Amy Bateman's classroom is alive with chatter and the buzz and flash of technology. But it's not the latest celebrity news or school gossip that's flying between her Eastmont Middle School students. It's numbers, right angles, and equations.

"It's a fun class," Deputy Superintendent Ginger Rhode said, "and yet kids are learning."

Bateman, known for her relentless commitment to a vision that all students will succeed, was named the 2012 Canyons School District Teacher of the Year. The honor came with prizes including a $1,000 check from the Canyons School District Education Foundation. Bateman was one of three finalists for District Teacher of the Year honors. The other finalists were: Stephanie Lay, math, Butler Middle School; and Denise Ferguson, language arts, Alta High School, who received prizes and $250 each from the Foundation.



Bateman is described as a gifted educator, leader, and teacher mentor. She is a master of data-driven decision-making, and is quick to identify students who struggle, provide needed supports, and monitor their progress. As a result, her students continually achieve well above District and state averages on standardized tests. Bateman posts video recordings of her lessons on YouTube, and engages parents by providing them with information on assignments, tests, and ways they can access help for their students.

"She has the highest rate of student engagement of any classroom in which I've been," Dr. Rhode said.

"I'm very focused on, do I have a visual, do I have audio, am I engaging them to have fun, to get a little bit rowdy in the classroom – but rowdy, meaning it's definitely organized, chaotic fun," Bateman said. "It's not a default job for me. I'm extremely passionate about teaching."

Bateman's award was announced at the May 15, 2012 Canyons Board of Education's Teacher Appreciation Night, in which the Board honored 45 school Teachers of the Year for their commitment to excellence and dedication to Canyons students and families. Teachers of the Year were selected by school committees, and were nominated by colleagues, parents and school leaders. Each Teacher of the Year must have taught at least three years and be a career educator, and showcase outstanding teaching practices and professional and community involvement. Teachers of the Year were announced at their schools the last week of April, and honored at halftime at Canyons Night at Real Salt Lake May 5, 2012.

The 2012 Canyons Teacher of the Year program was supported by the Canyons Education Foundation, Real Salt Lake, LaCaille, and Hillside Floral.

For the second consecutive year, Canyons School District has earned two awards for excellence in creating the District’s annual budget.

Canyons District is the recipient of the Government Finance Officers Association Certificate of Achievement in Excellence in Financial Reporting for the District’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Audit for the year ending June 30, 2011.
 
In addition, the District has received the Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) International, Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting award for the June 30, 2011 CAFR.

To adequately prepare for the districtwide grade reconfiguration in fall 2013, Canyons District has slightly altered the time frame to submit requests to attend a school other than the one assigned to your family by geographic boundaries.

The school open-enrollment application window for the 2013-2014 school year will start Aug. 1, 2012. Applications will be taken until Nov. 1, 2012.

Please take note: Applications will not be taken outside of this window.

If your child currently attends school on an out-of-boundary permit, you will need to submit another application during this open-enrollment window.

This one-time variance to the permit process, which is usually held from December to February, will help the District ensure proper staffing levels when Canyons schools adopt a new grade structure.

The new configuration, approved by the Canyons Board of Education in 2010, moves ninth-graders into the high schools, and creates middle schools of sixth- through eighth-grades, and elementary schools of kindergarten through fifth grades.

Open-enrollment applications can be accessed at any Canyons District school or the Canyons Administration Building, 9150 S. 500 West.

Applications should be submitted directly to the school where you would like your child to be enrolled.

Questions? Please call Canyons District’s Office of Planning and Enrollment at 801-826-5180.

Canyons District is asking students to submit their best digital artwork for a planned display at the Computer Training Lab at the Canyons Support Services Center.

The deadline for submissions to the "Digital Art Project," which is being sponsored by the Canyons Information Technology Department, is July 31, 2012, at 5 p.m.  

For the project, students of all ages can submit original pieces of art that they’ve created using digital media — computers, tablets, etc. The artwork must be submitted as high-resolution .jpg and the student must give permission to hang the artwork in the Computer Training Lab.

A gallery of the student work will be Aug. 15 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the CSSC, 9361 S. 300 East.

For information — and to submit the artwork — contact Liz Healy at 801-826-5371 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

 

The Canyons Board of Education and the Canyons Education Association have reached a tentative agreement for the 2012-13 school year that will give educators an increase in base pay in addition to steps and lanes, and a one-time 2 percent bonus. These are some highlights of the tentative agreement:

   • 1 percent Cost of Living Adjustment to the base salary schedule
   • 2 percent one-time educator appreciation bonus, to recognize the hard work of teachers in implementing changes in Canyons School District over the past three years.
   • Unfreezing of the salary schedule, with Steps and Lanes for the 2012-13 year
   • No increase in the cost of health insurance premiums
   • $1,000 stipend for English educators in the elementary dual immersion programs
   • Continuation of the minimal day at the end of the grading cycle

The Board and Association also agreed on some proposals to update several policies to bring them in line with recent changes in Utah Code and streamline some practices. These include updates to policies on provisional and probationary employees to be consistent with new Senate Bill 64; updates to the policy on the Local Professional Improvement Committee (LPIC); an update to the policies related to leave for the CEA president to be consistent with state law; and modifications to policies on the transfer of professional staff to accommodate grade reconfiguration in 2013. Any substantial revisions (above and beyond routine statutory updates) to these policies will be done according to the Board's approved policy process.

Canyons Education Association President Ross Rogers, speaking on behalf of the CEA, and Superintendent David Doty, speaking on behalf of the Canyons Board of Education, stated: "We are very pleased with the collaborative nature of this year's negotiations, and look forward to working together in the coming year as we make final preparations for grade reconfiguration and secure meaningful input on better ways to support teachers and improve student achievement."

The Canyons Education Association will send the tentative agreement out for ratification by members after its meeting on May 8, 2012, and the Board of Education is expected to ratify by the end of the school year.