Canyons School District

09/03/2026

What is a pledge? What does it mean to have allegiance? What does liberty mean? These are some of the questions our new class of kindergarteners are learning about during their first weeks of school. This week, Canyons kindergarteners were celebrated during the annual “I Will Be Ready” Day! During the festivities at Midvalley Elementary, students were taught how to salute by Canyons veterans and began to learn the Pledge of Allegiance.
Reciting the pledge at the beginning of each school day is a tradition dating back to the 1890s, after Francis Bellamy wrote it in honor of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus arriving in the Americas. Over the decades, the pledge has become not just a symbol of patriotism and liberty, but a way to teach students about making promises, respecting traditions, and what it means to be in a community.

09/03/2026

Phishing scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and cybercriminals are finding new ways to make fraudulent emails, texts and shared documents look legitimate. As we head into a busy time of year for schools, families and community organizations, it’s a good time for everyone to be especially cautious about unexpected messages.

Today’s phishing attempts aren’t always easy to spot. Scammers may gain access to a legitimate email account and then send messages to that person’s contacts, making an email appear to come from a colleague, student, school employee or organization you know and trust.

Here are a few warning signs to watch for:

—Unexpected “secure” or “encrypted” files. A scam currently circulating may claim someone has shared a secure or encrypted PDF or other document with you. The message may provide a passcode and direct you to a link to view the file.
—Requests to sign in after clicking a link. A link may take you to a convincing imitation of a Microsoft, Google or other familiar login page designed to steal your username and password.
—Urgent or unusual requests. Be suspicious of messages pressuring you to act quickly, make a payment, change account information, purchase gift cards or provide personal information.

When in doubt, verify before you click. Contact the sender another way — such as by calling them or starting a new email or text conversation — rather than replying to the suspicious message.

Canyons District employees and students who receive a suspicious email on their District account should report it to [email protected].

A few seconds of caution can help protect your email, personal information and the people in your contact list.

09/02/2026

🎧 Reading, writing, and arithmetic. 📚 The foundation of any education and two of the three Rs are the topic of our conversation for this week’s episode of
In honor of International Literacy Day, we're diving into a topic that touches so many of our Canyons families, the power of language, and specifically how learning to read and write in a first language actually powers up a child's ability to learn in a second one.
Hear from Canyons teacher specialists Amy Gutierrez and Leslie Morris as they share the impact learning a second language had on them and their own families, as well as how they’ve seen students grow with the power of one story. Listen ⬇

09/02/2026

What is the essence of a school? For Oakdale Elementary parent Olivia Morrison, it's where a neighborhood becomes a community. Local schools represent a community's investment in its collective future. There are the everyday benefits: children walking to school or riding the bus with the same friends they pal around with on weekends and throughout the summer. They are also where neighbors gather for events, cast votes on Election Day, and cheer on their children and celebrate their accomplishments. And, for Morrison, they've provided a way to connect with friends and strengthen ties. "I joined the PTA, because we had just moved here, and I was looking for a community," Morrison said. "Sometimes I walk in there and I'm like, 'You're a second parent to my kids.' I love that. I just love the public school community we have."

09/02/2026

A new school-visitor policy, volunteerism in schools, the implementation of the Portrait of a Canyons Scholar learning framework, and proposed steps for maintaining strong and sustainable Dual-Language Immersion programs in the face of declining enrollment — these were a few of the discussion points at tonight's meeting of the Canyons Board of Education. You can watch a recording of the meeting on CSDtv or visit the link below for a more detailed Board summary.

09/02/2026

Grant Taylor, a longtime member of Canyons District’s Information Technology Department, has been appointed Director of Technology Supports.

In this role, Taylor will oversee the team of Field Technicians who provide day-to-day technology support to CSD’s 48 schools and programs, helping to ensure devices, classroom technology, communication systems, and other tools relied upon by employees and students remain operational and effective. He succeeds Ryan Neff who recently resigned to lead the IT Department for one of Utah’s new school districts.

Taylor holds a master’s degree in Information Technology Management and has been CSD’s AVT Team Lead for 12 years, supervising the technicians responsible for troubleshooting and resolving audio-visual issues. He has managed the installation and deployment of technology systems in newly rebuilt schools. He also led a $1.2 million initiative to upgrade school intercom systems, improving the reliability and effectiveness of a critical communication tool used by schools during daily operations and emergencies.

As Director of Technology Supports, he will bring this experience to keeping technology working where it matters most — in CSD classrooms and schools.

09/01/2026

While the daily rhythm of school life may seem effortless, it is powered by countless individuals working behind the scenes. Buses arrive on time, classrooms come alive with learning, meals are prepared and served, students receive guidance and support, and buildings are cleaned, maintained, and made ready for another day. These essential efforts reflect the commitment, expertise, and care of the people who make Canyons strong. Help us recognize those who truly embrace Canyons’ vision and mission of ensuring the college-and career-readiness of every CSD student. CSD is now accepting nominations for 2026 Apex Awards, the highest awards presented by the Canyons Board of Education and Administration. The winners of nine categories are feted at a red-carpet ceremony in the fall. See the link below for a list of categories and to access the online nomination tool.

09/01/2026

Ask a room full of teenagers how many of their classmates use ni****ne, or v**e, and chances are the answers would be far higher than reality. That’s exactly what concerns Canyons School District prevention specialist Ellie Bechard. According to the latest Student Health and Risk Prevention (SHARP) Survey, CSD students believe roughly one-third of their peers v**e. In reality, just 4 percent of Canyons students reported using e-cigarettes within the past 30 days, and 92 percent have never v**ed. That disconnect between perception and reality can be a risk factor for va**ng rates to trend in the wrong direction, and has become the foundation of a new districtwide anti-va**ng campaign launched this fall. “We’re trying to challenge the myth,” said Bechard. “Students think va**ng is much more common than it actually is. We want them to know that the overwhelming majority of their classmates are choosing not to v**e.” The campaign, funded through a Salt Lake County Health Department grant, will feature school-specific posters using each school’s own SHARP data. Rather than relying on scare tactics, the campaign emphasizes positive social norms (see examples below). District leaders hope the campaign helps students recognize that making healthy choices is actually the norm, not the exception.

09/01/2026

Every child deserves the chance to experience the joy of movement. That belief is at the heart of adaptive physical education — and it’s something Granite Elementary School’s Kathryn “Coach” Taylor embodies every day. Taylor was recognized Tuesday with an Exceptional Performance Award for her talent at integrating creative adaptions to ensure all students can fully participate in, and benefit from, physical education at school. One memorable example? She brought to school a pumper car — an adaptive vehicle powered by pushing and pulling a handle — into the gym, which allowed students with cerebral palsy to experience the simple joy of cruising around the gym. That’s the power of adaptive PE. It’s not just about exercise. It’s about independence, confidence, and belonging. Congratulations, Coach Taylor, and thank you for believing in the abilities of every child. It’s certainly apparent in the students who benefit from your coaching each day.

09/01/2026

Girls tennis is only halfway through the 2026 season, and six Canyons athletes are among the players to watch ahead of the state championships in October. Hillcrest Hillcrest High’s Luciana Gonzalez is currently ranked in second place for first singles. She fell to Woods Cross’ Lyla Bergeson in the first singles finals last year, after taking home the state championship in second singles in 2024. Her sister Fabiana also took home the first singles trophy the same year. Fellow Huskies, Joshya Yerrapureddy ranking fifth in second singles, with Nivedita Bakshi ranking at number four at the halfway point as she looks to defend her third singles state championship title.
Brighton High’s Bella Petersen making the top 10 in second singles, with teammate Carlee Child also in the top 10 for third singles.
Rounding out the Canyons players to watch is Corner Canyon’s Evelyn Marsh who has been battle-tested with a season record of 4-6.
You can see the full list of singles rankings in the Deseret News link: https://www.deseret.com/sports/2026/09/01/high-school-girls-tennis-2026-midseason-power-rankings/

High school girls tennis: Singles positions power rankings at midway point of 2026 season