We're Hiring!

resources

Family Connections

Getting Involved

Tools

Resources

Leadership

About

Getting Involved

New Alternative School Given Sparkling Name: Diamond Ridge High

Canyons District’s new high school has a sparkling new name.

The Canyons Board of Education voted Tuesday, July 14, 2015 to name the campus Diamond Ridge High. The alternative high school will open Aug. 19, 2015, the first day of school in CSD from the coming academic year.

On the first day, up to 80 students are expected to be attending classes at Diamond Ridge High.  The first group will be made up of 16- to 18-year-old students who have been pursuing a high school diploma at Entrada, Canyons’ adult high school.

Canyons Assistant Superintendent Dr. Kathryn McCarrie said the new name appeals to students and brings to mind the meanings of the ski-trail rating signs seen on the slopes of nearby resorts. “Skiers know that runs marked with a diamond suggest difficulty and challenge, with great rewards at the end,” said Dr. McCarrie

In addition, the moniker continues the tradition of Canyons District high schools bearing names depicting the geographical surroundings.  “The ‘ridge’ in the name,” she said, “suggests a high geographical point with beauty and vision.” 

In the future, if students wish to attend the new school, which will initially be housed in buildings on the campus of the Canyons Technical Education Center, 825 E. 9085 South, they would first need to discuss the possibility of enrollment with the counselors at the school where they are attending. New-school enrollments won’t begin until January 2016. 

The Board of Education in March approved a proposal to open an alternative high school in Canyons District.  Currently, CSD students needing alternative programming leave the District to attend other districts’ alternative high schools or enroll at CSD’s Entrada Adult High School.  Unfortunately, the students ages 16-18 who chose to go to into the Adult Education program instead of an alternative high school were counted as “drop-outs” by the state. 

For now, the new CSD alternative high school will be for juniors and seniors, said Karen Sterling, Canyons District’s Director of Student Advocacy and Access.  Sterling also said Diamond Ridge’s administration is dedicated to reducing the non-academic barriers that hindered the students’ attempts at success in the traditional high school setting.

Each student at Diamond Ridge will have an individualized plan to guide him or her to graduation.  The students, with the help of counselors and school staff, will map out the courses they’ll take, given the time they have available outside of work or family obligations.  Sterling says the student-specific scheduling effort supports working students or those whose family obligations make it challenging to maintain a traditional school schedule. 

Diamond Ridge also has an accelerated pathway to earning credits. The school will hold two terms per quarter so students who may be credit deficient can earn the credit faster and move on to the next class leading to the fulfillment of credits toward graduation.  The aim is to assist students to get enough credit to graduate on target with their peer group. 

“Our intent with Diamond Ridge is to maintain high standards, high expectations, high rigor and provide an environment that has highly individualized supports,” Sterling said.  “By focusing on the unique needs of Diamond Ridge students, we believe we can help each student experience success on many levels, including the achievement of a high school diploma.”

Share This Post

Lucie Chamberlain

Alta View Elementary

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!

Specialty Schools

High Schools

Elementary Schools

Middle Schools

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Statement

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