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Connect Canyons
Learning is about making connections, and we invite you to learn and connect with us. Connect Canyons is a show about what we teach in Canyons District, how we teach, and why. We get up close and personal with some of the people who make our schools great: students, teachers, principals, parents, and more. We meet national experts, too. And we spotlight the “connection makers” — personalities, programs and prospects — we find compelling and inspiring.
Connect Canyons
Unlocking the Future: Transformative Early Childhood Education in Canyons School District
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.
Welcome to Connect Canyons, a podcast sponsored by Canyons School District. This is a show about what we teach, how we teach and why we get up close and personal with some of the people who make our schools great Students, teachers, principals, parents and more. We meet national experts too. Learning is about making connections, so connect with us experts too.
Speaker 2:Learning is about making connections, so connect with us. As Dr Seuss once wrote, the more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go. Here at Canyon School District, our teachers work to educate not only the mind but also the heart, and we believe in fueling a passion for learning at a young age. Welcome to Connect Canyons.
Speaker 2:I'm your host, frances Cook. We may be right in the middle of winter, but it's already time to start thinking about enrolling for next year, especially for our young preschool students and kindergartners. Enrolling in school always comes with questions, so today I'm joined by two experts to answer some of those questions. Joining me today are Terry Mitchell, canyon's Early Childhood Administrator, and Kenna Sorensen, administrator in our Instructional Support Department. Thank you both for being here. Thanks for having us. Yes, thank you Now. Right now, we're seeing a lot of people in the community asking us about our kindergarten and preschool programs. Terry, I'd love to start with you. Why is it important to start kids learning at such a young age, and how is Canyons different than other districts in how we approach those early years of education?
Speaker 3: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 on social development and language development and learning how to problem solve with materials and socially with their peers. In addition to that, we're learning about the world around them and how to negotiate and participate as a for lack of a better word a citizen in a classroom. Right, learning some of those basic skills. Learning how to participate in a large group setting. Learning how to participate in a small group setting at a table with an adult doing a fun activity doing a fun activity. Learning how to play with peers and negotiate with peers over materials or social situations.
Speaker 3:Right, and in Canyons, we are different than any other district in that two things that we have all of our teachers are certified teachers who are early childhood special ed certified. What that means is that they have training, understanding and language development, social development, motor development, all the developments that they know and are highly trained on. The second thing is that we focus on in our classrooms what's called active learning thing is, is that we focus on in our classrooms are what's called active learning. So in our Canyons preschools you won't see things like worksheets, for example. So we are using hands-on materials to teach concepts, whether it's pre-literacy concepts, numeracy concepts, science, social studies all of the things that young children should have an experience with. We focus on 58 different key developmental indicators. That helps us focus and target the things that young children should learn and know before they go to kindergarten.
Speaker 2:It's more than just books and coloring paper.
Speaker 3:We are hands-on in that situation and teachers are trained and our paraeducators, the assistants in the classroom, are trained on how to implement that, and we focus on that every year. That's fantastic, it is.
Speaker 2:I imagine enrolling your student, especially at such a young age, is a bit like buying a house. Most people wouldn't buy a house without having seen it first. Right, getting that walkthrough, seeing the lay of the land, kenna, what are some of the things that parents can do to learn about their children's new schools?
Speaker 4:So there's a few pieces of information that we hope most of our parents access. If you were to find your boundary school, first look that up on just the Canyons District website. If you're unsure of what your boundary school is, Then go to their website. Every elementary school has on their website a kindergarten orientation tab. Within that they walk you through what kindergarten looks like in their school. Many of them will highlight who their teachers are. They'll introduce you to their head secretary, to the principal themselves. They also will just kind of take you through some pictures of the classroom setting. You also then, hopefully, if you have notified your Boundary Elementary School, you will be invited to participate in a spring kindergarten open house. So that's your chance to just go directly to the school with your student and experience information for parents, but also do a walkthrough of the classrooms, meet the teachers that are currently working in kindergarten, see what their day is like yeah, that's really cool.
Speaker 2:You mentioned boundary schools, so of course that's where you can go to our website. You can type in your address and it will tell you that you live in this school's boundaries Correct? One of the really great things about Utah is that we are a school choice state, meaning families can enroll their children in any public school in the state, as long as that school has capacity. What are some of the programs that Canyons offers? That sets us apart? That?
Speaker 4:school has capacity. What are some of the programs that Canyons offers that sets us apart? In the elementary we have two specific programs that are jumping into my head. We have our dual language immersion programs that start in first grade. In our 10 elementary schools that provide our dual immersion program that starts in first grade, except for Midvale Elementary, that is a kindergarten DLI program, and so if you are interested and live in the Mid-Val boundary, you can actually join or apply to join the kindergarten Spanish DLI program. All the others start in first grade.
Speaker 4:So if you are interested in having your child participate in dual language immersion, you just need to be watching next year for the opportunity and information when the application window applies. Our DLI is a lottery program. The kids will spend half of their day in the target language and half of the day in an English-based classroom. The second program I'm thinking about is our SALTA program. This is for our gifted and talented students, and again, that application window happens November-ish each year for parents to apply for their child to be tested. If they then qualify, they then are placed at one of the two programs that we offer in our district. So those are the two that jump out to me the most.
Speaker 2:That's really cool and I know that the DLI program also extends into some of our into our secondary schools. You mentioned the application windows for DLI, dual language immersion and the SALTA programs. Those are closed already for this coming school year right Correct For the 25-26 school year.
Speaker 4:they have closed.
Speaker 2: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:They would need to wait for the 26-27 school year. I know we have waiting lists that we will fill from those who recently applied for the dual language immersion. If it is a French or a Chinese school that you are interested in, french or a Chinese school that you are interested in, there might be some openings still available for next year. But our Spanish programs are full for next year. As far as the SALTA program, that testing window has closed, again, it is something that you would want to look for for the 26-27 school year. That's when the next availability would be out there. Awesome.
Speaker 2:You mentioned waiting lists and how quickly these programs are filling up, Terry. We're seeing the same in our early childhood programs. Those are filling up pretty quickly as well.
Speaker 3:We are. We've received many applications since the window opened on January 8th. I would encourage families who are interested in the preschool program for our tuition-based program for the fall of 2025 to apply right away, because it is a first-come, first-served opportunity and we do also have waiting lists. As things fill up, we will collect a waiting list. On average, we have been able to eventually get everybody in, but you may not know that until August right. So we would encourage everyone to get in as quickly as possible. Our Title I program for those that live within a Title I school boundary. Those applications start on March 1st and we will accept those until we're full also, Is there a deadline for these applications or for enrolling?
Speaker 2:Can you walk parents through? You know, obviously in some cases the first-come, first-served rule applies, like with our preschools. But how long do they have to enroll their child?
Speaker 3:sure, for if you're a child, if you're a student, that's already with us like you've attended this school year, the 24-25 school year, you would have received already information to reapply for next school year if your child's eligible to attend preschool. So that deadline ends on the end of February. So we've got to have all of those reach that. Yes, I want to return back to preschool for next year by February 28th. Other than that, we don't have a deadline. We're going to keep filling it until we're full. So, but it is first come, first serve. So that makes it more difficult, right as far as making ensuring that you get in if you don't apply right away.
Speaker 4:And that would be very similar with kindergarten. We don't really have an ending. People come and go, yeah, and I know a lot during the summer. People are moving and making decisions, decisions. But what deadline we do have.
Speaker 4:Because of a need to staff appropriately, we have declared a deadline. If a parent is interested in having their child participate in a half-day kindergarten program, they need to let their boundary school or the school where they want to attend. They need to call, schedule a meeting with that principal, have a conversation with them all by February 28th of 2025. That will then help us with our staffing for next year. Now parents can still come after February 28th. They can still say I want a half day or a full day kindergarten. It will just not impact the class size at that point that we can guarantee some things.
Speaker 4:So February 28th half day declarations are due. Otherwise we would just say they can reach out to the school at any point, clear up till the first day of school. Now, the sooner they get information into the school to let them know I have an upcoming kindergartner, the more information they're going to receive throughout the rest of the school year. That's how we notify parents about our spring kindergarten open houses. That's how you will be put on the school's list. Serve that they start communicating things about the 25-26 school year when online registration happens. All of those pieces come because a parent has initiated that first step of letting us know they have an upcoming kindergartner.
Speaker 2: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:So for preschool, we have just half days, so they would be a morning session or an afternoon session. Just half days, so they would be a morning session or an afternoon session. They're about two hours and 30 minutes each session. So when you apply, you'll have the opportunity to define whether or not you want a morning or an afternoon session. For the tuition-based program, you'll get to choose how many days a week you want to attend, which means how many days you want to pay for. Basically right, and then that information will be shared as soon as we solidify a spot for your students, and then we'll send that information out Awesome.
Speaker 4:And as far as kindergarten, yes, we offer both options. So there is a little caveat. We have been doing our full-day kindergarten for many years now. Two years ago the state legislation provided that we could offer that free for anyone. So it is a free full-day kindergarten. But we also know that there are parents who are interested in a half day and may still want that option. So we would look at that school's daily schedule In this meeting with the principal. You would talk about do I want to attend in the afternoon or in the morning? You would look to see what they teach in the morning and what they teach in the afternoon to help you make your choice. Now, another state legislation that came out last year is that if a parent chooses half day, we have to provide a minimum of language arts as well as math numeracy. So those are the two minimum requirements that need to be in place in either the morning or afternoon session.
Speaker 2:And then they can choose to add sprinkle in whatever other topics.
Speaker 4:Yeah, depending on how the school schedule is currently set up. So, again, that's why we feel it's very important that, if that is something you are considering Again, that's why we feel it's very important that, if that is something you are considering, you reach out to your school schedule a meeting with your principal, learn about what the kindergarten schedule looks like, talk through what a half-day option would look like and go from there.
Speaker 2:It's not too early. It's not too early. What are some basic tips or things that parents can do to prepare their child for school next year? It takes time to get into those routines, right? How can families as a whole prepare for that first couple years of school?
Speaker 3:So so, starting out preschool, one of the main things that I would encourage families to do prior to coming is spend time with them in different settings. Right so, maybe going to the park? Right, go different places, go different settings. Maybe the little ones get to go spend the night with grandma or grandpa one night. Right so, where they're away from mom and dad a little bit.
Speaker 3:I would also consider looking at spending time reading with your child each night, if possible. Right, just read a book, let them read the book to you, however you want to do it, but spending time together it's almost like pre-homework, you know what I mean Kind of an idea where we're doing something every night together that's related to learning, getting them in that routine.
Speaker 2:That's related to learning In preschool.
Speaker 3: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 little steps will help little ones understand that this is part of I'm growing up and my body's growing, my mind is growing and I'm learning lots of new things and there's lots of ways that I can learn those new things.
Speaker 4:And I would say, as we head into kindergarten, one of the things we want parents to really understand is that we recognize that kids develop at different rates, so we're not expecting every child to come in with the exact same skill development that we would need. So some of the things that we look for and we hope parents will kind of start working on with their pre-k student is, like Terry said, we have lots of skills social and emotional skills. Can your student wait and listen when another person is speaking? Are they able to show concern, empathy for someone else? Can they share materials and take turns? Those are all new things for them. Are they willing to try something new? Sometimes kindergarten feels very scary to that child. So helping build their confidence, talking through what kindergarten is going to look like, what that day is going to be, is another skill.
Speaker 4:Like Terry was saying, read with your student. We would ask parents to not only read with them but take notice of when your student is reading a book. However they're reading it, are they able to go from left to right? Is that the direction they're going? Do they turn a page the way that we would want them to turn it? Do they turn the book upside down? How are they holding it?
Speaker 4:All of those little things that seem very easy for us are big phases of development for that child. Can they write their name? Can they recognize the letters and sounds that the first letter of their name shows, right? So those are some things we really like to ask parents again, just kind of observe your child in relationship to other children. Where are we seeing? Can they hold scissors correctly? Can they cut? Can they hold a crayon or pencil correctly? Those little things will help kind of cue in a parent that says, oh, maybe I need to support them and teach them that skill, sure, so those are some things. Can they count? I know that's a big one. That Leanne Fisher, our kindergarten specialist, emphasizes is, when you listen to a pre-K student counting, are they skipping numbers? Are they connecting it as a one-to-one skill I have one pin, two pin, three pins or are they just kind of giving us numbers? So those are all some of the skills we're looking for.
Speaker 2:So kind of observing how they act on a daily basis and then opening that dialogue with them. I love that you mentioned you know 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, I would imagine it can be scary for parents too.
Speaker 3:There's a lot of not dry eyes, and I would say, though, that parents probably shouldn't be afraid that, if they can't do all those things right, that we still stand ready as Canyons. Whether it's in preschool or kindergarten, we stand ready to serve your child.
Speaker 4:We're teachers, we're going to teach them those skills. So we will take them at whatever level they're coming to us.
Speaker 2:And I'm sure teachers love having that dialogue as well with parents. Oh, I noticed you know they're struggling with this, but they do really well with you know writing their name. They've got that down pat and they can tell me every animal that starts with the letter T you know All the dinosaurs, right, every dinosaur. Correct. What would you like parents to know about their children attending Canyon Schools or enrolling in Canyon Schools?
Speaker 4:I think what I would like to reassure parents is that we are here to help them and their child. I was a former elementary principal and that first day of kindergarten is hard. But the child doesn't know that it's hard unless they've gotten a vibe from the parent or siblings that it's going to be a big change. So the attitude, the excitement that a parent brings to the conversation about starting kindergarten is where our kindergartners will thrive off of and again, like you stated, we are here to help. We will do whatever we can to answer questions, get them comfortable. I know that during the open houses. That's one of the reasons we want them to go see the classrooms, so that the parent feels good about it, the child kind of understands it and then first day is much easier. So we love your kids, we want them with us and we really look forward to having them. Kindergarten is the best place to be. If you're having a bad day, go visit kindergarten and it will just bring you good vibes.
Speaker 3:Or preschool right, terri, or preschool Absolutely Makes my day every time. Makes my day every time. Anything you want to add to that. I think I would echo Kenna's sentiment about the parents' excitement about coming and being part of a new situation right. A new adventure, new adventure all the way around. Young children they're so excited to have their backpacks, they're so excited to go pick them out, right. They're so excited that they get to see their friends at school. It is an exciting time, whether it's preschool or kindergarten.
Speaker 3:That we our goal, though. We love your children. We love your children. We want them to learn, to love learning, and we want them to feel excited about it and be able to feel successful and competent right. So that's really our number one goal. We can work through all the other things right, even if they don't know how to write their name. We can work through all of that. 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 that they are competent Again is the word that's coming to my mind that they can do things. They can do hard things and they can do easy things right, and they can show what skills they do have, and they can learn new ones with us.
Speaker 4:During the summer, go for a walk around the school playground. Show them where kindergarten playground is, Show them where the upper grades will be playing. Kind of just show them where the classroom is going to be, where you're going to pick them up afterwards, so that they feel again safe, that I'm getting dropped off, I'm getting picked up, that that routine is consistent and every day they can count on it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a great idea. They've seen the school then and everybody's excited for the new step. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go. Well, I know enrollment is a lot and you guys are already hard at work for the next school year, so I appreciate you taking the time to sit down with us and answer some of those big questions for our parents.
Speaker 4:Happy to be here. Thanks for having us. We're looking forward to meeting all of our new kiddos. And I'll just kind of end. I think it's always crazy when we think about what year this new group may be.
Speaker 2:I was just trying to do the math in my head.
Speaker 4:So they are the class of 2038 that will be joining kindergarten this year Class of 2038. That makes us all take a big breath and think, wow, yeah, I'll bet.
Speaker 3:That's exciting, it is exciting.
Speaker 2:Well, like you said, we look forward to greeting the latest and greatest class from Canyon School District and thank you for listening. If there's a topic you'd like to hear discussed, send us an email to communications at canyonsdistrictorg.
Speaker 1: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.
