Connect Canyons

It was a job at the Canyons School District that first brought Dr. Molly Hart to Utah from Georgia’s education system.

Good thing.

After a month-long search, the Utah State Board of Education recently named Hart, former principal of Mount Jordan and Albion middle schools, the state’s new state superintendent of public instruction. She’s been on the job since July 1. 

 I would not be here if it weren't for my experience in Canyons...

Canyons students are back in the classroom, and those first few weeks of school can be a little jarring. Whether it's remembering to set that alarm clock or getting acquainted with a new class schedule, it can take a while to get back into the learning groove.

So, we’re devoting the first Connect Canyons episode for the 2025-2026 school year to helping students and parents alike find that rhythm again. Joining us for this episo...

This year, more than 2,750 seniors will don their caps and gowns and step up to receive their hard-earned diplomas. They head out into an ever-changing world at a time of economic uncertainty and rapid technological advances. 

But they carry with them a confidence earned from having already faced and surmounted challenges — while notching a few wins along the way. The personal achievements of Canyons District’s Class of 2025 are exp...

For 15 years, students of all ages across Canyons School District have competed in the annual CSDtv Film Festival. Each festival entry is directed, acted, and produced by a student or teacher, from documentaries and shorts to podcasts and stop-motion creations. One winner comes out on top in each age bracket and category.

This year was the first year students at Entrada High School chose to compete in the film festival, which drew 2...

Behind every successful school stands an army of dedicated volunteers—parents who give their time selflessly to enrich student experiences and support faculty. Every day thousands of volunteers are lending a helping hand all across Canyon School District. Whether they're spending time in the classroom, cutting out shapes for a kindergarten project, or helping on a field trip, they're the relatively unknown force behind ou...

Each spring, while students count down the days to summer break, Canyons District’s Human Resources team kicks into high gear. That’s because it’s hiring season, and the task of recruiting the best and brightest teachers for a school district the size and caliber of Canyons is nothing short of Herculean.

In the latest episode of Connect Canyons, we explore how school systems like ours manage to hire hundreds of educators each year w...

When Canyons was created in 2009, the school district inherited a portfolio of aging buildings, some of which hadn't seen major upgrades in decades. In 16 years, the District has made huge strides rebuilding or significantly remodeling 27 schools. 

These modernized buildings are safer, more efficient, and designed with today's learners in mind. But the work isn't done. With 49 buildings — ranging in age from...

In education, collaboration is key. No one person can do it all, and that’s where paraeducators come in, playing an indispensable role in the success of our students.

On National Paraprofessionals Appreciation Day, we recognize the contributions of these dedicated professionals. To better understand their impact, we spoke with Nate Edvalson, the Director of Special Education for Canyons School District, and Stacey Nofsinger, Princip...

The pencil was invented in 1795. The first documented use of the chalkboard in the United States was in 1801, and the ballpoint pen came into popular use in the 1940s. 

We’ve been using these tools in education for decades, and now we're sprinting into a new era with new tools.

How are Canyons District schools using such modern tools as Chromebooks and artificial intelligence? In what ways do these tools enhance learni...

We all know reading is fundamental to learning. But did you know it also reduces stress?  Or that it can help you sleep better, keep your mind sharp, and improve your relationships?

Imagine, then, the benefits of an entire school community reading together, from every student and teacher to the custodians, Main Office staff, and principals — even the parents. 

 “I’ve never had such an immersive experience,” said Daniel Nayeri whose N...

All across Canyon School District, students are working through real time scenarios with local businesses, and gaining hands-on experience through Career and Technical Education, or CTE classes and programs.

For the last week of CTE Month, we sat down with Canyons CTE Director Janet Goble and Alta High’s CTE Coordinator Stephanie Morgan to take a deeper dive into the opportunities available to students across the District. 

“The miss...

Imagine if schools prepared students for college and the world of work. Imagine if students graduated from high school with more than a diploma but also college credit and the credentials needed to immediately land high-paying high-tech jobs. 

 You might be imagining what’s known as Career and Technical Education (CTE), an educational model already firmly embraced in Canyons. From specialty programs like the Canyons Technical Educat...

All across the nation, schools are struggling with what is called chronic absenteeism. Last year, 32 percent of Canyon School District students were chronically absent — meaning they missed more than 10 percent of the school year. The problem became prevalent following the pandemic, and Canyons is working to help keep our students learning, interacting with peers, and taking full advantage of everything the classroom has to offer.

I...

Student-athletes and their coaches take away so much more from a season than the memories of scored touchdowns or buzzer-beating wins. Among the life lessons are the opportunities to boost confidence levels, develop a sense of resiliency, and make friendships that will last long after the Friday Night Lights dim at the stadium for another year.    

These are just a few of the takeaways from Connect Canyons’ second-annual Super Bowl-...

Children experience a language explosion at the ages of 3,4, and 5, and play   — intentional play — can help them channel that. In Canyons District, time is set aside in preschool and kindergarten for play, or for students to "plan, do, and review" a fun activity of their choice. 

 Think of it as educating not only the mind, but the heart, and connecting students at an early age with a "choose your adventure" min...

The students holding pom-poms on the sidelines of Canyons District prep sport competitions are a far cry from the cheerleaders of yesteryear. Gone are the days of cheerleading as a social club or an extracurricular activity to encourage school spirit. Indeed, times have changed. Cheer, to be sure, has entered a new era. As seen on such shows at Netflix’s “Cheer,” students on CSD’s prep competitive cheer squads hit the weights to bu...

A new study found Americans see poor mental health as one of the biggest threats to public health, just behind obesity and the opioid epidemic — more of a societal threat than cancer, COVID 19, or access to firearms. We've also seen that rise in mental health challenges in school age students over the last few years. As we've seen youth of all ages dealing with those challenges, and the cold months drag on, Canyon School ...

Merriam Webster defines the word avid as characterized by enthusiasm and vigorous pursuit. That's exactly how students in our five AVID schools pursue their education with the goal of graduating college- and career-ready.  

 AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, and it's a research-backed college prep program which is offered at 7,500 schools across the country. Five of those schools are right here in C...

The sparkling tiara of Miss America is within the reach of a Brighton High graduate who has dreamed of winning the title since she was a small girl watching the pageant on television.

 Paris Matthews, a 2016 BHS graduate and the current Miss Utah, is doing her final preparations before leaving for Florida to vie for scholarships and the crown. When she crosses the stage in a glittering gown, it will be the realization of a vision sh...