January 29, 2025 • 25 mins
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" mindset and the tools to get there.
It may be the middle of winter, but it's already time to start thinking about where to enroll in "big kid school" for the next year.
On the latest episode of Connect Canyons, we sit down with two early childhood experts: Terri Mitchell, Canyons Early Childhood Administrator, and Kenna Sorensen, Administrator in CSD's Instructional Supports Department. Mitchell and Sorensen emphasize the importance of early participation in preschool, while providing insight into specialized programs like Dual Language Immersion and SALTA.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Connect Canyons, a podcast sponsored by
Canyons School District.
This is a show about what weteach, how we teach and why we
get up close and personal withsome of the people who make our
schools great Students, teachers, principals, parents and more.
We meet national experts too.
Learning is about makingconnections, so connect with us
(00:24):
experts too.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Learning is about making connections, so connect
with us.
As Dr Seuss once wrote, themore that you read, the more
things you will know.
The more that you learn, themore places you'll go.
Here at Canyon School District,our teachers work to educate
not only the mind but also theheart, and we believe in fueling
a passion for learning at ayoung age.
Welcome to Connect Canyons.
I'm your host, frances Cook.
We may be right in the middleof winter, but it's already time
(00:49):
to start thinking aboutenrolling for next year,
especially for our youngpreschool students and
kindergartners.
Enrolling in school alwayscomes with questions, so today
I'm joined by two experts toanswer some of those questions.
Joining me today are TerryMitchell, canyon's Early
Childhood Administrator, andKenna Sorensen, administrator in
our Instructional SupportDepartment.
(01:10):
Thank you both for being here.
Thanks for having us.
Yes, thank you Now.
Right now, we're seeing a lotof people in the community
asking us about our kindergartenand preschool programs.
Terry, I'd love to start withyou.
Why is it important to startkids learning at such a young
age, and how is Canyonsdifferent than other districts
in how we approach those earlyyears of education?
Speaker 3 (01:31):
It's really important for young children to
participate in early learning,whether it's at home or it's at
preschool or kindergarten.
In preschool, we focus onsocial development and language
development and learning how toproblem solve with materials and
socially with their peers.
(01:53):
In addition to that, we'relearning about the world around
them and how to negotiate andparticipate as a for lack of a
better word a citizen in aclassroom.
Right, learning some of thosebasic skills.
Learning how to participate ina large group setting.
(02:15):
Learning how to participate ina small group setting at a table
with an adult doing a funactivity doing a fun activity.
Learning how to play with peersand negotiate with peers over
materials or social situations.
Right, and in Canyons, we aredifferent than any other
district in that two things thatwe have all of our teachers are
(02:42):
certified teachers who areearly childhood special ed
certified.
What that means is that theyhave training, understanding and
language development, socialdevelopment, motor development,
all the developments that theyknow and are highly trained on.
The second thing is that wefocus on in our classrooms
(03:03):
what's called active learningthing is, is that we focus on in
our classrooms are what'scalled active learning.
So in our Canyons preschoolsyou won't see things like
worksheets, for example.
So we are using hands-onmaterials to teach concepts,
whether it's pre-literacyconcepts, numeracy concepts,
science, social studies all ofthe things that young children
(03:26):
should have an experience with.
We focus on 58 different keydevelopmental indicators.
That helps us focus and targetthe things that young children
should learn and know beforethey go to kindergarten.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
It's more than just books and coloring paper.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
We are hands-on in that situation and teachers are
trained and our paraeducators,the assistants in the classroom,
are trained on how to implementthat, and we focus on that
every year.
That's fantastic, it is.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
I imagine enrolling your student, especially at such
a young age, is a bit likebuying a house.
Most people wouldn't buy ahouse without having seen it
first.
Right, getting that walkthrough, seeing the lay of the land,
kenna, what are some of thethings that parents can do to
learn about their children's newschools?
Speaker 4 (04:18):
So there's a few pieces of information that we
hope most of our parents access.
If you were to find yourboundary school, first look that
up on just the Canyons Districtwebsite.
If you're unsure of what yourboundary school is, Then go to
their website.
Every elementary school has ontheir website a kindergarten
(04:41):
orientation tab.
Within that they walk youthrough what kindergarten looks
like in their school.
Many of them will highlight whotheir teachers are.
They'll introduce you to theirhead secretary, to the principal
themselves.
They also will just kind oftake you through some pictures
(05:02):
of the classroom setting.
You also then, hopefully, ifyou have notified your Boundary
Elementary School, you will beinvited to participate in a
spring kindergarten open house.
So that's your chance to justgo directly to the school with
your student and experienceinformation for parents, but
(05:27):
also do a walkthrough of theclassrooms, meet the teachers
that are currently working inkindergarten, see what their day
is like yeah, that's reallycool.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
You mentioned boundary schools, so of course
that's where you can go to ourwebsite.
You can type in your addressand it will tell you that you
live in this school's boundariesCorrect?
One of the really great thingsabout Utah is that we are a
school choice state, meaningfamilies can enroll their
children in any public school inthe state, as long as that
(06:00):
school has capacity.
What are some of the programsthat Canyons offers?
That sets us apart?
That?
Speaker 4 (06:05):
school has capacity.
What are some of the programsthat Canyons offers that sets us
apart?
In the elementary we have twospecific programs that are
jumping into my head.
We have our dual languageimmersion programs that start in
first grade.
In our 10 elementary schoolsthat provide our dual immersion
program that starts in firstgrade, except for Midvale
(06:26):
Elementary, that is akindergarten DLI program, and so
if you are interested and livein the Mid-Val boundary, you can
actually join or apply to jointhe kindergarten Spanish DLI
program.
All the others start in firstgrade.
(06:48):
So if you are interested inhaving your child participate in
dual language immersion, youjust need to be watching next
year for the opportunity andinformation when the application
window applies.
Our DLI is a lottery program.
The kids will spend half oftheir day in the target language
(07:08):
and half of the day in anEnglish-based classroom.
The second program I'm thinkingabout is our SALTA program.
This is for our gifted andtalented students, and again,
that application window happensNovember-ish each year for
(07:29):
parents to apply for their childto be tested.
If they then qualify, they thenare placed at one of the two
programs that we offer in ourdistrict.
So those are the two that jumpout to me the most.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
That's really cool and I know that the DLI program
also extends into some of ourinto our secondary schools.
You mentioned the applicationwindows for DLI, dual language
immersion and the SALTA programs.
Those are closed already forthis coming school year right
Correct For the 25-26 schoolyear.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
they have closed.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
So is there any way for families to get into those
programs for that coming year,or do they have to now wait for
the 26-27 school year?
Speaker 4 (08:10):
They would need to wait for the 26-27 school year.
I know we have waiting liststhat we will fill from those who
recently applied for the duallanguage immersion.
If it is a French or a Chineseschool that you are interested
(08:32):
in, french or a Chinese schoolthat you are interested in,
there might be some openingsstill available for next year.
But our Spanish programs arefull for next year.
As far as the SALTA program,that testing window has closed,
again, it is something that youwould want to look for for the
26-27 school year.
(08:52):
That's when the nextavailability would be out there.
Awesome.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
You mentioned waiting lists and how quickly these
programs are filling up, Terry.
We're seeing the same in ourearly childhood programs.
Those are filling up prettyquickly as well.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
We are.
We've received manyapplications since the window
opened on January 8th.
I would encourage families whoare interested in the preschool
program for our tuition-basedprogram for the fall of 2025 to
apply right away, because it isa first-come, first-served
opportunity and we do also havewaiting lists.
(09:29):
As things fill up, we willcollect a waiting list.
On average, we have been ableto eventually get everybody in,
but you may not know that untilAugust right.
So we would encourage everyoneto get in as quickly as possible
.
Our Title I program for thosethat live within a Title I
(09:51):
school boundary.
Those applications start onMarch 1st and we will accept
those until we're full also, Isthere a deadline for these
applications or for enrolling?
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Can you walk parents through?
You know, obviously in somecases the first-come,
first-served rule applies, likewith our preschools.
But how long do they have toenroll their child?
Speaker 3 (10:14):
sure, for if you're a child, if you're a student,
that's already with us likeyou've attended this school year
, the 24-25 school year, youwould have received already
information to reapply for nextschool year if your child's
eligible to attend preschool.
So that deadline ends on theend of February.
So we've got to have all ofthose reach that.
(10:36):
Yes, I want to return back topreschool for next year by
February 28th.
Other than that, we don't havea deadline.
We're going to keep filling ituntil we're full.
So, but it is first come, firstserve.
So that makes it more difficult, right as far as making
ensuring that you get in if youdon't apply right away.
Speaker 4 (10:56):
And that would be very similar with kindergarten.
We don't really have an ending.
People come and go, yeah, and Iknow a lot during the summer.
People are moving and makingdecisions, decisions.
(11:18):
But what deadline we do have.
Because of a need to staffappropriately, we have declared
a deadline.
If a parent is interested inhaving their child participate
in a half-day kindergartenprogram, they need to let their
boundary school or the schoolwhere they want to attend.
They need to call, schedule ameeting with that principal,
have a conversation with themall by February 28th of 2025.
(11:41):
That will then help us with ourstaffing for next year.
Now parents can still comeafter February 28th.
They can still say I want ahalf day or a full day
kindergarten.
It will just not impact theclass size at that point that we
(12:01):
can guarantee some things.
So February 28th half daydeclarations are due.
Otherwise we would just saythey can reach out to the school
at any point, clear up till thefirst day of school.
Now, the sooner they getinformation into the school to
(12:22):
let them know I have an upcomingkindergartner, the more
information they're going toreceive throughout the rest of
the school year.
That's how we notify parentsabout our spring kindergarten
open houses.
That's how you will be put onthe school's list.
Serve that they startcommunicating things about the
(12:43):
25-26 school year when onlineregistration happens.
All of those pieces comebecause a parent has initiated
that first step of letting usknow they have an upcoming
kindergartner.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Sure, you mentioned half and full days.
We have both for kindergarten,and we have quite a few options
for preschool as well, correct?
Speaker 3 (13:06):
So for preschool, we have just half days, so they
would be a morning session or anafternoon session.
Just half days, so they wouldbe a morning session or an
afternoon session.
They're about two hours and 30minutes each session.
So when you apply, you'll havethe opportunity to define
whether or not you want amorning or an afternoon session.
For the tuition-based program,you'll get to choose how many
(13:27):
days a week you want to attend,which means how many days you
want to pay for.
Basically right, and then thatinformation will be shared as
soon as we solidify a spot foryour students, and then we'll
send that information outAwesome.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
And as far as kindergarten, yes, we offer both
options.
So there is a little caveat.
We have been doing our full-daykindergarten for many years now
.
Two years ago the statelegislation provided that we
could offer that free for anyone.
(14:05):
So it is a free full-daykindergarten.
But we also know that there areparents who are interested in a
half day and may still wantthat option.
So we would look at thatschool's daily schedule In this
meeting with the principal.
You would talk about do I wantto attend in the afternoon or in
(14:27):
the morning?
You would look to see what theyteach in the morning and what
they teach in the afternoon tohelp you make your choice.
Now, another state legislationthat came out last year is that
if a parent chooses half day, wehave to provide a minimum of
language arts as well as mathnumeracy.
(14:50):
So those are the two minimumrequirements that need to be in
place in either the morning orafternoon session.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
And then they can choose to add sprinkle in
whatever other topics.
Speaker 4 (15:03):
Yeah, depending on how the school schedule is
currently set up.
So, again, that's why we feelit's very important that, if
that is something you areconsidering Again, that's why we
feel it's very important that,if that is something you are
considering, you reach out toyour school schedule a meeting
with your principal, learn aboutwhat the kindergarten schedule
looks like, talk through what ahalf-day option would look like
(15:24):
and go from there.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
It's not too early.
It's not too early.
What are some basic tips orthings that parents can do to
prepare their child for schoolnext year?
It takes time to get into thoseroutines, right?
How can families as a wholeprepare for that first couple
(15:49):
years of school?
Speaker 3 (15:51):
So so, starting out preschool, one of the main
things that I would encouragefamilies to do prior to coming
is spend time with them indifferent settings.
Right so, maybe going to thepark?
Right, go different places, godifferent settings.
(16:11):
Maybe the little ones get to gospend the night with grandma or
grandpa one night.
Right so, where they're awayfrom mom and dad a little bit.
I would also consider looking atspending time reading with your
child each night, if possible.
Right, just read a book, letthem read the book to you,
(16:33):
however you want to do it, butspending time together it's
almost like pre-homework, youknow what I mean Kind of an idea
where we're doing somethingevery night together that's
related to learning, gettingthem in that routine.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
That's related to learning In preschool.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
We won't be sending you homework other than having
you read to your child, right?
That's our goal.
That's our goal.
So I think just those littlesteps will help little ones
understand that this is part ofI'm growing up and my body's
growing, my mind is growing andI'm learning lots of new things
and there's lots of ways that Ican learn those new things.
Speaker 4 (17:09):
And I would say, as we head into kindergarten, one
of the things we want parents toreally understand is that we
recognize that kids develop atdifferent rates, so we're not
expecting every child to come inwith the exact same skill
development that we would need.
So some of the things that welook for and we hope parents
(17:33):
will kind of start working onwith their pre-k student is,
like Terry said, we have lots ofskills social and emotional
skills.
Can your student wait andlisten when another person is
speaking?
Are they able to show concern,empathy for someone else?
Can they share materials andtake turns?
(17:56):
Those are all new things forthem.
Are they willing to trysomething new?
Sometimes kindergarten feelsvery scary to that child.
So helping build theirconfidence, talking through what
kindergarten is going to looklike, what that day is going to
be, is another skill.
(18:17):
Like Terry was saying, read withyour student.
We would ask parents to notonly read with them but take
notice of when your student isreading a book.
However they're reading it, arethey able to go from left to
right?
Is that the direction they'regoing?
Do they turn a page the waythat we would want them to turn
(18:38):
it?
Do they turn the book upsidedown?
How are they holding it?
All of those little things thatseem very easy for us are big
phases of development for thatchild.
Can they write their name?
Can they recognize the lettersand sounds that the first letter
of their name shows, right?
(19:01):
So those are some things wereally like to ask parents again
, just kind of observe yourchild in relationship to other
children.
Where are we seeing?
Can they hold scissorscorrectly?
Can they cut?
Can they hold a crayon orpencil correctly?
Those little things will helpkind of cue in a parent that
(19:24):
says, oh, maybe I need tosupport them and teach them that
skill, sure, so those are somethings.
Can they count?
I know that's a big one.
That Leanne Fisher, ourkindergarten specialist,
emphasizes is, when you listento a pre-K student counting, are
they skipping numbers?
(19:44):
Are they connecting it as aone-to-one skill I have one pin,
two pin, three pins or are theyjust kind of giving us numbers?
So those are all some of theskills we're looking for.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
So kind of observing how they act on a daily basis
and then opening that dialoguewith them.
I love that you mentioned youknow here's what school is going
to look like.
You're going to meet other kids, you know getting them prepared
for that, but also preparing, Iwould imagine it can be scary
for parents too.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
There's a lot of not dry eyes, and I would say,
though, that parents probablyshouldn't be afraid that, if
they can't do all those thingsright, that we still stand ready
as Canyons.
Whether it's in preschool orkindergarten, we stand ready to
serve your child.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
We're teachers, we're going to teach them those
skills.
So we will take them atwhatever level they're coming to
us.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
And I'm sure teachers love having that dialogue as
well with parents.
Oh, I noticed you know they'restruggling with this, but they
do really well with you knowwriting their name.
They've got that down pat andthey can tell me every animal
that starts with the letter Tyou know All the dinosaurs,
right, every dinosaur.
Correct.
(21:00):
What would you like parents toknow about their children
attending Canyon Schools orenrolling in Canyon Schools?
Speaker 4 (21:08):
I think what I would like to reassure parents is that
we are here to help them andtheir child.
I was a former elementaryprincipal and that first day of
kindergarten is hard.
But the child doesn't know thatit's hard unless they've gotten
(21:29):
a vibe from the parent orsiblings that it's going to be a
big change.
So the attitude, the excitementthat a parent brings to the
conversation about startingkindergarten is where our
kindergartners will thrive offof and again, like you stated,
(21:51):
we are here to help.
We will do whatever we can toanswer questions, get them
comfortable.
I know that during the openhouses.
That's one of the reasons wewant them to go see the
classrooms, so that the parentfeels good about it, the child
kind of understands it and thenfirst day is much easier.
(22:12):
So we love your kids, we wantthem with us and we really look
forward to having them.
Kindergarten is the best placeto be.
If you're having a bad day, govisit kindergarten and it will
just bring you good vibes.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Or preschool right, terri, or preschool Absolutely
Makes my day every time.
Makes my day every time.
Anything you want to add tothat.
I think I would echo Kenna'ssentiment about the parents'
excitement about coming andbeing part of a new situation
right.
A new adventure, new adventureall the way around.
(22:50):
Young children they're soexcited to have their backpacks,
they're so excited to go pickthem out, right.
They're so excited that theyget to see their friends at
school.
It is an exciting time, whetherit's preschool or kindergarten.
That we our goal, though.
We love your children.
We love your children.
(23:11):
We want them to learn, to lovelearning, and we want them to
feel excited about it and beable to feel successful and
competent right.
So that's really our number onegoal.
We can work through all theother things right, even if they
don't know how to write theirname.
We can work through all of that.
(23:31):
We want them to feel successful.
We want them to feel safe.
We want them to feel safe yeah,that's a good word safe.
We want them to recognize thatthey are competent Again is the
word that's coming to my mindthat they can do things.
They can do hard things andthey can do easy things right,
and they can show what skillsthey do have, and they can learn
(23:53):
new ones with us.
Speaker 4 (23:55):
During the summer, go for a walk around the school
playground.
Show them where kindergartenplayground is, Show them where
the upper grades will be playing.
Kind of just show them wherethe classroom is going to be,
where you're going to pick themup afterwards, so that they feel
again safe, that I'm gettingdropped off, I'm getting picked
(24:17):
up, that that routine isconsistent and every day they
can count on it.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
Yeah, that's a great idea.
They've seen the school thenand everybody's excited for the
new step.
The more that you learn, themore places you'll go.
Well, I know enrollment is alot and you guys are already
hard at work for the next schoolyear, so I appreciate you
taking the time to sit down withus and answer some of those big
questions for our parents.
Speaker 4 (24:42):
Happy to be here.
Thanks for having us.
We're looking forward tomeeting all of our new kiddos.
And I'll just kind of end.
I think it's always crazy whenwe think about what year this
new group may be.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
I was just trying to do the math in my head.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
So they are the class of 2038 that will be joining
kindergarten this year Class of2038.
That makes us all take a bigbreath and think, wow, yeah,
I'll bet.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
That's exciting, it is exciting.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Well, like you said, we look forward to greeting the
latest and greatest class fromCanyon School District and thank
you for listening.
If there's a topic you'd liketo hear discussed, send us an
email to communications atcanyonsdistrictorg.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Thanks for listening to this episode of Connect
Canyons.
Connect with us on Twitter,facebook or Instagram at Canyons
District or on our website,canyonsdistrictorg.
Welcome to Connect Canyons, a podcast sponsored by
Canyons School District.
This is a show about what weteach, how we teach and why we
get up close and personal withsome of the people who make our
schools great Students, teachers, principals, parents and more.
We meet national experts too.
Learning is about makingconnections, so connect with us
(00:24):
experts too.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Learning is about making connections, so connect
with us.
As Dr Seuss once wrote, themore that you read, the more
things you will know.
The more that you learn, themore places you'll go.
Here at Canyon School District,our teachers work to educate
not only the mind but also theheart, and we believe in fueling
a passion for learning at ayoung age.
Welcome to Connect Canyons.
I'm your host, frances Cook.
We may be right in the middleof winter, but it's already time
(00:49):
to start thinking aboutenrolling for next year,
especially for our youngpreschool students and
kindergartners.
Enrolling in school alwayscomes with questions, so today
I'm joined by two experts toanswer some of those questions.
Joining me today are TerryMitchell, canyon's Early
Childhood Administrator, andKenna Sorensen, administrator in
our Instructional SupportDepartment.
(01:10):
Thank you both for being here.
Thanks for having us.
Yes, thank you Now.
Right now, we're seeing a lotof people in the community
asking us about our kindergartenand preschool programs.
Terry, I'd love to start withyou.
Why is it important to startkids learning at such a young
age, and how is Canyonsdifferent than other districts
in how we approach those earlyyears of education?
Speaker 3 (01:31):
It's really important for young children to
participate in early learning,whether it's at home or it's at
preschool or kindergarten.
In preschool, we focus onsocial development and language
development and learning how toproblem solve with materials and
socially with their peers.
(01:53):
In addition to that, we'relearning about the world around
them and how to negotiate andparticipate as a for lack of a
better word a citizen in aclassroom.
Right, learning some of thosebasic skills.
Learning how to participate ina large group setting.
(02:15):
Learning how to participate ina small group setting at a table
with an adult doing a funactivity doing a fun activity.
Learning how to play with peersand negotiate with peers over
materials or social situations.
Right, and in Canyons, we aredifferent than any other
district in that two things thatwe have all of our teachers are
(02:42):
certified teachers who areearly childhood special ed
certified.
What that means is that theyhave training, understanding and
language development, socialdevelopment, motor development,
all the developments that theyknow and are highly trained on.
The second thing is that wefocus on in our classrooms
(03:03):
what's called active learningthing is, is that we focus on in
our classrooms are what'scalled active learning.
So in our Canyons preschoolsyou won't see things like
worksheets, for example.
So we are using hands-onmaterials to teach concepts,
whether it's pre-literacyconcepts, numeracy concepts,
science, social studies all ofthe things that young children
(03:26):
should have an experience with.
We focus on 58 different keydevelopmental indicators.
That helps us focus and targetthe things that young children
should learn and know beforethey go to kindergarten.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
It's more than just books and coloring paper.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
We are hands-on in that situation and teachers are
trained and our paraeducators,the assistants in the classroom,
are trained on how to implementthat, and we focus on that
every year.
That's fantastic, it is.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
I imagine enrolling your student, especially at such
a young age, is a bit likebuying a house.
Most people wouldn't buy ahouse without having seen it
first.
Right, getting that walkthrough, seeing the lay of the land,
kenna, what are some of thethings that parents can do to
learn about their children's newschools?
Speaker 4 (04:18):
So there's a few pieces of information that we
hope most of our parents access.
If you were to find yourboundary school, first look that
up on just the Canyons Districtwebsite.
If you're unsure of what yourboundary school is, Then go to
their website.
Every elementary school has ontheir website a kindergarten
(04:41):
orientation tab.
Within that they walk youthrough what kindergarten looks
like in their school.
Many of them will highlight whotheir teachers are.
They'll introduce you to theirhead secretary, to the principal
themselves.
They also will just kind oftake you through some pictures
(05:02):
of the classroom setting.
You also then, hopefully, ifyou have notified your Boundary
Elementary School, you will beinvited to participate in a
spring kindergarten open house.
So that's your chance to justgo directly to the school with
your student and experienceinformation for parents, but
(05:27):
also do a walkthrough of theclassrooms, meet the teachers
that are currently working inkindergarten, see what their day
is like yeah, that's reallycool.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
You mentioned boundary schools, so of course
that's where you can go to ourwebsite.
You can type in your addressand it will tell you that you
live in this school's boundariesCorrect?
One of the really great thingsabout Utah is that we are a
school choice state, meaningfamilies can enroll their
children in any public school inthe state, as long as that
(06:00):
school has capacity.
What are some of the programsthat Canyons offers?
That sets us apart?
That?
Speaker 4 (06:05):
school has capacity.
What are some of the programsthat Canyons offers that sets us
apart?
In the elementary we have twospecific programs that are
jumping into my head.
We have our dual languageimmersion programs that start in
first grade.
In our 10 elementary schoolsthat provide our dual immersion
program that starts in firstgrade, except for Midvale
(06:26):
Elementary, that is akindergarten DLI program, and so
if you are interested and livein the Mid-Val boundary, you can
actually join or apply to jointhe kindergarten Spanish DLI
program.
All the others start in firstgrade.
(06:48):
So if you are interested inhaving your child participate in
dual language immersion, youjust need to be watching next
year for the opportunity andinformation when the application
window applies.
Our DLI is a lottery program.
The kids will spend half oftheir day in the target language
(07:08):
and half of the day in anEnglish-based classroom.
The second program I'm thinkingabout is our SALTA program.
This is for our gifted andtalented students, and again,
that application window happensNovember-ish each year for
(07:29):
parents to apply for their childto be tested.
If they then qualify, they thenare placed at one of the two
programs that we offer in ourdistrict.
So those are the two that jumpout to me the most.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
That's really cool and I know that the DLI program
also extends into some of ourinto our secondary schools.
You mentioned the applicationwindows for DLI, dual language
immersion and the SALTA programs.
Those are closed already forthis coming school year right
Correct For the 25-26 schoolyear.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
they have closed.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
So is there any way for families to get into those
programs for that coming year,or do they have to now wait for
the 26-27 school year?
Speaker 4 (08:10):
They would need to wait for the 26-27 school year.
I know we have waiting liststhat we will fill from those who
recently applied for the duallanguage immersion.
If it is a French or a Chineseschool that you are interested
(08:32):
in, french or a Chinese schoolthat you are interested in,
there might be some openingsstill available for next year.
But our Spanish programs arefull for next year.
As far as the SALTA program,that testing window has closed,
again, it is something that youwould want to look for for the
26-27 school year.
(08:52):
That's when the nextavailability would be out there.
Awesome.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
You mentioned waiting lists and how quickly these
programs are filling up, Terry.
We're seeing the same in ourearly childhood programs.
Those are filling up prettyquickly as well.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
We are.
We've received manyapplications since the window
opened on January 8th.
I would encourage families whoare interested in the preschool
program for our tuition-basedprogram for the fall of 2025 to
apply right away, because it isa first-come, first-served
opportunity and we do also havewaiting lists.
(09:29):
As things fill up, we willcollect a waiting list.
On average, we have been ableto eventually get everybody in,
but you may not know that untilAugust right.
So we would encourage everyoneto get in as quickly as possible
.
Our Title I program for thosethat live within a Title I
(09:51):
school boundary.
Those applications start onMarch 1st and we will accept
those until we're full also, Isthere a deadline for these
applications or for enrolling?
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Can you walk parents through?
You know, obviously in somecases the first-come,
first-served rule applies, likewith our preschools.
But how long do they have toenroll their child?
Speaker 3 (10:14):
sure, for if you're a child, if you're a student,
that's already with us likeyou've attended this school year
, the 24-25 school year, youwould have received already
information to reapply for nextschool year if your child's
eligible to attend preschool.
So that deadline ends on theend of February.
So we've got to have all ofthose reach that.
(10:36):
Yes, I want to return back topreschool for next year by
February 28th.
Other than that, we don't havea deadline.
We're going to keep filling ituntil we're full.
So, but it is first come, firstserve.
So that makes it more difficult, right as far as making
ensuring that you get in if youdon't apply right away.
Speaker 4 (10:56):
And that would be very similar with kindergarten.
We don't really have an ending.
People come and go, yeah, and Iknow a lot during the summer.
People are moving and makingdecisions, decisions.
(11:18):
But what deadline we do have.
Because of a need to staffappropriately, we have declared
a deadline.
If a parent is interested inhaving their child participate
in a half-day kindergartenprogram, they need to let their
boundary school or the schoolwhere they want to attend.
They need to call, schedule ameeting with that principal,
have a conversation with themall by February 28th of 2025.
(11:41):
That will then help us with ourstaffing for next year.
Now parents can still comeafter February 28th.
They can still say I want ahalf day or a full day
kindergarten.
It will just not impact theclass size at that point that we
(12:01):
can guarantee some things.
So February 28th half daydeclarations are due.
Otherwise we would just saythey can reach out to the school
at any point, clear up till thefirst day of school.
Now, the sooner they getinformation into the school to
(12:22):
let them know I have an upcomingkindergartner, the more
information they're going toreceive throughout the rest of
the school year.
That's how we notify parentsabout our spring kindergarten
open houses.
That's how you will be put onthe school's list.
Serve that they startcommunicating things about the
(12:43):
25-26 school year when onlineregistration happens.
All of those pieces comebecause a parent has initiated
that first step of letting usknow they have an upcoming
kindergartner.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Sure, you mentioned half and full days.
We have both for kindergarten,and we have quite a few options
for preschool as well, correct?
Speaker 3 (13:06):
So for preschool, we have just half days, so they
would be a morning session or anafternoon session.
Just half days, so they wouldbe a morning session or an
afternoon session.
They're about two hours and 30minutes each session.
So when you apply, you'll havethe opportunity to define
whether or not you want amorning or an afternoon session.
For the tuition-based program,you'll get to choose how many
(13:27):
days a week you want to attend,which means how many days you
want to pay for.
Basically right, and then thatinformation will be shared as
soon as we solidify a spot foryour students, and then we'll
send that information outAwesome.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
And as far as kindergarten, yes, we offer both
options.
So there is a little caveat.
We have been doing our full-daykindergarten for many years now
.
Two years ago the statelegislation provided that we
could offer that free for anyone.
(14:05):
So it is a free full-daykindergarten.
But we also know that there areparents who are interested in a
half day and may still wantthat option.
So we would look at thatschool's daily schedule In this
meeting with the principal.
You would talk about do I wantto attend in the afternoon or in
(14:27):
the morning?
You would look to see what theyteach in the morning and what
they teach in the afternoon tohelp you make your choice.
Now, another state legislationthat came out last year is that
if a parent chooses half day, wehave to provide a minimum of
language arts as well as mathnumeracy.
(14:50):
So those are the two minimumrequirements that need to be in
place in either the morning orafternoon session.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
And then they can choose to add sprinkle in
whatever other topics.
Speaker 4 (15:03):
Yeah, depending on how the school schedule is
currently set up.
So, again, that's why we feelit's very important that, if
that is something you areconsidering Again, that's why we
feel it's very important that,if that is something you are
considering, you reach out toyour school schedule a meeting
with your principal, learn aboutwhat the kindergarten schedule
looks like, talk through what ahalf-day option would look like
(15:24):
and go from there.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
It's not too early.
It's not too early.
What are some basic tips orthings that parents can do to
prepare their child for schoolnext year?
It takes time to get into thoseroutines, right?
How can families as a wholeprepare for that first couple
(15:49):
years of school?
Speaker 3 (15:51):
So so, starting out preschool, one of the main
things that I would encouragefamilies to do prior to coming
is spend time with them indifferent settings.
Right so, maybe going to thepark?
Right, go different places, godifferent settings.
(16:11):
Maybe the little ones get to gospend the night with grandma or
grandpa one night.
Right so, where they're awayfrom mom and dad a little bit.
I would also consider looking atspending time reading with your
child each night, if possible.
Right, just read a book, letthem read the book to you,
(16:33):
however you want to do it, butspending time together it's
almost like pre-homework, youknow what I mean Kind of an idea
where we're doing somethingevery night together that's
related to learning, gettingthem in that routine.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
That's related to learning In preschool.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
We won't be sending you homework other than having
you read to your child, right?
That's our goal.
That's our goal.
So I think just those littlesteps will help little ones
understand that this is part ofI'm growing up and my body's
growing, my mind is growing andI'm learning lots of new things
and there's lots of ways that Ican learn those new things.
Speaker 4 (17:09):
And I would say, as we head into kindergarten, one
of the things we want parents toreally understand is that we
recognize that kids develop atdifferent rates, so we're not
expecting every child to come inwith the exact same skill
development that we would need.
So some of the things that welook for and we hope parents
(17:33):
will kind of start working onwith their pre-k student is,
like Terry said, we have lots ofskills social and emotional
skills.
Can your student wait andlisten when another person is
speaking?
Are they able to show concern,empathy for someone else?
Can they share materials andtake turns?
(17:56):
Those are all new things forthem.
Are they willing to trysomething new?
Sometimes kindergarten feelsvery scary to that child.
So helping build theirconfidence, talking through what
kindergarten is going to looklike, what that day is going to
be, is another skill.
(18:17):
Like Terry was saying, read withyour student.
We would ask parents to notonly read with them but take
notice of when your student isreading a book.
However they're reading it, arethey able to go from left to
right?
Is that the direction they'regoing?
Do they turn a page the waythat we would want them to turn
(18:38):
it?
Do they turn the book upsidedown?
How are they holding it?
All of those little things thatseem very easy for us are big
phases of development for thatchild.
Can they write their name?
Can they recognize the lettersand sounds that the first letter
of their name shows, right?
(19:01):
So those are some things wereally like to ask parents again
, just kind of observe yourchild in relationship to other
children.
Where are we seeing?
Can they hold scissorscorrectly?
Can they cut?
Can they hold a crayon orpencil correctly?
Those little things will helpkind of cue in a parent that
(19:24):
says, oh, maybe I need tosupport them and teach them that
skill, sure, so those are somethings.
Can they count?
I know that's a big one.
That Leanne Fisher, ourkindergarten specialist,
emphasizes is, when you listento a pre-K student counting, are
they skipping numbers?
(19:44):
Are they connecting it as aone-to-one skill I have one pin,
two pin, three pins or are theyjust kind of giving us numbers?
So those are all some of theskills we're looking for.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
So kind of observing how they act on a daily basis
and then opening that dialoguewith them.
I love that you mentioned youknow here's what school is going
to look like.
You're going to meet other kids, you know getting them prepared
for that, but also preparing, Iwould imagine it can be scary
for parents too.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
There's a lot of not dry eyes, and I would say,
though, that parents probablyshouldn't be afraid that, if
they can't do all those thingsright, that we still stand ready
as Canyons.
Whether it's in preschool orkindergarten, we stand ready to
serve your child.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
We're teachers, we're going to teach them those
skills.
So we will take them atwhatever level they're coming to
us.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
And I'm sure teachers love having that dialogue as
well with parents.
Oh, I noticed you know they'restruggling with this, but they
do really well with you knowwriting their name.
They've got that down pat andthey can tell me every animal
that starts with the letter Tyou know All the dinosaurs,
right, every dinosaur.
Correct.
(21:00):
What would you like parents toknow about their children
attending Canyon Schools orenrolling in Canyon Schools?
Speaker 4 (21:08):
I think what I would like to reassure parents is that
we are here to help them andtheir child.
I was a former elementaryprincipal and that first day of
kindergarten is hard.
But the child doesn't know thatit's hard unless they've gotten
(21:29):
a vibe from the parent orsiblings that it's going to be a
big change.
So the attitude, the excitementthat a parent brings to the
conversation about startingkindergarten is where our
kindergartners will thrive offof and again, like you stated,
(21:51):
we are here to help.
We will do whatever we can toanswer questions, get them
comfortable.
I know that during the openhouses.
That's one of the reasons wewant them to go see the
classrooms, so that the parentfeels good about it, the child
kind of understands it and thenfirst day is much easier.
(22:12):
So we love your kids, we wantthem with us and we really look
forward to having them.
Kindergarten is the best placeto be.
If you're having a bad day, govisit kindergarten and it will
just bring you good vibes.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Or preschool right, terri, or preschool Absolutely
Makes my day every time.
Makes my day every time.
Anything you want to add tothat.
I think I would echo Kenna'ssentiment about the parents'
excitement about coming andbeing part of a new situation
right.
A new adventure, new adventureall the way around.
(22:50):
Young children they're soexcited to have their backpacks,
they're so excited to go pickthem out, right.
They're so excited that theyget to see their friends at
school.
It is an exciting time, whetherit's preschool or kindergarten.
That we our goal, though.
We love your children.
We love your children.
(23:11):
We want them to learn, to lovelearning, and we want them to
feel excited about it and beable to feel successful and
competent right.
So that's really our number onegoal.
We can work through all theother things right, even if they
don't know how to write theirname.
We can work through all of that.
(23:31):
We want them to feel successful.
We want them to feel safe.
We want them to feel safe yeah,that's a good word safe.
We want them to recognize thatthey are competent Again is the
word that's coming to my mindthat they can do things.
They can do hard things andthey can do easy things right,
and they can show what skillsthey do have, and they can learn
(23:53):
new ones with us.
Speaker 4 (23:55):
During the summer, go for a walk around the school
playground.
Show them where kindergartenplayground is, Show them where
the upper grades will be playing.
Kind of just show them wherethe classroom is going to be,
where you're going to pick themup afterwards, so that they feel
again safe, that I'm gettingdropped off, I'm getting picked
(24:17):
up, that that routine isconsistent and every day they
can count on it.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
Yeah, that's a great idea.
They've seen the school thenand everybody's excited for the
new step.
The more that you learn, themore places you'll go.
Well, I know enrollment is alot and you guys are already
hard at work for the next schoolyear, so I appreciate you
taking the time to sit down withus and answer some of those big
questions for our parents.
Speaker 4 (24:42):
Happy to be here.
Thanks for having us.
We're looking forward tomeeting all of our new kiddos.
And I'll just kind of end.
I think it's always crazy whenwe think about what year this
new group may be.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
I was just trying to do the math in my head.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
So they are the class of 2038 that will be joining
kindergarten this year Class of2038.
That makes us all take a bigbreath and think, wow, yeah,
I'll bet.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
That's exciting, it is exciting.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Well, like you said, we look forward to greeting the
latest and greatest class fromCanyon School District and thank
you for listening.
If there's a topic you'd liketo hear discussed, send us an
email to communications atcanyonsdistrictorg.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Thanks for listening to this episode of Connect
Canyons.
Connect with us on Twitter,facebook or Instagram at Canyons
District or on our website,canyonsdistrictorg.
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