As you explore the world around you. You discover more about yourself!

Overview

Innovations and Discovery are distinct half day programs that Canyon Grove Academy students have the option to participate in throughout the year. These programs use the unique resources of the school as well as gets the students out and about experiencing new things. Please go through the orientation below (or click on the “Orientation” box above to jump to that section) to understand these programs more fully.

Here are some specific details for our 2023-24 school year.

Innovations & Discovery Assigned Days:

Monday – Adventures at School
Tuesday – PG Thursday, South Jordan & Tooele
Wednesday – PG Tuesday, Springville & PG Monday
Thursday – PG Wednesday, Draper
Friday – Middle School

2023-24 Rotation of Programs

Discovery/Innovations Supervisor

Jana loves life, learning and a good adventure. She has four children who somehow keep getting older and older. Led by a deep drive for educating and growing whole humans she has homeschooled and hybrid schooled them for 16 + years. She joined Canyon Grove Academy after creating and running her own homeschool support that taught academics, character education, art, and the chinese martial arts in the Salt Lake valley for four years. Shortly after joining Canyon Grove Academy she helped create the Discovery program and has been running that and loving it ever since. She loves creating opportunities for personal growth and personal accountability through such a wide variety of experiences.

Jana earned a BFA from BYU back in the day. She is a RYT 200 registered yoga instructor and a student of the chinese martial arts. Her love of adventure has led her around the world enjoying various cultures and the great outdoors. With also enjoying photography, she has the pictures to prove it. But her favorite moments are when she is with all of her children in the same room talking about life, teasing each other and enjoying each other’s company.

She enthusiastically looks forward to continuing to learn and grow with the students.

jana.stout@canyongrove.com

801-810-9141

JanaStout

Mentor – Bradyn Lystrup

Bradyn Lystrup has an innate ability to entertain, whether he is running a simulation in the Space Center or adding laughter to everyday mundane activities. He’s able to find the best in every situation and use humor to involve and enthuse even the most reluctant learner. Bradyn has almost 20 years of simulated learning experience. He eagerly accepts assignments and develops innovative solutions, even in the most challenging educational circumstances. He creates an environment that encourages students’ acceptance of responsibility for their own learning. Bradyn also has a background in sales and sales management. When he’s not working, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two beautiful young daughters, playing games with friends and family, or doing anything related to cars.

Mentor – Maxwell Whitson

Maxwell Whitson is from Minnesota where he called home until a couple of years ago when he and his wife moved to Utah for the amazing mountains. He studied Environmental and Outdoor Education in Duluth, MN and has been writing and teaching hands-on and experiential based curriculum for youth programs ever since. Maxwell loves to help people have fun and learn, especially in the outdoors! He spends his time hiking, biking, climbing, and skiing in the mountains!

Mentor – Tim Christiansen

Tim has worked in the Alpine School District the last 6 years with kids ranging from kindergarten to 6th grade and he’s loved every minute of it. He appreciates the chance to build a bond with the students and makes sure they know he not only cares that they learn something, but also that they become better people and learn to love themselves. He never saw his path leading to education, but helping kids realize their potential is one of the greatest things he’s ever experienced.

Tim was born and raised in Moab, Utah. He’s a father of 2 beautiful, teenage daughters that keep him busy. He went to college for Graphic Design and he enjoys art in so many different forms. He’s always loved animals and loves to care for them and build a bond with them. He’s managed a dog recreation center, been a dog photographer, dog trainer, and a puppy nanny. To say he loves dogs is an understatement. When he’s not at work you can usually find him working on his art, watching or coaching soccer, riding his eBike, or outdoors with his dogs.

Parent Innovations & Discovery 2023-24 Orientation

Welcome to Canyon Grove Academy! I am Jana Stout and I am the Supervisor for Innovations and Discovery. These programs are awesome and I love creating and executing these educational adventures and experiences for our students.

This orientation was created for parents to help make your student’s participation in these programs this year easy to navigate.You are accountable for learning, understanding and putting this information into action, keeping track of registration dates, registering on time, following the rules of the programs and communicating with me if you have any questions. If by the end of this orientation you still have questions that were not addressed then please contact me. I am happy to help.

What is the difference between Innovations and Discovery?

Innovations happens in the morning. Classes are from 9:00-11:30 am. Innovations is always on campus and uses our resources we have at the school. One session of Innovations lasts for 8 weeks. Discovery runs in the afternoons. Classes generally are from 12:15-2:45 (with possible adjustments to the start and end time depending on our venue or activity). Pay attention to the sign up for the specific schedule of that session.

Discovery is all about trying a wide variety of things. These activities can be on or off campus. One session of Discovery lasts for 4 weeks. The day your location will have Innovations and Discovery is assigned and will remain the same throughout the school year but the times of day rotate according to which program your location is participating in. During Innovations your students will be divided into groups and will rotate through three classes with their group. Discovery is often similar but sometimes the groups are divided differently according to the activity we are doing for that session.

Again, Innovations is in the morning and Discovery is in the afternoon and your location will flip flop back and forth between those two programs throughout the year. You can find your location’s schedule of programs for the year at the top of this page as well as a location specific schedule on your location’s Epic webpage which is located on this website, go to “Programs”, “Epic”, then select your Epic location, the either click on the Innovations/Discovery box at the top or scroll down to the very bottom of that page.

When will my student have Innovations and Discovery?

Innovations and Discovery are on a rotating schedule according to the location you are enrolled in. Each location will be assigned to one or the other, Innovations or Discovery, but never both at the same time. The day your location will have Innovations and Discovery is assigned and will remain the same throughout the school year but the times of day rotate according to which program your location is participating in. These programs are optional and you are not automatically enrolled. You can find your location’s schedule of programs for the year at the top of this page as well as a location specific schedule on your location’s Epic webpage which is located on this website, go to “Programs”, “Epic”, then select your Epic location, the either click on the Innovations/Discovery box at the top or scroll down to the very bottom of that page.

How many activities are there each year?

Each CGA location will have 32 weeks of activities offered this school year with two 8 week sessions of Innovations and four 4 week sessions of Discovery. You choose what your students will participate in according to which sessions you register for.

Who can attend Innovations and Discovery?

Both programs are for enrolled students only. We do not allow parents or siblings to stay onsite with us during these activities.

Transportation

Can my student ride the bus?

We offer bus transportation to and from Innovations and Discovery only for students enrolled in one of our distance locations. For students enrolled in any of PG locations (including the middle school), parents are responsible for getting their students to and from Innovations and Discovery unless otherwise noted in the sign up that there is a bus option for that particular session.

What are the bus rules?

Riding the bus is a privilege we are happy we can offer. Here are the guidelines and expectations for behavior for all students using bus transportation. We do not allow food on the bus and expect students to remain seated facing forward for the entire ride. Here is a full listing of the bus rules and consequences. Please be familiar with them as noncompliance can ultimately result in losing bus privileges. Please have students stay in their car or off to the side while the bus arrives and only approach the bus for check in after it has come to a complete stop.

Where are the bus locations?

For students at our distant locations, bus locations and maps are posted online. Please note that these bus locations are usually NOT where you meet for Epic but distinct locations. For a map and address of the bus location go to www.canyongrove.com website go to “Programs,” then “Epic,” and select your location and then click the “Innovations & Discovery” box on the top or scroll down to the very bottom of the page. Bus location addresses, as well as session specific drop off and pick up times for the bus are listed in the session details on the sign up. If there is a bus offered from the main CGA campus for a particular Discovery session that will be listed in the sign up.

Making your transportation selection:

Even though there is not a bus option for every session there is a default question about transportation you will have to answer. When you sign up you will select “yes” or “no” to “Ride bus?” This is an important part of the sign up to make sure you get correct because your transportation selection must remain the same for the entire session. Those who choose bus transportation need to ride the bus to and from the session for the full length of the session and likewise if you chose parent transportation.

Can I change my transportation selection?

If you find in your confirmation email that you accidentally selected the wrong option for transportation you can change that before the registration deadline by emailing jana.stout@canyongrove.com and requesting a change to be made.

Rules

What are the rules of the Innovations & Discovery programs?

Behavior: Students are expected to be respectful, responsible and ready while they are participating in Innovations or Discovery. We have a three strikes rule with behavior issues. If a student gets three strikes in one day then parents will be contacted to pick up their student and a parent will need to work with the Supervisor to come up with an improved behavior plan before your student can return to classes.
No electronic devices: Please have your students leave their electronic devices at home. If we see them in use students will be asked to put them away and if this is not followed then staff will hold the device until the end of the program.
Dress Code: Students are required to wear their CGA shirt/sweatshirt as the top layer and closed toed shoes. No hats are allowed. If your students are repeatedly not following dress code then they will not be allowed to participate and we will call you to come and pick them up.
Food: No food is allowed on the bus or at Innovations or Discovery. Water is allowed. If your student brings a water bottle please have their name on the bottle.
Transportation: You must stick with your transportation selection for both directions for the entire session.
CGA Students Only: These programs are for enrolled Canyon Grove Academy students only.

What if my student has special needs?

On the sign up there is space titled “Comments/Special Needs,” please use this area if you have a comment or question about the session (I will not see these until registration closes so if you need an answer sooner then email me directly.) or to list any special needs for the student which is basically any information that you feel our staff needs to know. Sometimes that is allergies, mental health issues, behavior tendencies, etc. You will need to submit these with each registration. As I mentioned before, parents and unenrolled siblings are not allowed to stay on location with us. If you have a very unique need you can contact me to see if we can find a solution.

Is there any fee to participate?

No, all these activities are provided free of charge but they do cost money. Please only register if your student plans to attend all of the program. Not attending when you have registered as explained below will affect your ability to participate in these programs.

Why is attendance important?

Attendance is tracked for Innovations and Discovery and can affect your student’s participation in the programs if students miss too many days. We have limited space in each of these programs so we ask that you only sign up if you can commit to attend the whole session. We are happy that we can offer these opportunities to our students free of charge but these activities are not free so sign up responsibly. When you do sign up we are planning on having your student there. We know that things come up and students will miss occasionally which is why we created our attendance rules the way we did but if you know you will not be able to attend then please do not sign up.

What are the consequences of missing too many days of Innovations or Discovery?

If a student goes over the limit of absences that student will not be able to participate in the next session, even if you are registered. For example, if you have too many absences during Discovery 1 then the student will miss out on Discovery 2. If a student has two many absences in Discovery 2 then they will miss out on the next session which would be 8 weeks of Innovations. After sitting out a session then you can participate again. Beware of planning vacations during a session because you never know when sickness or emergencies are going to come up that may put you over the limit of absences.

What if we decide to withdraw from the session?

If you withdraw before the registration deadline there is no consequence. If you withdraw AFTER the registration deadline or during the session whatever is left in the session will count as absences and we will follow the attendance rules rubric to determine if you student will be able to participate in the next session or need to sit out. Please sign up responsibly. The dates and times of the session are clearly posted. Check your calendars before you sign up.

How many absences are allowed?

If you have any of the below you are not in compliance and will be asked to sit out of the following session. Excused absences are counted differently than unexcused absences.

DISCOVERY:

2 unexcused absences

2-3 excused absences

Combo of 1 unexcused absence and 1-2 excused absences

INNOVATIONS:

3 unexcused absences

3-4 excused absences

Combo of 1-2 unexcused absence and 1-2 excused absences

How do I excuse an absence?

To excuse an absence email jana.stout@canyongrove.com before the absence or the day of letting me know the reason for the absence. Emails without explanations may be counted as an unexcused absence.

Communication

Who do I contact about Innovations and Discovery?

All Innovations/Discovery questions or to excuse an absence during these programs go directly to Jana Stout. Your Epic Teacher is for all things Epic and academic. I am the contact for all things Innovations and Discovery. Jana’s email address and phone number are listed above in the staff section as well as below. Email is the best way to communicate. The phone number listed goes to my cell phone and is for when we are off campus and you need to get a hold of me.

jana.stout@canyongrove.com
801-810-9141

What communication about the programs can I expect?

After signing up you are responsible for keeping track of the dates and times of the session you signed up for. I won’t bog down your email or texts with reminders so here is what you can expect.

You will receive an automated confirmation email after you submit your request to register your student as well as when the request is approved. If you don’t receive a confirmation email within a half hour then something went wrong and feel free to check with me to problem solve.
When your student’s registration has been approved, one week before the session starts, I send out invitations to join the session’s Remind text group as well as the final details via email. This final detailed email will have the most up to date information for the session so please read it carefully.
All last minute information like if the bus is delayed or there is an inclement weather cancellation for the day during the session is sent out through the Remind text group. There is a new Remind group for each session. If you choose not to join that group or have blocked Remind then you will not receive this information.

What if I am not receiving emails?

Automated emails are sent out when you submit your request for registration and when the student’s request is approved. If you are not seeing these please check your parent profile in Ally under “My Profile.” If there is not an email address listed in your profile then you will not receive the automated emails. If you do not see a phone number listed then you will not receive the Remind text invite. You can update your profile in Ally by clicking on “Request Update” to add your contact information.

Check in/out

On-campus Check In:

Unlike Epic we have all students participating in Innovations and Discovery check in on arrival and check out when leaving. Yep, they check in AND out. When we are on campus you can use the carpool lane to let your kids out by the front doors of the school. There will be a staff member waiting with the check in roll just inside the doors. If they are late, students must still check in with a staff member, usually that is me, by going into the front office and letting them know you need to check in for Innovations or Discovery before joining their group. We will start classes and activities on time so please check in your students at the time listed in the sign up details. That is usually about 10 minutes before classes start. If there is not a staff member ready to check in students please stay with your student until we are able to get them checked in.

On-campus Check Out:

At the end of the day, all students must be checked out with a staff member before you take them, even when we are on campus. For pick up on campus you can drive through the carpool lane and we will check out students to the first three cars. If you do not use the carpool lane you can park and walk up to the staff member with the roll and check out your students before you take them with you. If you are sending someone other than yourself to check out please let me know.

Bus Check In:

If your student is riding the bus they will be checked in and out of the bus. You will arrive at the bus location at the time indicated on the sign up. When the bus arrives, students will line up by the door to be checked in. Once checked in they take the first seat available on the bus. The bus will leave as soon as all students in line are checked in. If the bus is moving when you arrive then you are late and will be responsible for transporting your student to wherever we are going that day.

Bus Check Out:

At the end of the day when the bus arrives back on location students will remain on the bus until they are checked out. Parents picking up will line up by the door with a sign with their family last name or student’s name on it to show the bus driver. He will announce the name over the loudspeaker on the bus, we will check those students out and excuse them from the bus to go with you. We have 10 minutes to get students checked out both on campus and with bus transportation so please arrive on time. If you are late we will call you to make sure you are on your way just before that 10 minutes is up. If you are not there to pick them up within that 10 minutes then your students will have to ride the bus back to the school and you can pick them up at the school. The front office closes at 4:00 pm.

Can I check out my student early?

Yes, you may check your students out early. To do so you must show your ID. Anyone other than you checking students out early also must show their ID and be on the release list in Aspire for the student.

What if we switch enrollment locations?

If you change your enrollment locations, ie. where your student attends Epic day, any time throughout the year please update me with that ASAP. That will affect participation and registration for Innovations and Discovery. Switching Epic locations with the registrar doesn’t automatically switch over to Innovations and Discovery. Please communicate these changes with me and I can go over options with you to hopefully not disrupt your student’s participation in these programs.

Tip:

At CGA we refer to your student by the location that they are enrolled in. This is very important information to know since we have so many locations. It will determine who your Epic Teacher is, when and where you attend Epic, your assigned day to attend Innovations and Discovery and how we group and communicate about your student. If your student is enrolled in one of our distance locations, Springville, Draper or S. Jordan we will refer to you as being part of the Springville group, Draper group, etc. For those that are enrolled to attend Epic at our main Pleasant Grove campus (aka PG campus) the day you attend Epic is how we distinguish you. If your student attends Epic at the school on Tuesdays then you are part of the PG Tuesday group. If you attend Epic on Wednesdays you are part of the PG Wednesday group and so on. I know that this can be confusing when we add in which day those students will attend Innovations and Discovery like the PG Tuesday group will attend on Wednesdays but just stay focused on when and when they attend Epic, the PG Tuesday group, and you won’t go wrong.

Registration

Why do we need to sign up for these programs?

Because these are optional programs you must request registration for every 8 weeks of activities. Each registration is for 8 weeks of programming. You will either sign up for an 8 week session of Innovations or two separate 4 week sessions of Discovery. You don’t have to attend both Discovery sessions but you will be registering for them both at the same time. Each Discovery session has its own sign up so if you want to attend both you will need to complete both sign ups. Requesting registration happens in Ally. Ally will only show you what your location is signing up for. We do not accept late registrations or changes to your registrations after the deadline. If the session fills up before registration closes you will be able to register for the waitlist. This must also be done before the registration deadline.

When can we request registration for these programs?

There are four sign ups throughout the year with specific registration windows. The registration window dates for the whole year are posted below as well as at the top of the page and on Ally so please mark your calendar and set reminders accordingly. You are responsible for registering on time. We do not accept late registrations. Registration opens on Ally at 7 am and closes just before midnight on the dates listed below. Registration is on a first come first serve basis.

2023-24 Innovations & Discovery Registration Dates:

How do I request registration?

You will log into Ally to request registration for your student for Innovations and Discovery. Here is a tutorial video on how to use Ally to request registration. If you are familiar with signing up on Ally you can log into your account and find the “Innovations & Discovery Registration” button and click on that to get to the sign up page. Please make sure you read the transportation options and select the correct option for “Ride bus?” You will need to complete the request to register for each student individually.

How do I make changes to my registration?

Changes to your registration request can be made BEFORE the registration deadline. Once you have submitted your request to register you will not be able to edit your request. If you notice that something is inaccurate in your registration please email jana.stou@canyongrove.com before the registration deadline to update your registration request.

Venue Waiver:

If any venues have required waivers, instructions and links will be provided in the registration process and need to be completed before the registration deadline. Students who do not have these waivers signed will not be able to participate.

When will this orientation be over?

Now! Congratulations on making it through a lot of information. Please let me know if you have any Innovations or Discovery questions that I can help clarify.

As you explore the world around you. You discover more about yourself!