9361 S. 300 East
Sandy, Utah 84070
801-826-5000
communications@canyonsdistrict.org
Amber Shill was first elected to the Canyons Board of Education in November 2014 and won re-election in November 2018 and again in November 2022. She represents District 2, which covers most of Cottonwood Heights.
The Utah native has deep roots in civic engagement. For 20 years, she has been involved in schools, serving on multiple district committees and in leadership capacities on the School Community Councils and PTA’s at Bella Vista Elementary, Butler Middle and Brighton High. She has held leadership roles for the Utah School Boards Association, including serving as the organization’s President. She has also represented Canyons on such statewide organizations as the Salt Lake County Parks & Recreation Advisory Board and Utah High School Activities Association where she currently is on the Board of Trustees.
Ms. Shill has a Master of Public Administration degree from Brigham Young University where she also graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance. Her civic involvement includes volunteering in Cub Scouts, leading youth groups, and serving as a Salt Lake County Precinct Delegate.
Ms. Shill and her husband have four children who attend or have graduated from the Brighton feeder system.
Contact: amber.shill@canyonsdistrict.org
What a great, few days at the National School Boards Association’s 
Annual Conference! I always come away feeling inspired and empowered to make a difference in our schools. It was a true pleasure to spend time with my Canyons Board of Education colleagues and learn from other school board members from around the nation. #NSBA2023 #publiceducation
It was such a great experience to attend the Brighton High Feeder School luncheon, which was held recently. I loved getting to know other parents and administrators who care about Canyons schools as much as I do. We discussed the legislative session and got updates on Brighton High. Thanks to the Brighton School Community Council for bringing us all together! Shout out to the incredible students that made our meal! The churros were so yummy!
Jordan High
Hillcrest High
Alta High
Mount Jordan Middle
Midvale Middle
Union Middle
Indian Hills Middle
Alta View Elementary
Copperview Elementary
East Sandy Elementary
Glacier Hills Elementary
Sandy Elementary
Altara Elementary
Crescent Elementary
Midvale Elementary
Midvalley Elementary
A veteran of the U.S. Air Force and father of four school-aged children, Andrew Edtl was elected to the Canyons Board of Education in November 2022. A steadfast supporter of public education, he has volunteered in Canyons’ schools in many capacities, including serving two terms as PTA President and four terms as School Community Council Chairman. Representing District 4 encompassing parts of Sandy and Midvale, he is the first African American to serve on Canyon’s governing board.
Mr. Edtl’s roots in public service also extend to working as a job coach for refugee families and Scout master. Professionally, he works for the Utah Air National Guard where he held roles in human resources, global health management, operations, and security. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Western Governors University and Master’s in business administration from Westminster College.
The father of four children, three of whom are of school-age and attending Canyons schools, Mr. Edtl believes students succeed when parents and teachers and schools work together. He enjoys hiking, skiing, and traveling with his wife Diane.
Contact: andrew.edtl@canyonsdistrict.org or 385-522-3705
Jordan High
Hillcrest High
Alta High
Mount Jordan Middle
Midvale Middle
Union Middle
Indian Hills Middle
Alta View Elementary
Copperview Elementary
East Sandy Elementary
Glacier Hills Elementary
Sandy Elementary
Altara Elementary
Crescent Elementary
Midvale Elementary
Midvalley Elementary
I had a great time at the Glacier Hills Elementary Spring Fling! It was wonderful to see our community come together, exploring and appreciating the school’s facilities. The kids had a blast participating in entertaining games, and the food trucks were on hand to serve up some tasty treats. The atmosphere was energetic, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Witnessing such enthusiasm and dedication to education in our community is truly motivating. As we continue supporting our local schools, we reinforce the importance of education to our children. Here’s to a successful event, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of such a memorable gathering!
I had the pleasure of attending the Book Blitz Jr. championship event and am delighted to offer my heartfelt congratulations to the amazing team from Sunrise Elementary for their exceptional victory in the districtwide competition. It was inspiring to see young students embrace the joy of reading and challenge themselves to explore new books and genres.
For those who are unfamiliar with Book Blitz Jr., it’s a competition that encourages students to read books and then answer questions about which book they’re from. This program promotes literacy while also allowing students to discover new books and genres they might not have been interested in otherwise.
I would also like to extend my congratulations to the team from Canyon View Elementary for their impressive second-place finish, as well as to all the other teams who participated in the competition. The students’ knowledge and enthusiasm for the books they had read was impressive and made this competition a rewarding experience for everyone involved.
Once again, congratulations to the winning team and all participants. It’s inspiring to see young minds so engaged in such an exciting and educational competition, and I encourage everyone to continue to nurture their love for reading and learning.
It’s truly inspiring to witness the passion and dedication of our young leaders as they strive to make a difference in their school community. I recently had the pleasure of spending some time with the Glacier Hills Elementary Student Council, and I can confidently say that the future is in good hands.
During my visit, the student council engaged in a lively discussion about the characteristics of a good leader. Their thought-provoking conversation touched upon qualities such as helping others, spreading positivity, being inclusive, and setting a good example. The students also emphasized the importance of teamwork, sacrificing time and energy, and being actively involved in their community.
Their understanding of leadership and their commitment to creating a supportive and positive environment were genuinely inspiring. 
These young visionaries have undoubtedly laid the groundwork for a strong foundation in leadership and community service.
A key figure in the success of Glacier Hills Elementary’s student council is Michael Price, the dedicated fifth-grade teacher who oversees the group. Michael’s passion, energy, and focus have played a crucial role in guiding these young leaders. He works tirelessly to teach the students the values of inclusivity and service, which are clearly reflected in the council’s approach and initiatives.
Michael’s invaluable contribution to the growth and development of these students cannot be overstated. His unwavering dedication to nurturing future leaders is an inspiration to us all.
The visit to Glacier Hills Elementary Student Council was a heartwarming and eye-opening experience. Their enthusiasm and genuine passion for making a difference in their school and beyond are a testament to the outstanding work of both the students and their mentors. I look forward to witnessing the incredible impact they will have on their school community and the world at large.
Keep shining, Glacier Hills Elementary Student Council! Your hard work, dedication, and positive spirit will undoubtedly create lasting change for the better.
Amanda Oaks first joined the Canyons Board of Education in January 2019 and was re-elected to serve a second term in November 2022. This is her second term serving on Board leadership as Vice President. A classically-trained musician, Oaks attended Brigham Young University (BYU) on full academic and music scholarships and received a Bachelor of Arts in Viola Performance. Desiring to become a more effective community advocate, she went on to earn a law degree from BYU in 2004 and thereafter practiced estate planning.
A Utah native and mother of five children attending Canyons District schools, Oaks believes collaborative partnerships between parents, educators, and administrators create stronger schools and communities. A Chinese speaker, she has long been a supporter of Utah’s Dual Language Immersion program. For the past three years, she has served on Canyons’ Arts Consortium where she works with teachers, administrators, and members of the local arts community to build on the District’s strong arts programs. She’s an equally passionate advocate for students with disabilities and hands-on learning in science and technology.
Oaks represents K-12 public school interests on the Working Group Committee charged with creating a plan for future development of the Point of the Mountain at the old Utah Prison site. She also serves on the Joint Legislative Committee of the Utah School Boards Association.
She and her husband, Sterling believe in the importance of humanitarian service, both locally and abroad. She rarely sits still, and enjoys pilates, researching classic books for her children’s reading, and educational travel.
Contact: amanda.oaks@canyonsdistrict.org.
Reading isn’t something you typically think of being a group activity. 
But in Canyons, we are building communities of readers with activities like the annual Book Blitz and Book Blitz Jr. contests — and it’s a community that anyone can join! Book Blitz is a Jeopardy-style competition where student teams are challenged to answer questions about the characters and plots of pre-selected books. I had the pleasure of observing the District-level contest this year and was so impressed by the students’ grasp of the smallest details from the books they read. Keep in mind, many middle school students read all 20 required books and a good number of elementary students read all 12 of their required books. Congratulations to all who took up the reading challenge, and kudos to this year’s winners:
Individual Middle School Winner: Mary Grant, Indian Hills Middle
Winning Middle School Team: Draper Park Middle’s “Reading by Dusk” team: Anna Stephens, Alina Vannlord, Yulia Brattos, and Maya Halvorsen.
Winning Elementary School Team: The Sunrise Elementary “Word Ninjas:” Liam Sharkey, Thomas McCoy, Rossteen Esfavjani, Marcus Liu, and Van Hewitt.
During the first weekend of March, several Canyons District high schools participated in the regional FIRST Robotics competition for what has been referred to as “The Ultimate Sport for the Mind.” Adhering to stringent rules, time and resources, teams of students face challenges to build and program industrial-size robots, and use that robot to overcome obstacles in alliance with other teams. These teams also fundraise to meet their goals, design a team “brand,” and work to advance respect and appreciation for STEM within the local community. I delighted at the chance to visit our Canyons teams during the competition and witness unbelievable dedication from these students. Some of the students from Alta High’s team gave me a riveting tour, and exuded enthusiasm. They shared story after story about how their robotics team allowed them to learn problem-solving and creativity, and what FIRST refers to as “coopertition,” a value that promotes kindness and gracious professionalism in the face of competition. The conclusion of the event brought particular honor to Alta’s team, which received the Engineering Inspiration Award, landing them a place at this year’s FIRST National Competition in Houston. The Hawks robotics team ended the month in similar fashion. At the FIRST Idaho Regional Competition in Boise, held March 31-April 2, Alta took third place out of 48 teams and student Kassandra Holt received the Dean’s Award and teacher Ron Strohm, who has been instrumental in building up Alta’s robotics program, received the Woodie Flowers Award, a prestigious honor that is given to just one team advisor at each of the regional competitions. The award is reserved for those demonstrate top-tier teaching and communication skills in the art and science of engineering and design. Congratulations to all our teams and their coaches! You make me Canyons Proud.
With his November 2024 campaign victory, 19-year-old Jackson Lewis became the youngest person to win election to a public office in Utah. A proud member of Hillcrest High’s Class of 2023, he is also the first Canyons District graduate to serve on the Canyons Board of Education. Mr. Lewis is proud to be an American, Utahn, and lifelong resident of Midvale, having spent his childhood living within a minute’s walk from 7500 South. He will represent District 1, which encompasses Midvale and parts of Sandy.
A product of public education, Mr. Lewis is firm believer in the central role public schools play in preparing students to participate democratic life. He is also keenly aware of the role good governance in maintaining world-class schools that send students into the world ready and excited to lead. He has aspired to public service for as long as he can remember, and looks forward to bringing to the Board his perspective as a recent student with first-hand knowledge of the challenges and opportunities schools face.
Mr. Lewis is currently enrolled at Salt Lake Community College where he studies Political Science. The avid rockhounder, hiker, and gardener is passionate about public lands and spends any moment he can in the great outdoors.
Contact: Jackson.Lewis@canyonsdistrict.org
Katie Dahle brings to the Canyons Board of Education experience as an educator, parent, business owner, and community advocate. She joined the Board in January 2025, representing District 3, which covers areas of Cottonwood Heights and Sandy, and the Town of Alta.
Mrs. Dahle comes from a long line of educators. She, too, taught school for a number of years before taking a break to raise her four children, three of whom still attend Canyons’ schools. In addition, she has dedicated more than a decade to supporting Canyons’ schools as a member of multiple School Community Councils, also holding leadership roles as chair and vice chair.
With her husband, Jim, she co-owns a financial education company, which supports medical and other high-income professionals in becoming financially literate and creating personal finance plans. Mrs. Dahle holds a degree in Sports Medicine from Brigham Young University and a master’s in Special Physical Education from the University of Utah.
Having grown up and lived around the world as both the daughter and spouse of Air Force officers, she values diverse perspectives and community engagement. Her passion for education extends beyond her professional and volunteer work. She is committed to continuing Canyons’ legacy of providing students exceptional and personalized instruction while finding new ways to support teachers and staff. She remains equally committed to fostering transparency in school board operations.
In her free time, she enjoys outdoor adventures with her family, including hiking, biking, skiing, and canyoneering, or relaxing with a good book or puzzle.
Contact: Katie.Dahle@canyonsdistrict.org
Karen Pedersen comes to the Canyons Board of Education with 41 years of classroom experience and an enduring desire to see all students succeed. First elected to the Board in November 2022 to serve District 5 in Sandy and White City, she is the first retired CSD teacher to join Canyons’ governing body.
An elementary school teacher with endorsements in reading, math, and English as a second language, Mrs. Pederson’s career culminated with her being named the 2021 Teacher of the Year for Willow Canyon Elementary. She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary and early childhood education from Utah State University and a Master’s degree in education from Westminster College. Believing that strong communities make for strong schools, she has always found time for service, having served various roles on the Canyons Education Association, including four years as Vice President. She also served on Canyons’ teacher evaluation committee and as the teacher representative on Willow Canyon’s School Community Council.
Mrs. Pedersen loves traveling with her husband, Craig and camping with their four adult children — all proud Jordan High graduates — and 12 grandchildren. She also enjoys watercolor painting, drawing, and rock collecting.
Contact: karen.pedersen@canyonsdistrict.org
The end of a school year is a whirlwind of exciting events, from award banquets and sports championships to field days, and art shows and performances. And to cap it all off, are the graduation ceremonies!
I have been fortunate to have attended a number of these. The Alta High Marching Band fundraiser and car show was wonderful! There were cool cars, awesome music by Alta Bands, clinics for the drumline, and good food. It was an excellent way to show the community what the Marching Band is all about!
Thirty friendly volunteers attended the luncheon hosted by the Willow Canyon PTA. The great food was matched only by the even better conversations. Our schools need to continue to recognize the importance of our PTA organization and the thousands of volunteer hours given to help support our students and teachers! It was hard without you during the pandemic.
Attending and being a member on various District committees is a vital way to help inform the conversations that help form future District needs. As a member of Long Range Planning, we discuss the populations of our schools, the cost of building maintenance, and how to provide programs to help improve instruction and building usage. In Health and Wellness, we are looking into the feasibility of providing a wellness center and possibly daycare for our employees in the future.
Thanks to fellow board member, Andrew Edtl, school board members were given the opportunity to see what the national guard can do for our graduates. It’s a great option the Guard offers to those wanting to serve their country close to home. We flew a refueling training mission in a KC135 to a C-17. This operation required the most incredible skill with both aircraft flying at exacting speeds and altitudes!
Spring must finally be here! I recently attended Glacier Hills Elementary’s Spring Fling open house. They opened the building to those in the community who live in the area but do not currently have students attending the school. They showcased student artwork and writing down the hallways. Teachers were running games outside. There were booths for AVID, the PTA, and Alta View Hospital, and of course, food trucks. The Yeti was wandering around for photos. Purchasing school t-shirts proved to be a big hit with the parents. It was a wonderful way to build school-to-community connections.
Canyons has the best teachers! It was an exciting evening honoring each of our school’s Teacher of the Year at the District’s Teacher of the Year celebration. Congratulations to all our winners. Listening to each teacher’s accomplishments reinforced my appreciation for the creativity, dedication, and focus on student success that Canyons teachers bring each day to our students. The school board was proud to share in your success.
I almost felt like a movie star as I attended the Canyons Education Foundation Gala to honor our student scholarship recipients and help raise funding for teacher innovation grants. It was a beautiful night with great food and good company. The Foundation is the fundraising branch with community outreach for the District.
I also attended the District Storytelling competition for K-3 students. I want to give a shout out to Peruvian Park Elementary for their exemplary students who took all three awards! This was excellent public speaking practice.
Finally, I had the opportunity to participate in a Zoom presentation on “The Weight of Injustice: Exploring the Intersectionality of Fatphobia, Racism, and Mental Health” presented by the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC). This provided an interesting perspective on historical and present-day causes of some of the mental health issues facing children. Knowledge is the first step as we strive to always improve in supporting all students to reach their potential.
The week before Spring Break was busy! I started the week by visiting Diamond Ridge High and Entrada Adult High School. I was so impressed by the way the school building is evolving to meet the diverse needs of our nontraditional high school students. The classes are welcoming, teachers and staff know everyone by name, and most importantly, the students want to be at school! They have multiple supports: food pantry, counseling, showers and washing machines for the homeless, study/homework help, etc. The new science, cooking, and maker spaces will be ready for next year. One wing of the building is Entrada. This is open to the community to learn English skills and connect with community services, and earn GED diplomas. I so appreciate the support Canyons gives the community and our disadvantaged to have access to programs and are given an opportunity for success. Next, I visited with the wonderful employees who work in the Transportation Department. These bus drivers, dispatchers, routers, and mechanics keep the district rolling! They have the biggest hearts. Many of these employees are some of our oldest. When asked why they continue to work, they told me, “It’s because of the kids!” Being with our students is the highlight of their day. They shared with me some of their ideas to improve transportation efficiency, communication, and would love to someday have a new building. The building they are in is 60 years old. Newer equipment has been added as needed, but restroom upgrades, better office flow, break room space, and earthquake stability would be an important future goal for the District. I had the opportunity to attend a presentation concerning upgrades to our operations system Skyward. Our current version is very dated and unable to meet all of our District needs. It was impressive to see the what the new upgrade can do with teacher grading, reports, scheduling, attendance, lunch accounts, and enrollment. It may be worth the cost to upgrade a system the District is already familiar with. This information will inform future study sessions. I also attended the National School Boards Association recently. It was a wonderful opportunity to inform, share, discuss, and be in touch with issues facing our public schools all over the country. Three topics seemed to be reoccurring: school safety; student equity, mental health and resilience, and effective school board policy. It was reaffirming to see that many of the presentations aligned to our practices at CSD. We have a vision through our Strategic Planning, shared governance, and increased accountability for learning and less on operations. We have built strong collaboration between district leadership and board governance. We focus on students and their needs. It was nice to get to know each other better and strengthen relationships.
In the past few weeks, I was excited to be invited to participate as a judge at Willow Canyon’s Battle of the Books. I am always happy to support activities that help add the spark to our school curriculum. The students knew their books and answered with confidence. Such close competition! Everyone did such a great job. Way to go, Books of Knowledge team!
We are so blessed to have such talented students and amazing music directors! I was awed by the professional music performed by the Canyons Symphony Orchestra held at Corner Canyon High. Thanks for the invite! It was wonderful! I give a big shout out to Jordan Wright, Ranae Dalgleish, Caleb Shabestari and Mitchell Atencio, the high school directors.
It is always a good experience to be able to meet with dedicated parents and educators at School Community Council meetings. The hard work and planning for meeting the learning goals and observe decisions made on how to efficiently use available FTE, Land Trust, and TSSR monies was so well done. I attended the SCC meetings at Silver Mesa and Glacier Hills elementary schools and Eastmont Middle.
I also have met with various employee groups to discuss concerns and learn how each department works. Thanks to each of you for taking your time to meet with me, including the Education Support Professionals leadership, Jordan High, CTEC, Willow Canyon, Alta View, Silver Mesa, Glacier Hills and Albion Middle
It’s also been such a great experience to personally express appreciation to employees who are making us Canyons Strong. “Canyons Strong” is the Board of Education’s new employee-recognition program, and we’re dedicating time as Board members to thank our employees for the special ways they contribute to their schools and departments. Each month, every Canyons Board of Education member will write thank you notes to at least seven employees who are making a difference. I was able to hand-deliver my thank-you cards. The surprised look on their faces, and teary eyes as they were told “thank you,” was priceless to me.
Holly Neibaur joined the Canyons Board of Education in January, 2021 and won re-election in November, 2024, representing the Draper area in District 7. She is passionate about the importance of a strong public school system. She attended Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in education, taught middle school in Alpine School District, and is the mother of seven sons and one amazing daughter-in-law. She has a long history of volunteering in schools both in Tennessee and Utah and has served on several School Community Councils within Canyons District.
As a businesswoman and co-owner of Neibaur Family Orthodontics, she is a proponent of personalized hands-on learning that equips students to thrive. She has focused on raising teacher salaries, creating career and life pathways for all students, including special education students, and school safety upgrades.
When she’s not at work, or sitting in school board policy meetings, she can be seen cheering on her boys and community at all the sports games. She loves watching sports, hiking, kayaking, any scraps of time to read things besides board documents, dancing, home design, and driving home from Board meetings with the music turned up and the sky roof open.
Contact: holly.neibaur@canyonsdistrict.org
Hello! Thanks for visiting this blog to find out about what I have been doing and how I have been representing you as a Board Member. This new website and format is just the beginning of many exciting innovations in Canyons!
A few months ago we adopted the Strategic Plan for the district. This is an outline of goals for our schools and students. This past month we adopted Portrait of a Canyons Scholar. This focuses on 5 characteristics we hope to see from Canyons students. We want them to be innovators, critical thinkers, resilient learners, impactful citizens, and collaborators.
The Strategic Plan will guide us as we find more opportunities for kids to connect in hands on, high quality, and collaborative learning.
I am part of the High-Quality Learning committee. This committee wrote the five characteristics and is committed to creating pathways to success for every type of learner. I have also met with department chairs about how to provide advanced learning opportunities for elementary and middle school kids.
Recently, I was able to meet with our Special Education Department and Business Administrator to ensure our special education students in the Accommodated Core Class would be able to stay at Willow Springs Elementary for two more years while we look at a strategic long-term plan. I hope to help these students establish a clean feeder pattern where they can move onto the same middle school as their peers.
I recently enjoyed watching the Unified Special Olympic basketball team take on Brighton High. It was a fun event and neat to see how everyone cheered on these brave kids! They did great!
I also just met with our Student Advisory Committee. We talked about their most interesting, engaging classroom experiences. Students are asking for less Chromebook time. And their classroom experience will be better!
Not to say that we don’t have awesome experiences in our schools! We certainly do! I just recently attended the career day at Corner Canyon and watched these high school students listen to two entrepreneurs. These Alta alumni started Dime Cosmetics. They have created a thriving, successful business.
A few weeks ago, I also had the opportunity to tour our CTE classes in Draper Park Middle School and Corner Canyon. I was blown away at all the fun things these kids get to do. I watched them program computer balls called spheroes to get into golf holes on mats. I also heard about a “Shark Tank” experience where the CEO of a successful company in California flies out to judge the competitions.
The tour ended at our CTEC campus. We have amazing programs there. I was talking to the cyber-security teacher who informed me our juniors are already being courted by cyber-security companies and offered six figure salaries! The only thing we need now is a nicer, newer space to house these programs.
Speaking of programs — our sports teams at Corner Canyon are nothing short of amazing. Congrats to our cheer team for winning nationals! Congrats to our basketball team for winning the 6A state championship! They will be playing in Washington, D.C., at a national tournament over spring break. Best of luck! Our track team is doing well and recently our drama department put on a fantastic dramatic play.
For a few years I have been having conversations about how to better meet the needs of our student athletes. Our soccer, lacrosse, baseball, and softball fields need improvement! That is a bit of an understatement. We have spent much time and money trying to take care of the water issues. I am happy to let you know field improvements at Corner Canyon are being discussed by the full board and a plan is being formed. We also know how difficult it is to schedule gym time. A field house is also in the plans.
Thank you for all the great support your family provides to our schools. Thank you for sending your amazing kids to our schools. Always know if you have any concerns or questions, you can email or call me. Thank you for letting me represent you!
Canyons School District is committed to making this website compliant with the ADA. At this time, we recognize that not all areas of this website may be ADA compliant. We are currently in the process of redesigning and creating new website content to be compliant with the W3C Level Two guidelines. If you are experiencing issues with this website, please contact us here communications@canyonsdistrict.org
If a movie about super teachers were ever made, Lucie Chamberlain would be a prime candidate for a leading role. Fortunately for her kindergarten students at Alta View Elementary, she already thrives in a supporting role for them. Parents thank her for being a “super teacher.” She is also described as an “amazing colleague.” Whether students need help in the classroom or from home while sick, Lucie goes above and beyond to help them learn, overcome fears, and feel important and cared for. Lucie is the reason a number of kids went from hating school to loving it, according to parents. The way she exudes patience, sweetness, positive energy, and love for her students with special needs melts is appreciated and admired. One parent noted: “Both my kids wish she could be their teacher forever.” Another added: “She treats every student like their learning and their feelings are her priority.” Super teacher, indeed!
