Connect Canyons
Canyons School District
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Learning is about making connections, and we invite you to learn and connect with us. Connect Canyons is a podcast about what we teach in Canyons School District, how we teach, and why. We’ll get up close and personal with some of the people who make our schools great: students, teachers, principals, parents, and more. We’ll meet national experts, too. We’ll spotlight the “connection makers” — personalities, programs and prospects — we find compelling and inspiring
Available episodes
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May 28, 2021
Episode 19: The Class of Covid-19
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.
May 11, 2021
Episode 18: Time for Change: How Can Schools Take Advantage of Lessons from the Pandemic?
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.
Apr 23, 2021
Episode 17 : Canyons District is Writing its Next Chapter, and it’s Going to be a Page-Turner
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.
Apr 1, 2021
Episode 16: Spring into Volunteering to Help Schools Finish the Year Strong
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.
Mar 23, 2021
Episode 15: What Canyons is Doing to Bridge the Digital Divide — and How you Can Help
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.
Feb 18, 2021
Episode 14: Could Rapid COVID Testing be the Key to Keeping Schools Open?
If you live in Utah and are the parent of a high school student, chances 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.
Jan 6, 2021
Episode 13: Ready for ‘Big Kid’ School? There’s a Lot Consider, and the Time to Prepare is Now
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.
Dec 22, 2020
Episode 12: Generous Donation of Live-streaming Innovation Helps Teachers Reach Students from a Distance
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 innovation 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.
Nov 12, 2020
Episode 11: You Are What You Eat — So For Kids, It Better Taste Great
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.
Nov 4, 2020
Episode 10: This Year’s Bumper Crop in School Improvement Funding
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.