Connect Canyons

If the popularity of Canyons District's Film Festival is proof, there really is no business like show business. A contest that culminates each April with a glamorous, Oscars-style awards ceremony, the Canyons Film Festival is now in its 14th year. The contest draws hundreds of submissions annually from students and teachers of all ages, and is a great way to flex your creative muscle. Connect Canyons spoke with the Film Festival's organizer Justin Andersen and CSD's Communications Director Jeff Haney about the contest's history and quizzed them on their Oscar picks for 2023.

Two of Canyons District's most respected SROs, Officers Shay Ballard and Kelly Taylor, joined CSD Administrator Charisse Hilton as guests on this episode of the Connect Canyons podcast for a riveting and insightful chat about SROs' roles and responsibilities, challenges and opportunities, and rewards. Ballard and Taylor agreed that the relationships they build with students is the most gratifying and important part of their jobs. “We're huge in advocating for the students. As much as (some people) might think that we're just out to get ‘em or punish ‘em, no, that's not the reward,” Ballard said. “The reward's not how many tickets or many arrests did I get. It's, ‘Who did I save?'” As noted in a press release from the National Association of School Resource Officers, the SRO assignment is unique within the law enforcement profession. They fill a three-part role, acting as informal mentors or counselors, as law educators and as law enforcement officers to support the students and communities they serve.

Dust-sized particles have caused boulder-sized problems for Eastmont Middle School. When asbestos was found in dust kicked up by crews replacing flooring at Eastmont during Winter Recess, it triggered a response with major implications. Since that time, the building has been shuttered to the public, a mitigation plan was sent to state environmental regulators, workers began the painstaking clean-up process, and classes were moved to a once-empty middle school building. In this episode of Connect Canyons, hear directly from Stephen Galley, the environmental services director of R&R Environmental, the industrial hygiene company hired to work with Canyons on the mitigation project at Eastmont.

Canyons District Teacher Specialist Leslie Morris, Utah's News Literacy Ambassador, joined us on this episode of the Connect Canyons podcast. The discussion revolves around the News Literacy Project and the importance of helping students know how to filter news they see on the Internet. In this episode, we discuss: — Tools that students, teachers and others that are available to help decipher whether news is legitimate or not. — Five key questions that should be asked to verify sources and claims. — What the District is doing to help improve news literacy. — Why it's more important to be curious than critical. — What we can do to slow the flow of misinformation. — Valuable resources, including helpful information via the News Literacy Project.

The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to look ahead and make some plans for the future. If you have a child who will be five years old on or before Sept. 1, 2023, kindergarten is one of the things that's helpful to start thinking about now. Even if it seems your little one couldn't possibly have grown this fast, now is the time to begin thinking about what kind of kindergarten program you'd like your student to attend. This is the time of year schools start gathering information for regular kindergarten classes, and the application for Supplemental Hours of Instruction kindergarten classes opens on Jan. 25 at 10 a.m. Not sure which option you prefer? In this episode of Connect Canyons we sit down with Instructional Supports administrator Kenna Sorensen and teacher specialist Leigh Ann Fisher to find answers to your questions, learn more about what steps you need to take, and discover what's next.

History was made at the Jan. 3, 2023 Oath of Office Ceremony for the newly elected members of the Canyons Board of Education. Andrew Edtl, the new representative for District No. 4, is the first African American to win election to the Canyons Board of Education, and Karen Pedersen, elected to represent District No. 5, is the first retired Canyons District teacher to join Canyons' seven-member governing body On the night they were sworn-in, they were joined by Amber Shill and Amanda Oaks, who won re-election and are gearing up to serve for another four years. The oaths, administered by 3rd District Court Judge Matthew Bates, were witnessed by friends and family members who came to applaud the officials for their achievement and willingness to serve the Canyons community. Listen to this week's Connect Canyons for the highlights of the first addresses given by Edtl, Pedersen, Shill, and Oaks after they took their Oaths of Office.

Everett Perry has been with Canyons District before it officially began in 2009. He was the 23rd employee hired by the fledgling school district, which has blossomed since becoming the first new District in Utah in nearly a century. As a Human Resources Administrator, Perry's job now involves hiring ESPs and helping to enhance their work experiences. In this episode of the Connect Canyons podcast, he gives an overview of the importance of the 4,400 ESPs who are currently employed by CSD. Simply put, they're the bus drivers, secretaries, custodians, plumbers, electricians, IT personnel, nutrition staff and so forth. “Our ESPs, they are here. They are dedicated, they're loyal, they're working their hearts out,” Perry said. “They're helping kids.”

You've successfully navigated the college application process. Now begins the long wait for admission decisions, and one productive way to expend all that anxious energy is to apply for scholarships. Scholarship deadlines come up year-round and a good number each year go unclaimed. There are tons of scholarships available from all manner of organizations, so everybody should apply, even students who might have the greatest grades or test scores, says Jordan High School's scholarship specialist Lisa Petersen. “A lot of people think that it's scary. Don't be afraid,” Petersen said. In this informative episode of Connect Canyons, Petersen offers a plethora of insight on where to start the process and what to do to give yourself the best opportunity at earning available funds to lighten the financial load.

In 2008, Utah embarked on an educational experiment with the Legislature's approval of funding to create dual language immersion programs in French, Spanish, and Chinese. Canyons District was an early adopter. Our first immersion classes opened in 2009, and today, more than 10 percent of our 33,000 students are learning a world language using this innovative model of instruction. Administrators, students, and parents say the hugely popular program is the best way to learn another language. More than that, being multilingual boosts students' academic performance, and the cognitive skills and cultural knowledge students gain are in high demand by colleges and employers.

In 2008, Utah embarked on an educational experiment with the Legislature's approval of funding to create dual language immersion programs in French, Spanish, and Chinese. Canyons District was an early adopter. Our first immersion classes opened in 2009, and today, more than 10 percent of our 33,000 students are learning a world language using this innovative model of instruction. Administrators, students, and parents say the hugely popular program is the best way to learn another language. More than that, being multilingual boosts students' academic performance, and the cognitive skills and cultural knowledge students gain are in high demand by colleges and employers.

There might not be a more important yet thankless job than the critical work custodians perform around Canyons School District — from cleaning restrooms and lunchrooms to maintaining boiler rooms and chillers. In conjunction with National Custodian Day being celebrated this weekend — every October 2nd — we sat down with Canyons District's Custodial and Grounds Coordinator Kevin Kelson for insight into the fantastic job the District's 150 full-time custodians and 500 part-timers do to take care of more than 6 million square feet around Canyons.

Canyons District's Information Technology Director Scot McCombs used to joke that there was about only one area where IT wasn't a factor in education — the asphalt in school parking lots. That, he noted, might change in the not-so-distant future. He attended a presentation on the future of technology that introduced a concept in which tech is embedded in roads to create dynamic lanes and crosswalks to make transportation even safer for students. “It's crazy to think how pervasive technology is and is a foundation that much of our lives are built on,” McCombs says. From processing grades to producing paychecks, sending out important messages to parents, and keeping bus routes updated, and so much more, IT touches just about every facet of the education process. On Sept. 20, 2022, IT Professionals Day, Canyons sends all the positive emojis to the District's team of about 75 IT personnel who do amazing behind-the-scenes wizardry as field techs, engineers, Help Desk experts, business support developers, web managers, in-house development team members, tech specialists, and management.

If the quality of schools is a measure of the greatness of its teachers, imagine what can be accomplished when really great teachers work together, pooling their knowledge, resources and ideas to help all students succeed. The Canyons Board of Education recently approved a uniform early-out Friday schedule to provide time and space for teachers to do just that. The goal is simple: student achievement. And the path to get there is what's known in the education business as “Professional Learning Communities.” What are PLCs and why do they matter?  The Connect Canyons podcast crew recently posed these questions, and more, to PLC expert, educational consultant, and career educator Bob Sonju of Solution Tree.

 The Class of 2022 is Canyons District's “First Class” of kindergartners, and we couldn't be prouder of the progress those fresh-faced 5-year-olds made enroute to becoming young adults who are ready to take on a world that has changed as much as they did. The Connect Canyons podcast crew recently invited a handful of graduates back to their old stomping grounds at Oak Hollow Elementary to reminisce and reunite with former classmates and teachers. The students re-enacted the photos they took at Oak Hollow's first Kindergarten College-Ready Day back in 2009, reflected on their time with Canyons, and shared a few words of advice for the kindergartners of today and tomorrow.

May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month and we're celebrating with books! In this Connect Canyons episode, Utah author Lehua Parker, an advocate of Hawaiian culture and literature, talks about the need for authentic and diverse representation in books. Parker's writings, including her popular “Niuhi Shark Saga” series, often feature her island heritage.  She is joined by Canyons District teacher-librarians Jennifer Van Haaften and Elaine Zhang, and Library Specialist Gretchen Zaitzeff who share tips on books with true-to-life characters and intriguing plots that open both a mirror and window onto different cultures and experiences.

We're zooming, live-streaming, and relying on technology like never before. Digital technologies were a lifeline during the pandemic, and kept workers working, families connected, and students learning. But as we begin to imagine life post-COVID-19, many of us are wondering: Are we spending too much time on our computers? Any doubts over the influence of teachers were certainly put to rest during the pandemic as it became clear that technology, for all its many uses, would never replace great teaching. But technology has a place in the classroom and can be a powerful teaching tool. So, how are schools striking a balance and using technology sparingly, and strategically, to help students succeed? What are we teaching students about the smart, responsible use of technology, and how can parents help reinforce those lessons at home? Connect Canyons host Kirsten Stewart recently posed these questions, and more, to Canyons  School District's Educational Technology Specialists Dr. Camille Cole and Justin Andersen. Their timely, and wide-ranging conversation touched on the following topics and resources: What guidance does Canyons give teachers in deciding when, and how, to use technology. What did we learn about right-sized technology during the pandemic? For parents, how can technology open a window to the classroom and help them better understand what their students are learning each day? Exposing students to technology, along with science, math, engineering, and the arts, is prioritized as part of Canyons District's strategic plan. How technology is used will look different in an elementary classroom than at a high school. But it is always highly-structured by teachers to achieve the following: Deepen students' understanding of key concepts: small-group intervention, at-home practice, etc. Communicate with parents about student progress: electronic assignment submission allows for more immediate feedback on student progress. Promote collaboration: whole classrooms can share ideas and work together to solve problems. Promote creativity and student engagement: video examples, augmented reality, and other tools can make learning more relevant, inclusive, and fun. Promote critical thinking and keep instruction connected to the contemporary world: using the same software many of us use in the workplace, or virtual labs and maker-space applications can prepare students for solving real-world problems using real world tools. Extend the reach of the classroom: technology supports self-directed, personalized learning tailored to student interests. Online learning supports school choice and allows students to learn at their own pace and from the location of their choice. Improve teacher productivity How much time are Canyons' students are spending on computers while they are at school? Understanding that not all screen time is created equal, what media consumption, digital literacy, and digital citizenship skills do we teach students? What is Canyons doing to safeguard students from over-using or inappropriately using technology? Parents, of course, are their child's first and most important teacher. What can adults do to model and support healthy habits at home?

Teachers teach because they care, and Canyons District's 2022 Teachers of the Year are some of the most outstanding professionals that public education has to offer. They mentor, motivate, and inspire, and operate under the mindset that children don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. They're relationship-builders outside the classroom, too, communicating with parents, collaborating with colleagues, and giving of their time and talents to strengthen their communities. In this episode, we ask Canyons District's seven Teacher of the Year finalists why they got into education, and what they love most about their jobs.

There is an art to turning a beloved book into a film or TV series, and some narratives more easily lend themselves to big-screen adaptations than others. In this episode, we chat with a few booklovers — Canyons Library Specialist Gretchen Zaitzeff and Corner Canyon High School Librarian Maria Jones — about their favorite adaptations. They discuss what sometimes gets lost in translation, and the age-old question of whether to read the book first, or whether it's sometimes OK to start with the movie.

Penny Petersen has worked at Brighton High for almost as long as the 52-year-old school has been in existence. In her 49 years with the Bengals, she has worn many hats. But it was a non-paying side-hustle that endeared her to so many student-athletes. For three decades, she and her late husband, Bryce, took, displayed and delivered about 40,000 photos for nine different Bengals teams. That, and her bright spirit, deep affection for teenagers, and desire to make Brighton into a welcoming haven for all who have called its halls, classrooms, and sports and arts venues home. It's no wonder why colleagues and former students who refer to her as “an institution,” the “real deal,” and the “sunshine at Brighton High.”

South Park Academy Principal Todd Bird, who's retiring this spring after 35 years in education, doesn't hesitate to admit he was “a terrible, terrible high school student.” Fortunately, Bird learned about perseverance and redemption after his high school struggles. As Bird notes in this podcast, those lessons, in turn, helped the career educator, counselor, and coach help countless students — including South Park's adult learners at the Utah State Prison — learn and earn extra chances through education. Bird's future includes time with family, a focus on health, and renovation work on a classic truck, and his past was replete with educational and interesting experiences — a few of which he shares in this insightful interview.

Tiffany Rosenhan “fell into writing books” after having completed college and finding herself at home caring for a newborn baby. Writing was something she enjoyed. It helped keep her mind sharp. “I wrote stories for fun for a year, until I realized that I had something that I couldn't walk away from,” the Utah author says. “I found creative writing, or rather creating writing found me, and I've never looked back.” But becoming a published novelist didn't happen overnight, and it didn't come easy. Just like Sophia, the main character in her debut novel, “Girl from Nowhere,” Rosenhan had to work hard to acquire the skills needed to achieve her goals — and teenage readers everywhere are now reaping the benefits.

Brrr. It's cold outside, and what better way to thaw the chill of winter than by curling up with some hot cocoa and a good book? And who better to ask for book recommendations than a librarian? Canyons District's school libraries are full of warm winter reads for book lovers of all ages. In this episode of Connect Canyons, we asked District Library Specialist Gretchen Zaitzeff and Brighton High Librarian Catherine Bates to list a few of their favorites.

Randal Clark is a talented musician who wears many hats. The Corner Canyon High instrumental music director is a renowned saxophone player, instructor, conductor, and clinician with a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Utah. Music from his debut album “Imaginary World” is even being played on XM radio and has been submitted for consideration for two Grammy Award nominations. Connect Canyons caught up with Clark to get his takes on the state of jazz in Utah, the importance of having students participate in performing arts, and details about his critically acclaimed debut album.

Canyons School District is updating its library management policy to more clearly define the criteria against which books should be evaluated for acquisition and the regular “weeding” of titles — and for those exceedingly rare instances when titles are challenged by someone. What prompted the review and how do the proposed policy changes align with constitutionally-protected best practices in service of the District's educational goals? We posed these questions to Canyons Superintendent Dr. Rick Robins, General Counsel Dan Harper, and the District Library Specialist Gretchen Zaitzeff.

When you enroll in a college or university, you expect that your tuition dollars are being put to good use, and one important measure of quality is whether the institution is accredited. Accreditation is an assurance that the school you've chosen meets certain standards — and it applies, not only to colleges, but to high schools. Each of Canyons District's high schools are fully accredited, which means that employers and colleges accept with confidence the diplomas they award. But accreditations have to be renewed periodically, and Canyons has decided to take its accreditation a step further by seeking districtwide certification. Here's why, and what that entails.

Busy parents can't do it all: check the backpack, help with homework, attend school events, and volunteer in the classroom. So, when it comes to getting involved in their child's education, where should they start? What questions should they be asking? How can they make the most of parent-teacher conferences? What barriers, fears, or misunderstandings get in the way of parents and teachers working together to help kids thrive? Last year, Connect Canyons interviewed some PTA representatives to discuss the many ways families can connect with their neighborhood school. This year, we decided to get the perspective of a school principal: Sunrise Elementary Principal Dr. Angela Wilkinson.

The teenage years are a time of great physical, social, and intellectual growth. But when do the normal ups and downs of teenage life become something to worry about — and seek help for?  We recently posed these questions, and more, to one of Canyons District's school psychologists, Brandon Segura, Ph.D. As a parent and a professional, he had some great advice and timely insights to share.

With daily headlines focusing so much on what tears us apart, here at Connect Canyons, we're kicking off the school year with an episode on what brings us together. We recently interviewed a bunch of students and first-year teachers. We asked how they were feeling about the school year, and about their fears, hopes and aspirations. And guess what? We discovered that there is far more that unites than divides us.

For the Class of 2021, the recently held graduation ceremonies were more than a rite of passage marking the end of 12 or more years of schooling. They were moments of triumph for so many reasons. CSD graduates endured more than a year of loss. They adapted to quarantines and distance learning, and braved the uncertainty of not knowing if the hard work they were putting into artistic or athletic endeavors would pay off in performances, competitions, and state and regional championships. But it was also a year of renewed bonds, compassion, and strength as communities pulled together to comfort and support one another. In the end, Utah's prevention measures took root to help slow the spread of COVID-19, enabling high school seniors to salvage such cherished traditions as dances, awards ceremonies and hard-earned commencement exercises. These celebratory events provided some of our students time to pause and reflect on all they've experienced and learned. In this episode of Connect Canyons, hear what some of our newly minted graduates have to say about life —and learning — during the era of COVID-19. Source

The pandemic has forced us to be more creative with our time. We’ve found ways to make the most of “stay-at-home” orders and working and learning remotely. We’re even teaching differently, adopting methods such as the flipped classroom where students do their assigned reading and work at home before coming to class so teachers can devote class time to answering questions and working through topics where students feel stuck. These types of strategies are all about freeing up classroom time for teachers, and making it more productive for them and their students. Now that we are beginning to see clear of the pandemic, the question facing educators is which of those strategies should be continued? How can we take advantage of all we’ve learned, and how can we find the time to do so? In this episode of Connect Canyons, we pose some of these questions to author and educational transformation expert Eric Sheninger. Source

The origin story of Canyons School District — a school system created in 2007 by a vote of the people — is as familiar, by now, as our track record in prioritizing college- and career-readiness, student achievement, innovation, community engagement, customer service and fiscal accountability. It’s time to start writing the next chapter. In a bid to keep student achievement and innovation at the forefront of its mission and vision, the Canyons Board of Education has hired the consulting firm Education Elements to assist the Board and Administration with creating and implementing a new strategic plan to carry us forward into the next decade. What is a strategic plan, and why is it important? In this episode of Connect Canyons we explore these questions, and more, with Shelby McIntosh from Education Elements. Source

Canyons’ schools are reopening to volunteers. With vaccination rates picking up, and the availability of rapid COVID tests, we are able to safely welcome parents, grandparents, and other volunteers back into our classrooms — and it couldn’t happen at a more opportune time. As schools look to finish the year strong and make the most out of the last few months of instructional time, teachers could use the extra hands and students could use the extra encouragement. Here to explain the how’s and why’s behind our call for community helpers are Canyons Superintendent Dr. Rick Robins, our Public Engagement Coordinator Susan Edwards, and Tonya Rhodes, Region 17 Director for the PTA. Source

Try imagining life without computers. Impossible, right? Technology has changed how we consume news and entertainment, make travel plans, stay in touch with our friends, shop, and even learn. Yet, a surprising number — 10 to 15 percent — of Canyons District students have no access to a computer or reliable Internet at home. In a pandemic, bridging this digital divide became an imperative. But it’s not a one-year problem. In this episode of Connect Canyons we talk with Canyons IT Director Scot McCombs and Canyons Education Foundation Officer Denise Haycock about steps schools are taking to more permanently bridge the divide, why it’s a moral imperative, and how families and businesses can help. Source

If you live in Utah and are the parent of a high school student, chance are you’ve heard of Test to Play, the bi-monthly rapid COVID testing that athletes and performing arts groups undergo so they can safely continue to practice, perform, and compete. The test-to-play program has helped preserve the spirit-building activities that make high school so memorable. Now, those same testing tools are being put to use to keep students in the classroom through a new Utah Department of Health program called Test to Stay. What exactly is Test to Stay and why did a Utah Legislative Audit recently recommend it as a “primary COVID mitigation strategy” for schools? In this episode, we hear from Canyons Superintendent Dr. Rick Robins and Jordan High Principal Wendy Dau who help explain how Test to Stay, along with other recent changes in protocols, may put an end to entire schools having to go online. Source

The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to look ahead and make some plans for the future. If you have a child who will be five years old on or before Sept. 1, 2021, kindergarten is one of the things that’s helpful to start thinking about now. Even if it seems your little one couldn’t possibly have grown this fast, now is the time to begin thinking about what kind of kindergarten program you’d like your student to attend. This is the time of year schools start gathering information for regular kindergarten classes, and the application for Supplemental Hours of Instruction kindergarten classes opens on Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. Not sure which option you prefer? In this episode of Connect Canyons we sit down with Instructional Supports administrator Kenna Sorensen and teacher specialist Leigh Ann Fisher to find answers to your questions, learn more about what steps you need to take, and discover what’s next.

It seems counterintuitive that the pandemic — a time of lockdowns, quarantines and physical distancing — could bring us closer together. But we crave human connection, especially in times of crisis, and technology, from catch-up sessions over Facebook to Zoom calls, has made it possible to keep those connections alive. Teachers have wrestled with how to harness technology to meaningfully connect with students from a distance. In this episode of Connect Canyons we meet the architects of a live-streaming solution that is helping them do just that. We’ll hear from a teacher who is putting it to use, and learn about the community partners who are making it possible to deliver the solution to classrooms all across Canyons.

For some students, knowing what’s on the lunch menu might not be the most important part of the day. But for Canyons Nutrition Services Department, it’s everything. From taste tests to strict health requirements, locally sourcing ingredients and analyzing what’s a popular meal and what’s not, Canyons goes to great lengths to make sure students have healthy, delicious food choices every day at school. This year, the meals are provided to students for free through exemptions allowed by the USDA. In this mouth-watering episode of Connect Canyons, we will take you behind the scenes of Canyons’ Nutrition Services Department and learn how these all-important nutrition decisions are made.

What is Utah’s Permanent State School Fund? That’s a jargony name that may not mean much to some of our listeners. But this fund is special. It has a special place in Utah’s history, it plays a vital role in fueling school improvement, and to understand its origins and purpose, we went straight to the source: The custodian of the school fund, Utah’s State Treasurer Dave Damschen. In this episode of Connect Canyons we talk to Mr. Damschen about the role of locally-elected School Community Councils in determining how the funds are spent. We also talk about how the fund will be making its largest-ever distribution to Utah’s schools in July.

Created by a vote of the people, Canyons District has always enjoyed uncommon levels of community support, and this year — when parents, grandparents and patrons ask what they can do to help — invariably, the answer is substitute teach. More do-gooders have signed up to cover classrooms this year than ever. Even so, COVID-related health and safety precautions have heightened demand for substitutes as teachers are placed on quarantine or, out of abundance of caution, asked to stay home with a sore throat, a cough or the sniffles. Learn why schools are still on the hunt for helping hands, who’s stepping in, and how you, too, can be a classroom hero.

Ever wonder what it’s like to build a course schedule for a public high school? In Canyons District, we refer to this undertaking as “building a board,” which makes it sound like a parlor game. But the process of making sure the courses you offer align with the faculty members who are certified to teach those courses and with what students want or need to take in order to graduate, is more like piecing together a Spiderman puzzle with thousands of pieces that are all the same shade of red. It’s a heroic effort, it’s complicated, and in this pandemic year, the stakes are higher than ever. To accommodate the needs of students as they shift from online to in-person learning and back again, schools are having to rebuild their boards, not once, but several times.

What’s the recipe for student success? Relationships, relationships, relationships. Call it a twist on the “three Rs,” but relationships are truly the foundation of all learning, from the time we are infants enthralled in a game of peek-a-boo to the mentors who influence our path through school, college and the workplace. To borrow an oft-quoted phrase:  Students don’t care what you know (about reading, writing or arithmetic) until they know how much you care. So, how can schools create the right conditions for relationships to flourish? According to Dr. David Allen Parker, they must intentionally work to build, through practice and discipline, “authentically inclusive” classrooms where each and every student, parent and staff member is accepted, celebrated and validated. Earlier this year, the consultant, storyteller and University of Utah professor conducted an authentic inclusion workshop with Canyons District counselors, therapists, nurses and school resource officers, and agreed to chat with us for a few minutes.

This unique school year is giving student body organizations the opportunity to get creative and reach out to students in more meaningful ways. They’re leading by example, adopting new routines, and finding new ways to stage events and assemblies — and while the school year looks different from what they could ever have imagined, they’re willing to do what it takes to stay in school. As Brighton High student body president Will Rahaniotis puts it: “If I get to see my friends for six hours a day but I lose some of the fun activities, to me that’s worth it.” Listen to how they’re staying connected with their classmates, while also striving to help the District keep students safe and healthy.

Midvalley Elementary Principal Tamra Baker arrived at school bright and early on Monday, Aug. 24 to make sure final preparations had been completed in time for an historic moment for her school community. It would be a day of firsts for Baker’s Jr. Huskies: The first day back at school since the COVID-19-related dismissal of schools five months ago, the first day of the school year, and the first day in a shiny new school that was completed just in time for classes to start. The usual first-day jitters, felt by students all across Canyons, were compounded by the fact that Midvalley Elementary students had never before set foot into their new building, and they had only been able to greet their new teachers via online meetings. But Baker strived to make sure the first-day events went off without a hitch.

The right of a fair trial by a jury of one’s peers has taken on new meaning with the creation of Canyons District’s Peer Court. Peer courts, also known as youth or teen courts, are a diversion program where youth charged with minor offenses, such as vandalism or fighting, agree to come before a sentencing panel of their peers. Peer Court sentencing is geared toward holding students accountable for righting wrongs, repairing harms and restoring relationships. As an alternative to automatic expulsion, suspension, or referral to juvenile court, this type of sentencing aims to keep students connected to their school, to the caring adults who work there, and to their peers. The Canyons Peer Court will be the second in Utah sponsored by a school district and will hear its first cases this fall. We recently met some of the students who will be serving on the inaugural court panel during a training where they learned about the importance of their role and three important pillars of justice: empathy, compassion and equity.

It’s been said that the world has reached peak disinfection as we work to rid our homes and workplaces of any trace of the COVID-19 virus. Indeed, the pandemic has heightened everyone’s interest in the many germ-fighting tools we have at our disposal. But public schools have always prioritized disease prevention, whether we’re talking about common colds and the flu or vaccine-preventable illnesses. So, what can our neighborhood schools teach us about the strategies that work best? How is COVID-19 different, and what extra precautions are schools taking as we look to resume classes in the fall? We recently caught up with Canyons District nurse Jennifer Gerrard and BJ Weller, Responsive Services Director for Canyons District, the department which, among other things, works to maintain safe, healthy learning environments in our schools.

The COVID-19 health crisis has tested us all, and as the school year approaches, many of us are feeling uneasy about what the future holds. But over the past five months, scientists and medical professionals have learned a great deal about this disease and how to combat it — professionals like Dr. Brandon Webb. A Canyons District parent who works with the Division of Infectious Disease and Clinical Epidemiology at Intermountain Healthcare, Dr. Webb works with people who are sick with COVID-19 every day. When case counts started to rise in Utah, he says the medical community was feeling the same the sense of unease that educational professionals are feeling today. Fear comes in facing the unknown and in life there will always be circumstances we can’t control. The trick, according to Dr. Webb, is focusing on what we can control, and being personally responsible for doing what we know works to stop the spread of COVID-19, while being prudent, or taking care to anticipate and plan for all possible contingencies. Medicine, as you know, is a hands-on profession where physical distancing is not always possible. But by taking precautions and being cautious — keeping a distance when possible, wearing face coverings, and practicing good hand hygiene and disinfection techniques — Dr. Webb’s team safely treated the patients who came to them in their moment of need. They accomplished this in the highest-risk environment possible, and while achieving an astonishingly low transmission rate among caregivers. Canyons District’s new Superintendent Dr. Rick L. Robins recently had an opportunity to meet with Dr. Webb and talk about reopening schools.