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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Apr 21, 2022
Episode 31 Why We Teach. A Conversation About Love and Learning with CSD’s Teachers of the Year
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.
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Mar 30, 2022
Episode 29 Picture-Perfect Career: Penny Petersen Looks Back on 49 Years at Brighton High
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.”
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Mar 8, 2022
Episode 28: Todd Bird Reflects on 35-Year Career, End of an Era for Utah Prison Education Program
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.
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Feb 18, 2022
Episode 27 The ‘Write’ Words: Utah author encourages students to ‘tell their story’
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.
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Jan 18, 2022
Episode 26 Ask a Librarian: Cozy Books to Curl Up With This Winter
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.
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Jan 4, 2022
Episode 25: Utah jazz: CCHS director Randal Clark jazzed about new album, teaching music
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.
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Dec 13, 2021
Episode 24: Weeding: It’s not Just for Gardens. How School Libraries Curate, ‘Weed,’ and Review Collections
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.
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Oct 7, 2021
Episode 23: Canyons District is Undergoing Accreditation. What Does this Mean, and Why Does it Matter?
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.
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Sep 23, 2021
Episode 22: The busy parent’s guide to school involvement
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.
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Sep 13, 2021
Episode 21: Mental Health: When Does Teen Angst Become Something to Worry About?
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.
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