Last Friday, on April 19th, students from across the district met at Weber Innovation High School for the much-anticipated spring esports tournament. Enthusiastic participants showcased their dedication and skills in the popular games League of Legends, Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

For Super Smash Brothers Ultimate students competed in a singles best of 3 double elimination tournament, with Kyle Blackson from Weber High in 1st place, Jakob Zimmer from Roy High in 2nd place, and Ethan Day from Bonneville High in 3rd place.

In League of Legends Boneville High School's two teams faced off in a close finals match that ended with Bonneville 2 claiming 1st place.

For Mario Kart 8 Deluxe 1st place went to Weber Innovation High School, whose team of 4 was able to take the most points and wins across a series of 5 races.

It was a great year for esports in Weber School District, and we are excited to see esports grow in the coming years with the recent announcement from the Utah High School Activities Association that Esports will be a sanctioned sport starting in the 25-26 school year.

At this year's FBLA State Leadership Competition T.H. Bell had some amazing results! Students had a lot of fun and many placed well in their competitive events. 

Overall, T.H. Bell tied for 3rd place out of all the junior high/middle schools that competed, which means T.H. Bell had the 3rd most awarded points out of the whole state. There were about 300 students at the competition. Lehi Jr High, who has 1,360 students, took 2nd, and Willowcreek Middle School, which has 1,659 students, took 1st. T.H. Bell was able to do this well with a student body of only ~672 students!

Roy High School's SOUT (Special Olympics Utah) Unified Mario Kart Team won 1st place at the Ken Garff Esports State Spring Celebration. Teams competed in the John M Huntsman Center at the University of Utah, with hundreds of students from across the state there to watch and cheer them on! 

All of Weber School District's esports clubs attended to watch these State Finals, as well as participate in workshops, coding competitions, cybersecurity competitions, and listen to guest speakers. The purpose of Ken Garff Esports is to enhance and enrich scholastic experiences through and beyond gaming. Learn more about their events and purpose at their website kengarffesports.org.

The Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) program is a game-changer for students seeking to supercharge their education and career prospects. CAPS offers a transformative learning experience, where high school students can dive deep into real-world, professional environments, working alongside industry experts and gaining hands-on experience. Whether you're passionate about entrepreneurship, engineering, or any other field, CAPS equips you with the skills, knowledge, and network to thrive. For an in-depth look at the CAPS program and the incredible benefits it offers, check out this article from gettingsmart.com.

Learn about Bryce Weiler, a blind sports broadcaster, and his analysis of the Ogden Raptors baseball game against the North Colorado Owlz. 

https://www.standard.net/sports/2023/aug/22/blind-sports-broadcaster-offers-color-commentary-at-ogden-raptors-game/

Weber School District's Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers met on August 16th to gear up for the new academic year. The event featured several guest speakers including Bryce Weiler, a blind sports analyst and co-founder of the Beautiful Lives Project. Weiler's message about what we can accomplish when someone gives us an opportunity, believes in us and when we have the determination to overcome obstacles was an unbelievable manifestation of the human spirit.

Watch Fox13's coverage of Bryce Weiler's story at the link below, and tune in to the Friday Ogden Raptors game, where he'll provide analyst coverage for one of our local teams!

https://www.fox13now.com/back-to-school/blind-man-thanks-teachers-for-helping-him-see-his-future

Standard Examiner did an article featuring the hard work of Weber School District's students

Read about the the tiny homes that were built to help combat homelessness at https://www.standard.net/news/education/2023/may/23/wsd-tiny-house-program-donates-dwelling-to-homelessness-village/

The Other Side Village will soon provide housing for around 600 people coming out of chronic homelessness in Utah. High school students from Weber School District spent the semester getting their hands dirty to build two of the homes that will make up the village.

https://www.abc4.com/news/wasatch-front/utah-high-schoolers-build-tiny-homes-for-the-homeless/