The seniors who play with Jordan High’s Wind Symphony can walk across the stage at commencement knowing they are leaving a superior legacy intact. Earlier this month, the school’s Wind Symphony, led by teacher Randal Clark, took home honors at the Utah State Concert Band Festival.
 
Out of 35 bands that qualified for the festival, Jordan was one of only six that received “Superior” ratings for its performance.  This marks the 12th consecutive year that Jordan’s student musicians achieved such high scores, which Clark says is a “pretty big deal in the music world — kind of like the Superbowl.”
 
Senior Holly Tuft, who plays the clarinet, says the scores are sweet relief after years of hard work.  “It feels good to have contributed to continuing the legacy,” says Tuft, who has earned a music scholarship at Southern Utah University. The win at the festival also showed “that we work hard and don’t give up,” said Adam Millett, the senior percussionist.
 
The students performed “Americans We,” by Henry Fillmore; “Ride,” by Samuel R. Hazo; and “One Life Beautiful,” by Julie Giroux.
 
This is just the latest in a series of superior ratings for the Beetdiggers. In fact, Clark says, Jordan’s string of top ratings for students in Concert Band, Jazz Band and Orchestra make it one of the most successful programs in the state.

Midvale Middle School eighth-grader and student essayist Timothy Hui has been selected to represent Utah at the National Do the Write Thing essay contest — and to have his essay about ending youth violence entered into the Library of Congress. The Do the Write Thing Challenge offers seventh- and eighth-grade students an opportunity to examine the impact of youth violence on their lives and write essays proposing prevention tactics to break the cycle of violence in their homes, schools and neighborhoods. The national challenge is administered locally through the Utah Board of Juvenile Justice, which selects one boy and one girl to represent Utah at the national competition.

Hui, his teacher Jennifer Romney, and his parents will travel to the national competition July 20-14, 2013. He received a complementary airfare and hotel stay, and received a $500 donation to a Utah Educational Savings Plan account.

Canyons has four other students receiving state honors for their essays. They are:

• National Finalist: Tyler Hill, Crescent View Middle School. Teacher: Jenna Fitch.
• State Finalists: Mason Edwards and Abby Hall, Crescent View; Chandler Wakefield, Midvale Middle.

Canyons students submitted 613 of the 1,707 essays submitted statewide. Participating teachers include Romney and Fitch, as well as Kimberly Carter, Krista Dodds, Scott Christensen, and Whitney Lee of Crescent View Middle School.

See Hui talk to KUTV's Cristina Flores about his essay and his ideas on how to reduce bullying in schools. 

Do you think your co-workers, parent volunteers or community supporters deserve accolades? There’s a way to cast the spotlight on their good work and exemplary dedication to students: Canyons District’s Apex Awards, the highest awards that are bestowed by the Board of Education and Administration. 

The Apex Awards are given each fall to educators, employees, local elected officials, corporate partners, community leaders and volunteers at a by-invitation-only event. This will be the fourth year CSD has honored outstanding educators, administrators and community supporters with Apex Awards. 

Nominations will be taken until July 1, 2013.  

Apex Award categories are: 

•   Teacher of the Year 
•   School Administrator of the Year
•   District Administrator of the Year
•   Business Partner of the Year
•   Volunteer of the Year
•   Elected Official of the Year
•   Education Support Professional of the Year
•   Legacy Award

Use this easy-to-use online tool to read more about the categories and to submit nominations. Nominations can be submitted until July 1, 2013.

Nominations for Apex Awards can be submitted for all categories except Teacher of the Year. Our Teacher of the Year is selected in the spring and is CSD’s nominee in the state Teacher of the Year competition.

Questions? Call Jeff Haney in the Office of Public Communications at 801-826-5084 or send a note to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

In honor of School Nurse Week, May 6-12, Canyons District expresses appreciation for the good work done by our school nurses. The week ends on the birthday of Florence Nightingale, who is known as the founder of modern nursing.

Also, Wednesday, May 8, was National School Nurse Day. It was established in 1972 to foster a better understanding of the role of school nurses in the educational setting. Today, school nursing is recognized as a specialized practice that advances the healthy, academic success, and life-long achievement of students. 

CSD thanks the school nurses for their efforts to keep us healthy. A luncheon will be hosted at the Canyons Administration Building on Thursday in their honor.

The CSD school nurses are:

• Stacy Drew
• Lisa Gee
• Sally Goodger
• Martee Hawkins
• Suzanne Madsen
  
• DeDee Madsen
• Nancy Purcell
• Teresa Scheidler-Hildebrand
• Lorie Seeger
• Cheryl Argyle

Pick up plants you’d like to see growing in your yards at the Canyons Technical Education Center, 825 E. 9085 South, Sandy. A sale on plants and flowers is now underway. Geraniums, petunias, tomatoes and snapdragons are among the plants for sale from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday. Questions?  Please call 801-826-6600.