly@forsythepr.com or 412-965-4388.

About the National Student Poets Program
In 2022, the First Lady celebrated the tenth anniversary of the National Student Poets Program and honored the 2022 National Student Poets at the White House. Since its inception in 2012, the National Student Poets Program has showcased the essential role of writing and the arts in academic and personal success for audiences across the country. Representing five different regions of the nation, the 2023 National Student Poets are:

• Gabriella Miranda, Salt Lake City, UT (West)
• Jacqueline Flores, Zolfo Springs, FL (Southeast)
• Miles Hardingwood, Brooklyn, NY (Northeast)
• Shangri-La Hou, Saint Louis, MO (Midwest)
• Kallan McKinney, Norman, OK (Southwest)

About Rowland Hall
Rowland Hall is Utah's oldest independent coeducational college-preparatory day school, serving students in 3PreK through 12th grade. Driven by our vision of developing people the world needs, we believe in a transformational education that gives students agency and purpose, connects them to their global community and empowers them to make the world a better place for all.

Rowland Hall has deepened its longstanding commitment to giving students authentic learning opportunities in which they can shape solutions to the world’s toughest problems and to connecting them with community partners to create real, lasting and far-reaching change.

Contacts
Stephanie Orfanakis, Director of Marketing and Communication
stephanieorfanakis@rowlandhall.org
801-924-2960

Kelly Forsythe, Event PR Coordinator
kelly@forsythepr.com
412-965-4388

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OCTOBER 12, 2023

SALT LAKE CITY HEAT WATCH REPORT OF 2023 URBAN HEAT MAPPING CAMPAIGN IS RELEASED
REPORT TO HELP LESSEN LOCAL IMPACTS OF EXTREME HEAT

SALT LAKE CITY—Rowland Hall, in partnership with Utah State University's Utah Climate Center, Salt Lake City and the Natural History Museum of Utah, is pleased to announce the release of the Salt Lake City Heat Watch Report.

Salt Lake City’s Heat Watch Report was created with data collected on July 15, 2023, for this year’s national urban heat island mapping campaign, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The report provides a new level of detail about where heat concentrates in Utah’s capital city and will help local decision-makers understand and better protect residents against the growing impacts of extreme heat—the number-one weather-related cause of death in the US for the last three decades.

"This data shows what we have long suspected: heat impacts different parts of our city differently," said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall. "We also see the powerful cooling effects of trees and green space in our neighborhoods—both in places you'd expect on the eastside, as well as in the Glendale, Poplar Grove and Rose Park neighborhoods."

Salt Lake City’s Heat Watch Report includes area-wide city model maps that show both traverse points of near-surface air temperature measurements gathered during the heat mapping campaign and high-resolution models of temperature. Data used to create these maps was made possible by 42 local volunteers, who mounted sensors on cars and drove 10 routes to record the temperature and humidity across Salt Lake City neighborhoods during the early morning, afternoon and evening of July 15. Data was assessed, analyzed and mapped by CAPA Strategies, an organization that provides hyper-local descriptions of urban heat distribution in US communities.

In addition to presenting results of this summer’s heat mapping campaign, the Heat Watch Report provides guidance on short- and long-term steps Salt Lake City can take to mitigate extreme heat, particularly in urban heat islands, areas that can measure up to 20 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than neighborhoods with more trees and grass, and less pavement.

"Heat mapping makes the invisible visible and reveals that some Salt Lake City neighborhoods experience greater exposure to extreme heat than others," said Robert Wilson, a lead volunteer of Salt Lake’s urban heat mapping team and Rowland Hall’s Upper School biology teacher and coordinator of climate studies. "The results of our heat map will make it easier to provide solutions like trees and landscaping, cool roofs, cooling centers and information about coping with extreme heat to the communities with the most exposure to extreme heat."

"This is invaluable information that affirms my commitment to planting thousands of trees in Salt Lake City’s westside, investing in parks and other green spaces like the Green Loop and incorporating sustainable infrastructure into our capital projects," added Mayor Mendenhall. "I want to thank the volunteers and coalition partners who brought us this data and look forward to conversations about further action the city can take to mitigate extreme heat."

Wei Zhang, assistant professor of climate science at Utah State University and the principal investigator of this NOAA-funded heat campaign project, is thrilled to share this long-awaited data with the public. "It is very exciting to see the campaign accomplished for Salt Lake City, after months of preparation and coordination," he said. Robert Gillies, director of the Utah Climate Center, added that the data will be invaluable to the city as it prepares for future extreme weather. "This heat mapping campaign is crucial for understanding the heat distribution in Salt Lake City when it is heading towards a warmer climate," said Gillies.

Interviews with Robert Wilson about the Salt Lake City Heat Watch Report are available to local media. Media will also be invited to a public presentation of data and conversation about the report on Sunday, November 5, at the Natural History Museum of Utah (NHMU). More information about this event will be available on the NHMU website, and further details will be shared with the media later this month.

"The Natural History Museum of Utah promotes community-collected data through its citizen science program and is thrilled by how many Utahns played a crucial role in mapping temperatures in Salt Lake City this summer," said Ellen Eiriksson, NHMU citizen science manager. "We invite the public to a presentation of the heat mapping data on November 5, and continued conversation between local experts and the community to better understand and react to how changes to climate impact our communities."

About Rowland Hall
Rowland Hall is Utah's oldest independent coeducational college-preparatory day school, serving students in 3PreK through 12th grade. Driven by our vision of developing people the world needs, we believe in a transformational education that gives students agency and purpose, connects them to their global community and empowers them to make the world a better place for all.

Rowland Hall has deepened its longstanding commitment to giving students authentic learning opportunities in which they can shape solutions to the world’s toughest problems and to connecting them with community partners to create real, lasting and far-reaching change.

Contacts
Ashley Atwood, Marketing Content Associate
ashleyatwood@rowlandhall.org
801-924-5964

Stephanie Orfanakis, Director of Marketing and Communication
stephanieorfanakis@rowlandhall.org
801-924-2960

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: AUGUST 29, 2023

MEET UTAH’S NATIONAL STUDENT POET
ROWLAND HALL SENIOR GABRIELLA MIRANDA SELECTED FOR COUNTRY'S MOST PRESTIGIOUS YOUTH POETRY HONOR

SALT LAKE CITY—Rowland Hall is pleased to announce that senior Gabriella Miranda has been selected as a National Student Poet, the nation’s highest honor for youth poets presenting original work. Gabriella is one of five outstanding high school poets from across the country, chosen to represent the West Region of the United States.

National Student Poets are selected by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers from a group of high schoolers who collectively submitted more than 24,000 works in the 2023 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. From a pool of National Medal recipients, 40 semi-finalists were identified as the most gifted young poets in their regions, based on their originality, technical skills and personal voice, and invited to submit additional poetry and performance videos to distinguished jurors for the final selection of the five National Student Poets, chosen for their exceptional creativity, dedication to craft and promise. These poets will serve as national poetry ambassadors, sharing their passion for poetry, literacy and the literary arts with their communities and throughout their regions, and will each receive a $5,000 academic award.

“It's challenging for me to distill exactly how I feel about being named a National Student Poet because writing, and poetry especially, has always been very central to my life,” reflected Gabriella. “Writing is what I love most in the world, and I can't even begin to express my excitement about the opportunities to come in the following year, from engaging with other poets whose work I've studied and admired for years to developing a service project in order to connect with other students and writers in the community.”

Gabriella centers her writing around depictions of human relationships, the complexities of looking for connection and what it means to build an identity from the foundation of another’s. She has been an editor of Rowland Hall’s literary magazine, Tesserae, since her freshman year.

“Gabriella Miranda showed her gifts as a writer from her first classes with me in ninth grade,” said Joel Long, Rowland Hall English, creative writing and literary magazine teacher. “She has an instinct for images and rhythm that resonate at the deepest levels. Her voice naturally channels towards authenticity and gravity. Insightful from our first meeting, Gabriella exhibits wisdom that continues to grow through her curiosity and empathy. Gabriella represents perfectly all the wonderful young writers who have come through our program. She will represent the creative writing program and the school well, and with her charisma, talents and passion, she will share the power of poetry with many in our region and across the country. I couldn't be more proud.”

In addition to being named a National Student Poet, Gabriella was also recently named to the United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up Global Teen Advisory Board, which is dedicated to helping young leaders gain knowledge, resources and support to amplify their activism across the globe.

Interviews with National Student Poet Gabriella Miranda are available to local media. Please contact Stephanie Orfanakis for support.

About Rowland Hall
Rowland Hall is Utah's oldest independent coeducational college-preparatory day school, serving students in 3PreK through 12th grade. Driven by our vision of developing people the world needs, we believe in a transformational education that gives students agency and purpose, connects them to their global community and empowers them to make the world a better place for all.

Rowland Hall has deepened its longstanding commitment to giving students authentic learning opportunities in which they can shape solutions to the world’s toughest problems and to connecting them with community partners to create real, lasting and far-reaching change.

Contact
Stephanie Orfanakis, Director of Marketing and Communication
stephanieorfanakis@rowlandhall.org
801-924-2960

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: AUGUST 15, 2023

ROWLAND HALL OFFERS TIPS ON SUPPORTING PRESCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY-AGED LEARNERS WHO ARE ANXIOUS ABOUT A NEW SCHOOL YEAR

SALT LAKE CITY—It’s back-to-school season, and while some children are filled with excitement this time of year, others are anxious. For parents and caregivers, it can be especially difficult to see their preschool or elementary-aged children express anxiety about the start of school—particularly when anxiety in children is on the rise and, as a result, on our minds more than ever before. However, experts say back-to-school anxiety is normal and, with thoughtful support and guidance, parents can prepare their young students for a new year and successfully ease them into a routine.

“The biggest source of anxiety is separation from parents for a significant portion of the day,” said Deborah Wright, emotional support counselor for Rowland Hall’s McCarthey Campus, which serves students in preschool through fifth grade. Knowing this, Wright provided seven tips to help parents and caregivers understand and support anxious young learners, before the school year starts and in the early weeks of the new year.

Rowland Hall is pleased to offer local media interviews with Emma Wellman, Beginning School and Lower School principal, during this year’s back-to-school season. Emma is available to discuss the above linked tips and to speak about social and emotional well-being in preschool and elementary-aged children. Please contact Stephanie Orfanakis to coordinate interviews.

About Rowland Hall
Rowland Hall is Utah's oldest independent coeducational college-preparatory day school, serving students in 3PreK through 12th grade. Driven by our vision of developing people the world needs, we believe in a transformational education that gives students agency and purpose, connects them to their global community and empowers them to make the world a better place for all.

Rowland Hall has deepened its longstanding commitment to giving students authentic learning opportunities in which they can shape solutions to the world’s toughest problems and to connecting them with community partners to create real, lasting and far-reaching change.

Contact
Stephanie Orfanakis, Director of Marketing and Communication
stephanieorfanakis@rowlandhall.org
801-924-2960

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JULY 18, 2023

AS EXTREME HEAT CONTINUES TO GRIP NORTHERN HEMISPHERE, ONE UTAH SCHOOL IS WORKING TO LESSEN THE IMPACT OF FUTURE HEAT WAVES

SALT LAKE CITY—At a time when more than 91 million US citizens are currently under heat alerts across the Southwest and South, one Utah school is helping to identify the hottest areas of the state’s capital city in support of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) urban heat island mapping campaign. 

On Saturday, July 15, Salt Lake independent school Rowland Hall was part of the group of Utah citizen scientists who supported the campaign by mounting CAPA sensors on cars and driving 10 routes around the city to record temperature, humidity, time and location in the early morning, afternoon and evening.

Data from Saturday’s campaign will be used to create local heat maps and to identify Salt Lake City’s urban heat islands—areas that can measure up to 20 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than neighborhoods with more trees and grass, and less pavement. Heat islands are often home to those most vulnerable to the health impacts of extreme heat, particularly due to the areas’ ties to historical redlining. Heat maps will help local decision-makers take actions to reduce the life-threatening impacts of extreme heat, the number-one weather-related cause of death in the US for the last three decades, including planting trees and reducing heat trapping surfaces.

“Heat mapping is important because communities around the world are experiencing more frequent and more intense extreme heat events,” said Robert Wilson, Rowland Hall biology teacher and coordinator of climate studies, and a lead volunteer of Salt Lake’s urban heat mapping team. “Extreme heat is among the most dangerous weather events.”

Salt Lake City is one of 18 communities in 14 US states and one international city* selected by NOAA to gather heat data in 2023, and one of only three communities in the Western United States. The city’s application was a joint effort among representatives and students from Rowland Hall, Utah State University's Utah Climate Center, Salt Lake City, the Natural History Museum of Utah, TreeUtah and Northwest Middle School.

*Communities chosen for the 2023 NOAA urban heat island mapping campaign are: Salt Lake City, Chicago, Dallas, Oklahoma City, Asheville, NC; Framingham and Brockton, MA; Johnson County and Wyandotte County, KS; Wilmington, DE; Toledo, OH; Little Rock, AR; Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, PA; Sedona, AZ; Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, IA; and Washington County, OR. NOAA is also working with local groups and the Pan-American Health Organization on an international heat island mapping campaign in Santiago, Chile.

About Rowland Hall
Rowland Hall is Utah's oldest independent coeducational college-preparatory day school, serving students in 3PreK through 12th grade. Driven by our vision of developing people the world needs, we believe in a transformational education that gives students agency and purpose, connects them to their global community and empowers them to make the world a better place for all.

Rowland Hall has deepened its longstanding commitment to giving students authentic learning opportunities in which they can shape solutions to the world’s toughest problems and to connecting them with community partners to create real, lasting and far-reaching change.

Contact
Stephanie Orfanakis, Director of Marketing and Communication
stephanieorfanakis@rowlandhall.org
801-924-2960

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JULY 11, 2023

ROWLAND HALL JOINS NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION’S URBAN HEAT ISLAND MAPPING CAMPAIGN
SCHOOL PART OF TEAM OF CITIZEN SCIENTISTS GATHERING DATA ON HOTTEST AREAS OF SALT LAKE CITY

SALT LAKE CITY—This Saturday, local school Rowland Hall will be part of a group of Utah citizen scientists mapping Salt Lake’s urban heat islands, the hottest areas of the city. This work is being done in support of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) urban heat island mapping campaign. 

Salt Lake City is one of 18 communities in 14 US states and one international city* selected by NOAA to gather heat data in 2023, and one of only three communities in the Western United States. The city’s application was a joint effort among representatives and students from Rowland Hall, Utah State University's Utah Climate Center, Salt Lake City, the Natural History Museum of Utah, TreeUtah and Northwest Middle School.

“Heat mapping is important because Salt Lake City is experiencing more frequent and more intense extreme heat events,” said Robert Wilson, Rowland Hall biology teacher and coordinator of climate studies, and a lead volunteer of Salt Lake’s urban heat mapping team. “Extreme heat is among the most dangerous weather events, and it is more dangerous for underserved communities.”

Urban heat islands are often home to those most vulnerable to the health impacts of extreme heat. With few trees, little grass and more pavement that absorbs heat, hotspots can measure up to 20 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than neighborhoods with more trees and grass, and less pavement. Identifying and mapping urban heat islands is a necessary step to help local decision-makers take actions to reduce life-threatening impacts: extreme heat is the number-one weather-related cause of death in the US for the last three decades, a statistic that’s front of mind as more than 88 million US citizens are currently under heat alerts across states in the Southwest and South.

Volunteers will build local heat maps this Saturday, July 15, by using heat sensors mounted on cars. Sensors will record data (temperature, humidity, time and location) in Salt Lake’s urban heat islands during the early morning, afternoon and evening.

“Our heat maps will help us identify neighborhoods that experience the hottest conditions and guide our efforts to plant trees and reduce heat trapping surfaces and provide other forms of relief from extreme heat,” said Robert.

Media are invited to join volunteers at the project hub, the Poplar Grove Park pavilion (800 Emery St., Salt Lake City), on Saturday, July 15, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Volunteers will be available for interviews following shifts that end at 7 a.m., 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., or can be scheduled as needed. Interviews with teacher/lead volunteer Robert Wilson and Rowland Hall students are also available this week and during Saturday’s event. Please contact Ashley Atwood to coordinate these interviews.

*Communities chosen for the 2023 NOAA urban heat island mapping campaign are: Salt Lake City, Chicago, Dallas, Oklahoma City, Asheville, NC; Framingham and Brockton, MA; Johnson County and Wyandotte County, KS; Wilmington, DE; Toledo, OH; Little Rock, AR; Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, PA; Sedona, AZ; Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, IA; and Washington County, OR. NOAA is also working with local groups and the Pan-American Health Organization on an international heat island mapping campaign in Santiago, Chile.

About Rowland Hall
Rowland Hall is Utah's oldest independent coeducational college-preparatory day school, serving students in 3PreK through 12th grade. Driven by our vision of developing people the world needs, we believe in a transformational education that gives students agency and purpose, connects them to their global community and empowers them to make the world a better place for all.

Rowland Hall has deepened its longstanding commitment to giving students authentic learning opportunities in which they can shape solutions to the world’s toughest problems and to connecting them with community partners to create real, lasting and far-reaching change.

Contact
Ashley Atwood, Marketing Content Associate
ashleyatwood@rowlandhall.org
801-924-5964

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