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 Canyons School District. Eastmont Middle, Mount Jordan Middle, Glacier Hills Elementary, Sandy Elementary, and Jordan High School. Now, Eastmont is leading the charge having just been named an AVID Demonstration School, a rare distinction shared by only 1 percent of the nation’s AVID schools.

In this latest episode of Connect Canyons, Eastmont Principal Stacy Kurtzhals and Instructional Coach Susie Baer Young explain the work that goes into becoming an AVID Demonstration School, and how AVID is changing how teachers teach, and students learn.
00:27 Introduction to AVID and Connect Canyons

01:27 Meet the Guests: Principal and Instructional Coach

01:43 Understanding AVID's Impact on Students

02:34 Eastmont's Journey to Becoming a Demonstration School

03:25 AVID's Implementation and Student Achievements

05:00 The Role of Collaboration and Note-Taking

08:46 Celebrating Eastmont's Success

10:29 AVID Elective and College Readiness

13:43 Encouraging Parent Involvement

14:50 Final Thoughts and Takeaways

20:16 Conclusion and Contact Information

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 she’s had in her head since she practiced her “pageant walk” in her living room as a 4-year-old child.

“At 4 years old, I was mimicking (what I saw on) the TV,” she says, “and I grew up competitively dancing and I did Miss Drill Utah. I just really loved the experience, and I started to think when I turned 19, I wanted to do pageants.”

The competition is Dec. 31-Jan. 5 in Orlando, and Matthews says she plans to take the lessons learned in CSD classrooms and while dancing with the BHS Accadians to the national contest.

Matthews credits Canyons teachers, coaches, and advisers with helping her develop the confidence she needed to pursue her dream of winning the state and, hopefully, the national title. She attended Ridgecrest Elementary and Butler Middle before becoming a Brighton High Bengal. Matthews also spent time as a substitute teacher for CSD.

“My fourth-grade teacher, Ms. Bunderson, is probably one of my biggest inspirations,” Matthews of her former Ridgecrest teacher, Pamela Bunderson, who has since retired.

“She really believed in me when I had little confidence in my academics and that is what really stuck with me for so long,” Matthews said. “Also being part of the drill team is what really, I think, cultivated in my dedication, my perseverance, my grit, my hard work and resilience.”

Matthews also lauds the influence of her drill coach, Chelsea Divine, who now leads Hillcrest’s team, the current 4A state champions. Divine continues to work with Matthews, even choreographing her drill performance for the talent portion of Miss Utah.

Episode Chapters

0:01 Miss Utah Paris Matthews

We introduce our guest show also shares how the last few months have felt as the reigning Miss Utah.

2:24 Miss America – A Professional Development Program

Matthews shares why she believes the Miss America Scholarship Program is a Professional Development Program — and how competing has helped her to grow as a person.

3:44 Empowering Child Life Specialist and Author

Not only is she Miss Utah and, hopefully, soon to be Miss America, but Matthews is a Child Life Specialist at Primary Children’s Hospital. She also tells us about the book she wrote to help children feel safe while in the hospital.

7:33 The Lasting Impact of Growing in Canyons School District

From fourth-grade teachers to drill coaches, Matthews shares how her time as a student in Canyons District helped teach her life-long lessons and develop friendships that continue to this day.

10:04 Overcoming Challenges to Achieve Dreams

It’s a lot of hard work competing for Miss Utah. We learn that Matthews tore a muscle right before the talent portion of the state competition and how her fellow contestants were the ones to help her overcome the injury.

11:55 The Road to Miss America

Matthews now has her eyes set on the Miss America competition in just a few short weeks. Learn how she’s preparing for the pageant.

13:16 Matthews’ Message to Canyons Students

From accepting failure to celebrating achievements, Matthews shares her message to Canyons students about following their dreams.

Here at Canyons School District, our community is rooted in the idea of helping each other. This year alone, more than 8,500 volunteers have lent a hand in classrooms and schools across the District.

In light of International Volunteer Day, the Connect Canyons crew sat down with two of the most generous volunteers in the District: Two Apex Award winners for Volunteer of the Year, Alta View Elementary’s Jessica Davies and Rebecca Martin, a frequent volunteer at Hillcrest High School.

“I just love the fact that I have been surrounded by such amazing people every time I've been in this school” says Davies. “Whether they're the adults at the school or the children or the other volunteers.”

Davies and Martin have donated a combined three decades in volunteer service for Canyons District. They share how they got started volunteering and the rewards they get from working with students and teachers alike. They also share advice for any parents or community members who may be interested in finding ways to support their neighborhood schools.

“It starts out when your children are little and you want to be in their classroom and help them with their math facts or whatever it is,” says Martin. “But as they get older, you realize it's not just your child. There's a whole classroom of children and a whole school of children and a district of children that need someone to advocate for them.”

Artificial intelligence is new, fast-evolving, disruptive — and, for some — a little scary.

It should be some comfort to know we’ve been here before. Think back to the birth of the printing press, color TVs, personal computers and the Internet. The rise of anything this pervasively transformative is either heralded as the answer to all our problems or labeled a perilous threat.

Whatever the risks or benefits: AI is certainly here to stay. A recent Walton Family Foundation poll, in fact, found 46 percent of teachers and 48 percent of students say they use ChatGPT at least weekly. So the question becomes: how do we use it in a way that’s responsible, informed, and aligned with our educational goals and values?
In this Connect Canyons episode we explore those very questions with Canyons District’s AI experts, Digital Teaching and Learning Specialists Emma Moss and Jonathan Stewart. They touch on a number of topics and cover:

2:24 How AI is being used by teachers to work more efficiently and tailor instruction to meet students’ needs.

5:10 How AI is being used to democratize adaptive technologies and bring learning accommodations within easy reach for special education students and students with learning disabilities.

11:18 Steps Canyons schools are taking to mitigate the risks of AI, from plagiarism to the spread of misinformation and deep fakes.

20:20 Tips for parents in monitoring their student’s use of AI at home.

22:23 The different AI tools approved for districtwide use in Canyons classrooms in alignment with the District’s Strategic Plan and federal data privacy and security standards.

National School Psychology Week and National School Psychologist Appreciation Week is an annual event that takes place during the second week of November. This week celebrates the contributions of school psychologists and the important role they play in schools and communities. It is an opportunity to recognize school psychologists who work to help children thrive in school, home, and in life.

In the most recent episode of Connect Canyons, we're honoring Canyons District’s school psychologists by exploring the role they play in supporting students’ mental wellness, and academic success. Joining us today are school psychologists, Riann Lutz and Rachel Rohmer.

Episode Chapters

01:06 Meet the School Psychologists: Ryan and Rachel

We meet our guests and learn about the roles and responsibilities of school psychologists.

02:35 Addressing Student Mental Health and Crises

Our psychologists explain how they work to create individual plans for each student and address the impact social media has on students.

07:37 Referral Process and Support Systems

We learn about how students are referred to their school’s psychologists and the levels of support offered to them depending on their individual need.

13:47 Advice for Parents

From advocating for their children, to providing a safe space for them to talk, psychologists share their advice for parents.

17:21 The Rewarding Moments

Ryan and Rachel share their most rewarding moments working with students and what keeps them coming to work every day.

Since its founding days, Canyons District schools have planned assemblies, activities, and learning opportunities to mark the importance of Veterans Day. As Veterans Day 2024 approaches, Connect Canyons gives voice to CSD employees who have given so much of themselves in the service if our country. In this edition, released just days before the Monday, Nov. 11 federal holiday, we talk with HR Administrator and Navy veteran Everett Perry, Brighton High teacher and Army veteran Derek Chandler, and Jordan High Naval National Defense Cadet Corps coordinator Jonathan Ward. Our guests share why they chose to join the military, how their time in the military changed them as people, and how their service as soldiers and sailors impacted their work in education. “You know, it doesn't matter what you do. You're supporting the Constitution,” Ward says. “You're defending the Constitution, and the freedoms that we enjoy in this United States of America today is a direct result of our military personnel, and that's what I would like people to realize: these veterans are heroes.”

Episode Chapters

The End of World War I and Veterans Day

We explore the reason Veterans Day is held in November and not marked on the same day as the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.

01:40 Everett Perry's U.S. Armed Forces Journey

CSD Human Resources Administrator Everett Perry shares what drove him to join the military and how the recommendation of one man led to saving dozens of lives.

05:42 Brighton teacher Derek Chandler's Unexpected Path to the U.S. Army

Art educator Derek Chandler explains how his path was never meant to lead to the military — but then one turn, followed by the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attack, changed his life.

12:37 Jonathan Ward's Musical Service in the Military

Jonathan Ward explains how music led to his time in the service and brought him back to education and spearheading Jordan High’s new Navy National Defense Cadet Corps program.

19:25 Jordan High's New Naval Program

Jordan’s Navy National Defense Cadet Corps is in its inaugural year. Ward talks about how the first year is going, his hopes for the program in the coming years, and the program’s impact on students.

25:55 Military Influence on Personal Growth

Our veterans share how their time in the military changed them personally and the impact their service has had on how they approach working in education.

33:58 Veterans Day Programs

Canyons District has a storied history of honoring our local veterans with Veterans Day programs. Perry shares how they have provided him an opportunity to share his own families’ stories.

40:24 Message to Students on Veterans Day

Our veterans share what they want Canyons students to know about veterans and why we celebrate Veterans Day.

Need help paying for college? File a FAFSA.

It’s that simple. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is the gateway to all sorts of funding — so, before you tune out because you think you’re not eligible for aid, think again.

Most colleges and scholarships require families to complete the FAFSA, even for merit scholarships. And, while applying for any kind of financial aid can be daunting, Canyons students have help right in their schools. In the latest episode of Connect Canyons, we sit down with Melissa Baker, School Counseling Program Specialist for the District, and Karen Barnhill, FAFSA Coordinator at Jordan High School. They walk us through the ins and outs of FAFSA and why it’s important for all students to complete sooner rather than later.

FAFSA opens Dec. 1, 2024. See below for a list of school-based events where families can get help completing the FAFSA.

Canyons FAFSA Completion Nights:

Alta – January 15, 2025

Brighton – January 16, 2025

Corner Canyon – December 11, 2024

Diamond Ridge – December 11, 2024

Hillcrest – January 15, 2025

Jordan – December 9, 2024

Episode Chapters

00:38 Understanding FAFSA: What It Is and How It Works

Our experts explain what FAFSA is, how it’s used and the benefits available to students who apply.

02:45 District Resources for FAFSA Assistance

Applying for FAFSA has a number of steps which can be daunting for anyone, our experts explain how they can help with the process.

04:29 Importance of Early FAFSA and College Applications

Just like scholarships, it’s important for students to apply for FAFSA as soon as they can rather than wait until graduation.

05:51 Tips for Preparing for FAFSA

How students and parents alike can prepare for FAFSA, what they need to consider and have ready before applying.

The safety and wellness of students and employees has been a top priority since Canyons District’s founding days 16 years ago. The focus on security is the reason more than 500 new surveillance cameras were installed in just the past year and that plans for security vestibules have been made for every school building in the District. Those two initiatives are among the myriad ways CSD is thinking safe as we approach America’s Safe Schools Week, according to the very people who oversee safety programs and procedures in Canyons.

In this episode of Connect Canyons, Ryan Jakeman, CSD Assistant Director of Facilities Services and the District’s Risk Management Coordinator, talks about how CSD has fortified buildings — with electronic badge access, automatic locks on doors, cameras, security codes, and a drill schedule so school communities know what to do in an emergency.