On this week’s show we're featuring the work of our student producer, Millicent! You heard from her last week, and now we're excited to share her produced piece on cell phones in schools. In this episode, you'll hear how mobile devices are impacting education, candid interviews with teachers about how these devices affect their classrooms, and important discussions on screen time and cyberbullying. 

This week we have a third co-host join the show! Get ready to meet Millicent, one of the seniors in our district who is pursuing a career in journalism. We chat with her about a wide variety of topics, from Sudanese pyramids to artificial intelligence. We also learn about a podcast segment she's producing that we'll debut on our show next week! All that as well as useless trivia in this jam packed episode! 

On this week's episode we learn a strange piece of military history, dig into our students' test scores, and reveal our district's highest graduation rate ever! We also get updates on all of our bond projects (thank you, voters!) and we even discuss the meaning of time itself. Check us out wherever you listen to podcasts and be sure to like, comment, subscribe, and share with a friend!

This week, we break the internet with some HUGE news about our two replacement levies, before embarking on an exploration of Kit Kat flavors around the world. We also learn all about our Native American Education program that is helping students feel connected and seen in our schools.

This week we find out how many presidents were born in Illinois, which Disney character was Walt's favorite, and we'll dive deep into our early learning program to learn about all the ways we support our youngest learners and their families. 

This week we dig into safety and security in our district. First we hear from two school board members about the importance of emotional safety of our students. Then we chat with school staff that deal with safety and security day in and day out. We also make a little time for useless trivia about blue whales and Frisbee funerals. 

This week we ask some pointed questions about porcupines, ponder the plausibility of poultry pioneer Mike the Headless Chicken, and log on to a host of information about the Bethel Virtual Academy with one of our amazing teachers. By the end, you'll know more than you did at the beginning, and you'll finally know why one should NOT mess with Texas.

This week we learn all about our levy-funded music programs and discuss the wide variety of benefits students are getting from music education, including the feeling of "ensemble," opportunities for college scholarships and public performance, and much more. We also find out which of our co-hosts can be bribed with poutine, discover the oddities of Canadian football, and learn some very useless trivia that includes a story about the quietest room in the world. All that, plus a special message from one of our football coaches, in less than 15 minutes.

This week, we’re serving up a wild mix of flamingo facts, discussing rampant rhinos in eastern Washington, and learning about a middle school baking club that might just launch the legendary Great Bethel Bake Off! Plus, our very special guest discusses her visit to the Oval Office, and we uncover one of the most unsettling Guinness World Records to date. Spoiler: you will be uncomfortable.

This week we talk bubble wrap wallpaper, find out how many foods you can put peanut butter on, and discover which member of Team Bethel is fantasizing about fondue. We also go behind the scenes and learn about the hard work that went into getting free meals for ALL students in our district, and what families need to do to make sure it continues for years to come! (Hint: Fill out the form at bethelsd.org/meals)

This week we sit down with the principal of one of our award-winning schools to learn about lavender snakes and immortal jellyfish, before discussing the behind-the-scenes work that is elevating student voice at her school. We also chat about our district's upcoming renewal levies, and find out how our 2019 school construction bond projects are coming along.

This week, we'll hear the powerful story of a teacher who turned her early struggles into a lifelong mission to educate and uplift others. Growing up in Namibia, she explains how poverty was her greatest motivator, and how she walked miles each day just to get to school. Her teaching career began when she created a school at a border crossing in southern Africa, and today she brings that same passion to her classroom here in Bethel where she teaches Washington State History and ELA. Even more inspiring, she spends her summers back in Namibia, giving back to the village that raised her. That inspiring story, plus useless trivia, all in under 15 minutes!      

This week we discuss classroom behavior, Bethel's budget, and $1.99 hot dog combos. We also learn whether sloths or dolphins would win in a very specific competition, and we find out which Pierce County school district was named one of Forbes best companies (hint ... it's us!).

This week we'll find out what Adam Sandler, Otis Redding and Colonel Sanders have in common before venturing into the world of getting students ready for life after high school. We'll do a deep dive into all the opportunities our students have to challenge themselves academically, with a few options that might surprise you! Before our 15 minutes are up you'll also figure out what the title of this episode means.

This week we're finding out which member of Team Bethel has a secret blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. We'll also discuss the first coin minted in the USA, whether sharks are older than trees, and we'll learn all about our Community Connections program. To finish it off, our very special guest will reveal their identity, their martial arts mojo, and much much more!

This week, on a jam-packed, first-day-of-school episode, we ponder the muscles of mollusks, get the latest on some Bethel alum playing in the NFL, and hear about an upcoming opportunity for you to have coffee with our Superintendent! We also dive into the many ways Bethel prioritizes school safety and security, and we finally answer the age-old question: Why are school buses yellow?

This week we're venturing back to a time when pineapples were so expensive, they had to be rented! After more useless trivia, we'll be talking all things tech with our Chief Technology Officer. We'll discuss how cybersecurity and artificial intelligence are impacting education, and we'll also learn all about our Technology Capital Levy, which funds some critical things in our district ... thank you, voters!

On this week's episode we're chatting about a bizarre law on the books in Switzerland that dictates the number of Guinea pigs one can legally own. After some more useless trivia, we'll learn all about the projects funded by the 2019 voter-approved school construction bond, and the three big projects it is currently funding. Along the way we'll chat with our director of construction and planning, and the principal of a recently remodeled school that's opening this fall. New episodes drop every Wednesday wherever you listen to podcasts. bethelsd.org/podcast 

​The longest running school district podcast in the Puget Sound is back for a brand new season! Along with the news and interviews you've come to expect, this season we're debuting a brand new segment. Hosts Conor and Doug will surprise each other each week with a bizarre bit of trivia in "Useless Trivia of the Week." So grab your earbuds and get ready to laugh, learn, and get to know and love the amazing Bethel School District!  This week we're sitting down with two young paraeducators and their assistant principal ... a trio who was, just a few years ago, two middle school kids and a coach!

In the final episode of Season 3, we sit down with three members of the Class of 2025 to talk about what lies ahead, and how their time in school has shaped their goals, values, and confidence. These students open up about the teachers who believed in them, the classes that challenged them, and the moments that made them feel ready to take the next step. We also debut a new element we're excited about for our upcoming fourth season: Useless Trivia of the Week! Season 4 begins on August 6, 2025.