Superintendent’s Friday Message

• Valentine’s Day celebrations in schools all across Canyons.
• A reminder to print out W-2 forms before the April 4 start of CSD’s transition to a new Business Information System. 
• Tours at the eBay facility, which will be Canyons District’s new Innovation Center. Employees who want to tour the building are asked to sign up using this link.
• CSD Library Specialist Gretchen Zaitzeff being honored with Operation Literacy’s Book Hero Award. 
• The 5A and 6A boys wrestling state championship wins by Corner Canyon and Hillcrest student-athletes. Congratulations to CCHS Coach Eure and HHS Coach Pappas. 
• Wishes of luck to student-athletes and coaches at the 4A, 5A and 6A girls wrestling state championships. CSD’s 5A and 6A swim teams also will vie this weekend for state titles.   
• The spirit of inclusion and achievement during last Monday’s regional Unified hoops tournament at Corner Canyon High. 
• The valuable input given by the Butler Middle faculty and Nutrition Services Department during recent stops on the Superintendent’s Listening Tour.  

Please click on the links below to hear or read the Friday Message from Canyons Superintendent Dr. Rick Robins. In this week’s message, Dr. Robins reflects on:  

• The start of CTE Month, including the successful Job Shadow Day. 
• Projects ranging from the effects of microgravity on plants to tests of air-quality levels in Salt Lake County at the CSD Science Fair. 
• National School Counseling Week, which was held Feb. 3-7.  
• Park Lane Elementary teacher Jamie McDonald being named one of the 100 educators under consideration for top honors in the America’s Favorite Teacher competition. 
• The whopping 4,200 nominations submitted for CSD’s 2025 Teacher of the Year selection process.  
• The nomination window for Instructional Coach of the Year remains open until Valentine’s Day. Click here to submit a nomination. 
• This week’s ArtFest that challenged student-artist groups from seven CSD middle to create unique pieces of art under a deadline and with limited supplies.  
• Wishes of good luck to students and coaches who are preparing for state championships in UHSAA winter sports. CSD 4A swimmers vie for awards at this weekend’s state meet. The 4A girls and boys basketball tournaments begin next week, and 4A, 5A and 6A wrestlers will start to compete for state titles in the coming days, as well.   

• The flag ceremony performed Monday by the Jordan High Navy National Defense Cadet Corps for the Utah School Boards Association’s Day on Capitol Hill.  
• The daily email update of education-related bills created and sent out by the CSD legislative-affairs team. Sign up on CSD’s website.
• Midvale Middle Assistant Principal ConnieTrue Simons officially receives her Utah Middle School Assistant Principal of the Year honor from the Utah Association of Secondary School Principals. 
• CSD’s podcast, called ConnectCanyons, this week features Early Childhood Administrator Terri Mitchell and Instructional Supports Department Program Administrator Kenna Sorensen. They talk about the importance of preschool and how parents can help their children prepare for their first days in a classroom.
• Listening Tour discussions at Midvalley and Willow Springs elementary schools.  
• A packed house at Corner Canyon High on Thursday for a Lunar New Year celebration. 
• The display of artwork by East Sandy, Butler, Draper, and Lone Peak elementary students at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art. The display was part of an open house sponsored by the Beverly Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program.
• A new documentary-style film being released in the coming days on Varsity TV about the Corner Canyon cheer squad. 
• Wishes of luck to Hillcrest. Brighton and Corner Canyon drill teams at the upcoming 4A, 5A, and 6A state championships. The teams qualified to compete in the final round of judging.  
• Next Friday’s 4A state swim meet competition.

In this week’s message, Dr. Robins reflects on:  

• The Brighton High students who represented Canyons District on Monday at the 41st annual luncheon of the Salt Lake Chapter of the NAACP. The event is held every year to honor the legacies of Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. 
• The caring supports provided to students, faculty, and staff following the tragic death of a student late Wednesday night.  
• The contributions of retiring Purchasing Director Gary Hansen, who was one of the first employees hired in CSD in fall 2008. The Board of Education approved Tuesday the appointment of Nancy Webb as Hansen’s successor.  
• An announcement made this week to honor CSD Information Director Scot McCombs. Utah’s Technology Coordinators Council named McCombs as the Utah Tech Director of the Year.
• Corner Canyons health and biology teacher Lacee Kendall’s interview with a KSTU Fox 13 reporter about information literacy. The news report is focusing on Kendall’s lessons about learning to discern the difference between a credible medical expert and a social media influencer.
• Corner Canyon cheer squad’s second-place overall finish at the 6A state competition in competitive cheer. Coach Whitney Lunt and three of the team’s senior captains are featured on this week’s Connect Canyons podcast. Click here to listen.  
• The start of the 2025 General Session of the Utah Legislature. Employees are encouraged to sign up for a daily email update on education-related bills. Sign up here on the CSD website:  https://www.canyonsdistrict.org/depts/communications/stay-in-the-know/
• Appreciation for the conversations during Listening Tour meetings this week with faculties at Ridgecrest and Butler elementary schools. 
• The hard work of the employees who supported Thursday night’s Canyoneering Academy.  

• Brighton High tennis coach Natalie Meyer’s selection as the National Girls Tennis Coach of the Year. 
• The launch of the application window for Aspiring Canyons Educator Scholarships, a program funded by a CSD payroll deductions. The scholarships are given to Education Support Professionals and CSD seniors interested in becoming teachers. 
• This week’s Connect Canyons podcast about mental-health challenges among school-age students, especially during the winter months when days are shorter and colder. 
• Plans for the upcoming 15th annual Canyons District Film Festival. Students and teachers are encouraged to participate. 
• The success of the pilot of a telehealth initiative offered in 17 Canyons schools. For more, see our website.
• Wishes of good luck for the CSD teams competing next week at 4A, 5A, and 6A competitive cheer state championships. 
• Reflections on the Superintendent’s Listening Tour conversations at Altara and Sunrise elementary schools and Albion Middle. 

• The Oath of Office ceremony for Board of Education members Holly Neibaur, Katie Dahle and Jackson Lewis. See CSDtv to watch a recorded version of the event’s livestream:  https://www.youtube.com/live/mOby71AI1l4?si=BzKg0MoFcAo2c2J3
• The launch of the nomination window for the 2025 CSD Teacher of the Year selection process. 
• Canyons District’s representation at the Miss America pageant. Two of the contestants — Miss Utah Paris Matthews and Miss Washington D.C. Katie Ann Powell — are graduates of CSD high schools.  
• A shout out to the wrestlers and coaches from Corner Canyon and Hillcrest high schools who won at the 24th annual All-Star Dual, a contest of the state’s best high school wrestlers in both the boys and girls divisions.  
• The success of the Open House held this week at the Canyons Technical Education Center. 
• The strong community response to the informational meetings about our preschool and kindergarten programs. 

Wishes for a restful Winter Recess.

School building utilities being placed on “unoccupied” mode during a good portion of the Winter Break. 

The retirements of Purchasing Director Gary Hansen and Teacher Resource Center and Print Shop Coordinator Susan Chase. Both Gary and Susan have been with Canyons since the District’s earliest days. We wish them rich and rewarding retirements. 

Fruitful conversations with the staff and faculty at Crescent and Sandy elementary schools, and the Federal and State Programs Department. 

The release of a Utah State Board of Education report showing Canyons ranks No. 1 in Salt Lake County for its percentage of third graders who were reading on grade level at the end of last year. CSD exceeded the proficiency rates of Murray, Granite, Jordan, and Salt Lake school districts. We are among the top in the state, too! 

This week’s groundbreaking for Phase I of The Point, the new transit-oriented community to be located on the land formerly occupied by the Utah Prison. We’re excited to see this development move forward as this will be a future area of growth for Canyons.

Plans for Canyons District’s Innovation Center, which was featured in School Construction Magazine and will also be spotlighted by Utah Business in the magazine’s special Colliers issue in February.

Hillcrest Drill’s stellar performance at the Southern Utah University Drill Team Invitational last weekend. The reigning state drill team champions swept the Dance, Military and Show categories to capture first place overall in the 4A division. Twenty-eight teams from around the state competed at the Cedar City event. Hillcrest dancer Ruby Hurst also won first place in the “Drill Down” contest. 

The charitable acts of Vivint employees who dropped by East Midvale on Tuesday to deliver bag-loads of gifts to every student, including items on each student’s wish list. Utah Jazz players also made a special trip to the school to brighten students’ holidays.

The Sprucewood Orchestra’s Christmas conference, organized and directed by music teacher Debra Wetzel and instructional coach Christina Van Dam.

Brookwood Elementary’s schoolwide sing-along.

The Oath of Office Ceremony being held Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 5 p.m. for new Board members Jackson and Katie and return Board member, Holly Neibaur. The ceremony will be broadcast live on CSDtv.

Please click on the links below to hear or read the Friday Message from Canyons Superintendent Dr. Rick Robins. In this week’s message, Dr. Robins reflects on:
 

• Warm wishes on a snowy Friday.
• Park Lane Elementary’s colorful performance of “Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka Kids,” the classic tale of Charlie and his visit to the magical chocolate factory. 
• The generous donations that it possible for Life Skills Academy students to enjoy a day at the movies and a classroom visit by the Jolly Old Man himself. If you’re not yet feeling the holiday spirit, be sure to check out photos from these two events on the District’s Facebook page. 
• CSD’s annual Native Winter Gathering, headlined this year by professional Navajo storyteller and author, Tacey Atsitty who shared traditional coyote stories. A big thanks to Matthew Emerson and the staff in Federal and State Programs for keeping this tradition alive.  
• A shout out to Draper Park Middle’s Pamella Saltmarsh whose Shark Tank-style classroom competition will soon be spotlighted by CNBC. The national news outlet approached state officials, looking for examples of innovation in education, and the state pointed to Draper Park’s College and Career Awareness Class. 
• An Open House held to give the Jordan High community a sneak peek at the $23.2 million in improvements planned for the home of the Beetdiggers. Dozens of families paused in front of display to envision how Jordan High will look after spring 2026. 
• The Canyons Board of Education statement published on the District’s website about the flawed and rushed design of Utah’s experimental Teacher Merit Pay program. 

• The contributions of outgoing Board of Education members Nancy Tingey and Kris Millerberg.
• The recently approved calendar for the 2025-2026 school year and the proposed and tentative calendars from the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 school years. 
• Draper Elementary’s time in the spotlight on KUTV for its successful drive to benefit the Utah Food Bank. 
• The playhouses built by CTEC for Primary Children’s Hospital’s annual Festival of Trees. 
• Midvale Elementary students who received new shoes as part of America First Credit Union’s “Warm the Soles” holiday giving event. 
• Tonight’s performances by Sunrise, Glacier Hills, Jordan High and Hillcrest High choirs at Sandy City’s “Lighting of the Cairns.”  The holiday event starts at 5 p.m. 
• This week’s Connect Canyons podcast that focuses on the stellar volunteer efforts in CSD.  
• Warnings about the uptick in phishing scams targeting CSD employees. Please watch for IT-related tips in the “12 Days of Ed Tech.”  
• The appointment of Nicole Svee Magann, now Principal of Willow Canyon Elementary, to the administrative team in the Student Wellness Services Department. Halley Nelson, currently Assistant Principal at Glacier Hills, will succeed Svee Magann at Willow Canyon. Silver Mesa’s Alison Milne will replace Nelson at Glacier Hills.  

Please click on the links below to hear or read the Friday Message from Canyons Superintendent Dr. Rick Robins. In this week’s message, Dr. Robins reflects on:  

• The selection of Midvale Middle’s ConnieTrue Simons as the Utah Middle School Assistant Principal of the Year by the Utah Association of Secondary School Principals.  
• The Wednesday assembly at Eastmont Middle to cheer the school’s prestigious designation as an AVID National Demonstration School. 
• Corner Canyon High’s victory at the 6A football championship game Wednesday at Rice-Eccles Stadium. 
• The vital role that faculty advisors and coaches play in the growth of students who participate in extracurricular activities. 
• A reminder of the family-friendly fall musicals that will be performed tonight, Saturday and Monday at CSD high schools.  
• Wishes of congratulations to the percussion line of Alta High’s Marching band for winning first place at the 2024 state competition. Alta, Brighton and Hillcrest bands won overall awards in their classifications, as well. 
• CSD’s participation in a News Literacy Project documentary about Canyons’ nationally recognized work helping students learn to analyze and interpret the information they encounter on social media, TV, and other places on the Internet.  
• CSD’s recognition of the recent National School Psychologist Appreciation Week.  
• The good, hard work done every day by Canyons District’s Education Support Professionals. National ESP Day was Wednesday.