Episode 14: Could Rapid COVID Testing be the Key to Keeping Schools Open?
If you live in Utah and are the parent of a high school student, chances are you’ve heard of Test to Play, the bi-monthly rapid COVID testing that athletes and performing arts groups undergo so they can safely continue to practice, perform, and compete. The test-to-play program has helped preserve the spirit-building activities that make […]
Episode 13: Ready for ‘Big Kid’ School? There’s a Lot Consider, and the Time to Prepare is Now
The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to look ahead and make some plans for the future. If you have a child who will be five years old on or before Sept. 1, 2021, kindergarten is one of the things that’s helpful to start thinking about now. Even if it seems your […]
Episode 12: Generous Donation of Live-streaming Innovation Helps Teachers Reach Students from a Distance
It seems counterintuitive that the pandemic — a time of lockdowns, quarantines and physical distancing — could bring us closer together. But we crave human connection, especially in times of crisis, and technology, from catch-up sessions over Facebook to Zoom calls, has made it possible to keep those connections alive. Teachers have wrestled with how […]
Episode 11: You Are What You Eat — So For Kids, It Better Taste Great
For some students, knowing what’s on the lunch menu might not be the most important part of the day. But for Canyons Nutrition Services Department, it’s everything. From taste tests to strict health requirements, locally sourcing ingredients and analyzing what’s a popular meal and what’s not, Canyons goes to great lengths to make sure students […]
Episode 10: This Year’s Bumper Crop in School Improvement Funding
What is Utah’s Permanent State School Fund? That’s a jargony name that may not mean much to some of our listeners. But this fund is special. It has a special place in Utah’s history, it plays a vital role in fueling school improvement, and to understand its origins and purpose, we went straight to the […]
Episode 9: Be a Hero, Support Your Neighborhood School by Substitute Teaching
Created by a vote of the people, Canyons District has always enjoyed uncommon levels of community support, and this year — when parents, grandparents and patrons ask what they can do to help — invariably, the answer is substitute teach. More do-gooders have signed up to cover classrooms this year than ever. Even so, COVID-related […]
Episode 8: So, You Want to Switch Classes? Here’s What it Takes to Make that Happen
Ever wonder what it’s like to build a course schedule for a public high school? In Canyons District, we refer to this undertaking as “building a board,” which makes it sound like a parlor game. But the process of making sure the courses you offer align with the faculty members who are certified to teach […]
Episode 7: A Conversation with Dr. David Parker About Building “Authentically Inclusive” Schools
What’s the recipe for student success? Relationships, relationships, relationships. Call it a twist on the “three Rs,” but relationships are truly the foundation of all learning, from the time we are infants enthralled in a game of peek-a-boo to the mentors who influence our path through school, college and the workplace. To borrow an oft-quoted […]
Episode 6: Student Body Presidents Face Unprecedented Challenge of Leading During a Pandemic
This unique school year is giving student body organizations the opportunity to get creative and reach out to students in more meaningful ways. They’re leading by example, adopting new routines, and finding new ways to stage events and assemblies — and while the school year looks different from what they could ever have imagined, they’re willing […]
Episode 5: A Day of ‘Firsts’ for the Midvalley Elementary Jr. Huskies
Midvalley Elementary Principal Tamra Baker arrived at school bright and early on Monday, Aug. 24 to make sure final preparations had been completed in time for an historic moment for her school community. It would be a day of firsts for Baker’s Jr. Huskies: The first day back at school since the COVID-19-related dismissal of schools […]
