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Experts have found students who participate in theater exhibit higher test scores, improved analytical thinking and communication skills, and are more likely to graduate. Look no further than theater students right here in Canyons District to see the proof. The theater departments at all five of Canyons’ traditional high schools are competing in the state championships this week.

If that’s not proof enough, Alta and Hillcrest have a combined 14 finalist nominations for the 2026 Utah High School Musical Theatre Awards. Winners will be announced Saturday, May 9 at the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City.

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We sit down with Canyons School District Nursing Specialist Jen Gerrard to translate the medical jargon around communicable diseases and explain why measles, pertussis (whooping cough), and varicella (chickenpox) trigger a very different level of school response than the common cold.

We talk through how these viruses spread, what prevention actually helps, and why staying home with fever still matters. Jen also clears up a point that causes constant confusion: “exposure” vs “outbreak” depends on the specific disease, and measles can be treated as an outbreak with a single confirmed case. You’ll hear how school nurses coordinate with the Salt Lake County Health Department, how risk levels are determined, and what can happen when immunization documentation is missing.

Then we get practical. We cover how to find your vaccination records, why older records can be tough to track down, and how Utah’s Docket app (connected to the Utah State Immunization Information System) can help you access and maintain your immunization history. We also discuss titers, re-vaccination options like the MMR series, and why herd immunity is about protecting the people who can’t get vaccinated, including babies, pregnant people, and immunocompromised community members. Finally, we share what to watch for because measles often starts with cough, runny nose, red watery eyes, and high fever, while the rash shows up later, after contagious spread may already be happening.

If you found this helpful, subscribe, share the episode with a friend.

Chapters

0:00
Measles Cases And Local Context
2:12
Communicable Vs Infectious Basics
3:22
Prevention That Actually Reduces Spread
6:02
School Nurse Response Protocol
7:14
Exposure Vs Outbreak Defined
9:01
Tracking Immunization Records With Docket
13:22
Titers And Re-Vaccination Options
15:22
Upcoming Student Vaccine Clinic
15:46
Risk Levels And Herd Immunity
19:56
Protecting Vulnerable Students And Families
22:49
What To Do If You’re Unsure
23:37
Early Measles Symptoms And Contagious Window
25:56
Masks Telehealth And Safer Testing
27:16
Listener Outreach And Wrap-Up

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We sit down with new Superintendent Dr. McKay Robinson and trace the personal moments that pulled him into education and still guide how he leads. We talk about relationships, strong teaching, valued support staff, and why building on a solid foundation beats disruption.
• Dr. Robinson’s journey from student to superintendent
• A third-grade teacher’s impact and why connection matters
• Why elementary school is a powerful foundation for learning
• Balancing leadership demands with family and mental health
• What makes a strong educator: passion, flexibility, high expectations, lifelong learning
• Professional development supports that help teachers grow
• The often unseen work of support staff and why they are essential
• Leading with stability by building on Canyons’ strategic plan and focusing on kids

If there's a topic you'd like to hear discussed on the podcast, send us an email to communications at CanyonsDistrict.org.
Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at Canyons District or on our website, CanyonsDistrict.org.

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At Union Middle School, the books are moving. A lot.

So far this school year, Union students have checked out 6,601 books — more than any other secondary school in Canyons District. To put that in perspective, that works out to about 1,200 titles a month, or 7.2 per student.

In an age of constant scrolling, short attention spans, and endless digital distractions, those numbers say something important. At Union Middle, reading is cool. Or, dare we say (using modern vernacular): No cap, at Union Middle, students are leveling up and slaying their literacy goals, because reading is lit.

More than a chore or school assignment, reading has become a daily habit sealed in the heart of what it means to be a Bobcat, due in large part, to the work of teacher librarian Elaine Zheng.

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In an era where “logging on” is as routine as brushing your teeth, it is important to prioritize the mental health and digital safety of students. New data from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) reveals a striking reality: 80% of Utah students aged 12 to 18 spend at least two hours every day immersed in social media, gaming, or texting.

While this connectivity offers unprecedented access to information, it also brings “heavy realities” into the palms of students’ hands, including exposure to graphic world events and misinformation.

The impact of that digital tether is discussed in this episode of the Connect Canyons podcast, where district experts—including Mental Health Specialist Lori Hunt, School Psychologist Brandon Segura, and Social Worker Shad Roundy—discuss the shifting landscape of student wellness.

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As Seattle and New England prepare to face off for Super Bowl LX, Canyons District’s resident gridiron experts sound off on The Big Game. In Connect Canyons' third-annual Super Bowl predictions episode, Canyons Superintendent Dr. Rick Robins is joined by Corner Canyon's Casey Sutera, Jordan High's Marc Albertson and Peruvian Park Elementary teacher and former University of Utah football standout Cal Beck for the yearly conversation about the expected action between the two teams in the world championship game. Also joining the conversation was Sealver Siliga, a former NFL star from Utah who played for both Seattle and the Patriots. “I know for me personally with my own family, my own son, just how important football is,” Robins says. “It has really done so much for my life on a personal and professional level as it has for my family. And I know that's impacted all of you, and I think about just the great coaches and mentors and people that have been in our lives and what it means to the school and to the cultures that, that you all impact.” The discussion also highlighted parallels between coaching and teaching. Panelists noted that preparation, repetition and review — whether in practice or the classroom — help students build confidence and resilience. Learning to accept feedback and recover from setbacks, they said, is a skill that extends well beyond athletics. As Super Bowl week unfolds, the group also discussed the game itself, pointing to defensive match-ups, coaching strategies and attention to detail as factors that often determine outcomes on the sport’s biggest stage. While predictions varied, the panel agreed that preparation and trust — developed well before kickoff — remain central to success at every level of football. But the conversation also underscored a broader message: while wins and losses matter, the lasting impact of football is often found in the lessons learned, the relationships built, and the confidence students carry with them long after the final whistle. "I know our young people are going through a lot,” Robins says, “Everything that's happening in our world and all the pressures and mental health issues and things that our students are dealing with, hope that they listen to you and listen to our podcast today and can just gain a little bit of hope.”

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Believe it or not, we're nearly halfway through the 2025-26 school year. Students are transitioning from playing games with their families over winter break to turning their alarms back on and getting back in the habit of classes and homework.

At the beginning of the year, we discussed how to get in that back to school groove. Now, on the latest episode of Connect Canyons, we’re hearing from two of our AVID experts about how now getting in a refresher on some of those methodologies would be helpful for teachers, students, and parents alike as we start out 2026.

“It’s important to review the basics with your students,” says Jenny Warner, Instructional Coach at Glacier Hills Elementary. “You almost have to pretend like you’re starting the year again, reviewing the routines and the rules with the students. One thing too, I think is really important, is to let the students have a voice in that. They have such powerful voices and listening to what they think is really important and maybe changing it and making it work for your whole classroom community.”

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Inside the Canyons Innovation Center, a solution to America’s broken school-to-work pipeline

Walk into a traditional classroom almost anywhere in America and you will see a familiar scene: desks in rows and students sitting face-forward, learning largely the way their grandparents did. Outside those classroom walls, however, the world those students are preparing to enter has fundamentally changed.

America is re-onshoring industries and rediscovering the dignity of what it means to make things again. Artificial intelligence and automation are reshaping how work gets done. At the same time, the industries defining the next century of American competitiveness — advanced manufacturing, aerospace, defense, robotics, energy, cybersecurity, and engineering — face a talent pipeline crisis.

The country is at a reckoning point, one that requires public education to evolve to start preparing students as early as high school for immediate entry into these high-wage, high-demand careers, said Canyons District Superintendent Dr. Rick Robins. “Academic achievement is always going to be at the heart of what we do. But we really do need to lean into this philosophy of workforce readiness.”

That is the premise behind the Canyons Innovation Center, a high-tech, profession-based learning center coming in August 2027 to the former regional headquarters of eBay in Draper. The facility is not a school in the traditional sense. It is an R&D-inspired environment where students work with professionals to solve real-world business problems while earning college credit and industry certifications, and developing the work habits and skills that employers say they so desperately need.