Canyon Grove Mission Statement: We are an environmentally responsible and multi-sensory learning center that empowers students to be accountable for their education journey.
Environmental Responsibility:
School garden–Canyon Grove Academy has a school garden. Students in grade K-8 participate with the garden, doing things such as planting seeds, collecting compost, working with indoor hydroponics, and gathering chicken eggs.
Recycling–We recycle our waste. In addition, after lunch all scraps are gathered and fed to the animals on the school farm or utilized in the worm garden to create compost for our gardens.
Leadership Lessons–Canyon Grove Academy has a course called Leadership. During this course, students receive help on study strategies, brain work, self awareness with learning, problem-solving and stress relief techniques, etc.
Multi-Sensory Learning:
Individualized Curriculum–One of Canyon Grove Academy’s belief statements is that all students have the capacity to learn and our job is to ensure this learning occurs utilizing a range of research and evidence- based instructional approaches and curricula. Canyon Grove Academy creates individualized curriculum maps and customized lessons are provided in person and digitally (synchronously and asynchronously) to encourage student-directed learning.
Interdisciplinary Studies–Epic is focused around history and this year will be focused around US History and its impact in the world. These history themed unit studies incorporate humanities and the arts, social studies, literature and engineering with hands-on projects, simulations, games and movement based lessons.
Discovery and Spark-–Canyon Grove Academy offers “world classroom” experiences through virtual assemblies, walking tours, outdoor class periods, and traditional field trips. World classroom experiences are offered every week. During Discovery, students participate in activities that are held either at our Pleasant Grove campus or sometimes in the community. Canyon Grove Academy hires and trains staff to directly supervise these events. Our school also offers regularly scheduled family field trips through our Spark program to create a sense of community. These field trips are parent supervised and parents are held responsible for their own children’s actions.
Resource Library–The resource library at Canyon Grove is an important tool for multi sensory, student-led projects. Students can choose from a wide selection of lessons, resources and supplies throughout the year to guide and support their individual investigations, including language studies, microscopes, rock testing kits, literature studies, math games, music and art kits, coding and engineering materials, etc.
Space Center--A space center is the combination of improv theater and a live‐action, team‐based simulation. Students can come to adventure in a futuristic set; guided by our Flight Directors who lead and guide the crew. Each flight has its own unique series of challenges and discoveries, similar to an episode of television.
Innovations–Provides students opportunities to be innovative. Students will be guided through the process of creation using a variety of materials.
Empowers Student Accountability:
Scaffolding-–Canyon Grove Academy scaffolds instruction for students who need temporary supports to help them master a concept. We use content, task, and material scaffolding as appropriate for our students.
Individualized Curriculum–One of Canyon Grove Academy’s belief statements is that all students have the capacity to learn and our job is to ensure this learning occurs utilizing a range of research- and evidence- based instructional approaches and curricula. Canyon Grove Academy creates individualized curriculum maps and customized lessons are provided in person and digitally (synchronously and asynchronously) to encourage student-directed learning.
Homework–Students practice skills at home with workbooks available through Canyon Grove Academy. Several different workbooks allow the student, teacher and parents to find a workbook tailored to the student’s learning style and abilities. We love how involved our parents are! Parents are very engaged in their students’ learning process. They enjoy doing the homework with their students to practice their skills. Our parents are also very engaged in supporting their students in their individual passion projects using materials from our resource library (rock tumbling kits, microscopes, coding, engineering, music courses, etc.).
Open Office Hours–Teachers have open office hours for student accessibility daily from 10 am to 2 pm.
Other Principles of our Charter
Standards Based Learning
Canyon Grove Academy offers online direct instruction to students for specific standards in language arts, math and science. Teachers monitor and assess students in person or over zoom using these standards. These come from the Utah core standards. Additional support can then be given to students who are struggling with any of these standards.
Scaffolding
Canyon Grove Academy scaffolds instruction for students who need temporary supports to help them master a concept. We use content, task, and material scaffolding as appropriate for our students.
21st Century Skills
Canyon Grove Academy offers a rotation in the STEM lab for applied technology and digital media instruction and offers additional opportunities for learning simulations such as in the Space Center. During Epic Day students participate in hands-on projects that are immersed in the SEED standards for science as well as the engineering process.
Innovative Teaching Methods
Canyon Grove Academy teachers create individualized learning plans for each of their students and choose research- and evidence-based instructional methods and curricula that match student learning styles. Students receive instruction through digital and non-digital methods, including synchronous and asynchronous lessons, both on-campus and off-campus. This teaching method empowers students to be accountable for their educational journey.
Database of Lessons
Canyon Grove has an expanding database of lessons that we have created and compiled. This extensive resource allows for individualization and targeted instruction and supports our certified teachers in meeting the diverse needs of our learners.
Project Based Learning
The resource library at Canyon Grove is an important tool for multi sensory, student-led projects. Students can choose from a wide selection of lessons, resources and supplies throughout the year to guide and support their individual investigations, including language studies, microscopes, rock testing kits, literature studies, math games, music and art kits, coding and engineering materials, etc.
World Classroom
Canyon Grove Academy offers “world classroom” experiences through Epic Day, Discovery Day and Field Trips. This includes interdisciplinary unit history studies, virtual assemblies, walking tours, outdoor class periods, and traditional field trips as well as unit studies. World classroom experiences are offered every week.
Parental Involvement
Parents and families play a critical role in the learning process. Canyon Grove Academy incorporates Epstein’s (2009) school-to-parent and parent-to school activities across the MTSS tiers to ensure all students and families receive the needed level of communication and support.
A Week in the Life of a Student!
Monday
On Monday, Emma attended Epic Day on campus. She started the day with a leadership class where she learned the relationship between her amygdala and the feelings of panic and fear. Then, her class discussed how to recognize these feelings and with her class she practiced techniques to soothe herself when she feels anxiety.
After that, for math and reading time, she took both the math and reading segments of the NWEA and then went to lunch and recess. After recess, her class had Social Studies. This year’s focus is on US History. She learned about Jamestown and the Native Americans and played a scavenger hunt game about searching for gold. She went on a class walk to gather natural resources and then built a Native American dwelling modeled after their original housing. For STEM, she learned about how they needed to build water wheels for irrigation and for powering mills and then she used the Engineering Design Process to plan her own water wheel.
For Humanities, Emma made a dreamcatcher as she learned about the art and culture of Native Americans. For science, Emma learned about air masses and storms and started a chart to track the weather. In literature, the class listened to a story about Pocahontas and the Powhatan tribe and discussed different parts of the story – who, where, what, when and why. Then, after a class discussion on Jamestown and identifying some key words together, Emma wrote sentences about the weather’s impact and how the colonists survived. She went home tired but happy! Epic day is always a lot of fun for Emma.
Tuesday
Tuesday Emma began her school day by watching a video on Peter Rabbit and then reviewed the comprehension questions so she would be ready for her Zoom Group Discussion. She decided to do the follow-up activity on having a rabbit for a pet. After researching that, she got on the computer and completed her math lesson for the day in her Google Classroom, practicing identifying prime numbers. After a break and a snack, Emma watched her grade level literacy skills for the day: phonemic awareness video, phonics video, Workbook Page Instruction. Following this, she went outside and rode her bike for recess and had some lunch.
After lunch, she had a Peter Rabbit literature discussion with her classmates on Zoom and her teacher reviewed the literacy concepts. She was excited she got to share what she learned about rabbits. After her Zoom meeting, she played with her kitten while she “Witch of Blackbird Pond” read aloud about a high-spirited young woman who moved to a Puritan settlement in Connecticut colony in 1687. Then, Emma finished up her cursive practice, read her chapter book Fantastic Mr. Fox, and to end her day, she got back on the computer for 20 minutes to do her Lexia lesson on dropping the final -e when she adds the suffixes -es and -ed.
Wednesday
Wednesday morning, Emma builds a big chalk number line on her front driveway as an activity. She learned about fractions on a numberline by watching her math video. Then, using measuring cups as described in her 4th grade activity, she was able to see how to use parts to build up to a whole and plot this on her driveway number line. Her mom videotaped her demonstrating this skill (which was her 4th grade Power Standard #2) by giving her several fractions and having her plot them on the number line.Together, they sent this video to her teacher. When they were done outside, Emma went back in to do her Google Classroom math lesson on finding the greatest common factor, and to have some lunch.
Emma traveled to Canyon Grove to attend her Innovations classes. In MakerSpace, she used creativity and problem-solving to design her own pair of shoes – Emma successfully built some flip flops which she actually wore home! In Farm, she learned about different types of gardening and her class tested the pH of the soil and learned what to do to fix the pH as needed in their soil samples. Emma was happy to see the rabbits at school and was excited to see the two different breeds she had researched the day before.
In the Space Center, her team was able to successfully complete their mission in which they were shrunk down to a tiny size and from that viewpoint learned about mechanical forces, heat, and light. Emma got to be the communications officer for the mission and was in charge of communicating with headquarters for navigation purposes and submitting hint requests from her teacher when her crew needed them. After her three innovations; classes, Emma’s day concludes.
Thursday
On Thursday, Emma pulls out her computer and watches her Generation Genius video about how sunlight warms the Earth. After she finishes watching the video, she follows the activity directions and chooses small toys to cover with water and put into the freezer so they will be frozen by tomorrow. Emma logs onto her Google Classroom math and practices more factoring and identifying prime and composite numbers. Composite numbers are confusing her, so she jumps on her Zoom link for teacher help and gets the help she needs. Now that she has it figured out, she takes the math quiz for this week. This week’s quiz also includes review problems on mental calculations and rounding, a previous concept that Emma really loves. She then does her summary sentences for the week.
After swinging outside for recess and eating some lunch while she listens to her read aloud, she gets back on her computer and finishes her weekly Lexia minutes before it is time to Zoom with her class. They discuss the read aloud together and then move on to science. Students talk about how their weather chart is going, answer any questions on the colored leaves experiment, and hypothesize about how fast their frozen toys will melt in the shade and in the sun. Emma’s teacher then shows the Zoom class a followup video on air masses and uses the rubric to determine student understanding on last week’s lesson. Students also get to learn about summary sentences in their writing activity and share with each other fun facts they learned this week before signing off. At this point, Emma jumps onto the couch with her independent reading book, Fantastic Mr. Fox, by Roald Dahl. She is so into her book that mom has to come set a timer for only one more hour of reading and then Emma must finish her school day. When the timer rings, Emma does her ST math online and her two homework assignments from her Saxon workbook. Mom then shoos her outside for some well-deserved play time and Vitamin D!
Friday
On Friday, Emma gets up really early to pull her ice-encrusted animals from the freezer. She places them outside, one in the sunlight and one in a cardboard box so it is in the shade. Emma sits for a while and gets cold so she goes inside because not much is happening. She goes back inside and gets dressed in warmer clothes and has some breakfast. She watches her CGA science video about seasonal weather changes and learns why leaves change color during the fall and winter months on some trees. Using her Science Kit, she goes outside to do the leaf activity in her backyard. While she is there, she is surprised to see that the ice cube animals in the sun have half-way melted but the ones in the shade are still in an ice block.
Emma picks green leaves for her kit science experiment and puts them in the jar with the rubbing alcohol. She brings her Saxon math and her computer outside and finishes her homework pages, ST Math minutes, and practices her Quick Reads Passages. Every once in a while she checks on the ice melting and to see if her leaves are changing colors in her jar. The ice in the shade finishes melting just as she finishes her work so she heads back inside.
During lunch, she listens to “Witch of Blackbird Pond” again. Then, she uses the coffee filter and pulls the colors spectrum from her jar of leaves. It is amazing to see colors come from the green leaves! After that, Emma logs on to her weekly individualized Teacher Time where she gets feedback on her work in Google Classroom math and reads her QuickRead passage to her teacher. Her teacher also congratulates her on passing off Math Power Standard #2 with her number line video and they look at her writing assignment together. Her teacher talks a little about the NWEA and tells her what she will be studying next week. Her teacher asks about her ice and leaf observations and Emma also shares what she loved best about the week – it was learning about pet rabbits!
After her Teacher Time, and since she read so long yesterday and she can read in bed tonight, Emma skips her independent reading and goes straight to her favorite class – PE! She is currently taking the CGA video Hip Hop class. Mom leaves it until the end of the week as an incentive if Emma gets everything else on her weekly work checklist done! Mom got her Friday email with the certificate for Emma’s Lexia efforts, etc. worked so hard this week – so it is PE time… Great week, Emma!
Student Success Model
Canyon Grove Academy is an environmentally responsible and multi-sensory learning center that empowers students to be accountable for their educational journey.
Canyon Grove offers an exciting and unique model for students and families. As a student at Canyon Grove Academy, here is what you can expect:
SEP
Every student begins with an individualized Student Education Plan. Teachers, parents and students all collaborate to create this plan and review it during meetings throughout the year as needed.
Preparation
Before the SEP, parents complete a process created by Canyon Grove Academy to pinpoint and highlight their student’s needs, preferences and learning styles through a series of flowcharts and quizzes.
SEP Team Meeting
Teachers collaborate with the parent(s) and student to finalize an individualized plan complete with coursework and learning resources. In addition, a student may attend a program either an Adventures-in-person 5 days a week or Adventures-at-home.
Initial Assessments
Students complete an NWEA and Acadience assessment which gives teachers a baseline knowledge of students’ skill level.
TIER 1 PROGRAM
Math
Content:
Canyon Grove Academy’s Tier 1 Math program combines Mindset Mathematics: Visualizing and Investigating Big Ideas (by Jo Boaler; Jen Munson & Cathy Williams), Zearn, Canyon Grove online direct instruction and a math workbook chosen to meet student’s individual needs. Our Tier 1 is designed with many components that allow teachers to differentiate as they work to meet the unique needs of all students and to empower students to be accountable for their educational journey.
The four different parts of our Tier 1 Math are designed to empower students with the math tools necessary for mathematical reasoning and computations. Giving them the tools and practice in applying them allows each student to learn to be more accountable as they practice taking charge of their educational journey.
Resources:
“Tier I (Universal) instruction Includes:
- Rigorous grade-level core instruction.
- A balance between procedural and conceptual instruction–this includes the use of mathematical tasks, Concrete-Representational-Abstract sequence of instruction, and student discussion.
- Differentiation–use of a variety of instructional strategies (i.e., cooperative learning, think-pair-share, explicit vocabulary instruction, small group work) and student-learning supports (i.e., calculators, manipulatives, graphic organizers, guided notes, graph paper, etc.)
- Multiple opportunities to succeed before considering Tier 2. (UMTSS Framework for Mathematics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YG050fQkaf6Q51Yz4HBmqvcKZ0UgiFuiCjuFSpNoW0o/edit) “
Mindset Mathematics helps students develop the ability to discuss mathematics with a growth mindset, encourage academic risks, and to understand the importance of investigating mathematically, learning through mistakes and collaboration. Mindset Mathematics also focuses on helping students see math as a creative process and its relevance in everyday life. In addition, students have weekly games/exploratory activities to reinforce what they are learning.
Zearn
Canyon Grove online lessons (Power standard videos) provide students with direct instruction from a certified math specialist. Lessons target essential Utah core standards. Teachers provide follow up and make sure that students are understanding and internalizing the concepts.
In addition, students practice math at home with a workbook available through Canyon Grove Academy. This strengthens their ability to be independent learners, including skills such as asking for help, staying on task, and personal accountability. Offering a variety of options of workbooks allows the student, teacher and parents to find an option tailored to the student’s learning style and abilities. Pacing guides and power standard assessments allow the teacher to support each student in their individualized learning path as they receive rigorous grade-level instruction and progress academically.
Assessment:
Students are given the NWEA assessment at the beginning of the year. This gives teachers an important baseline measurement. Teachers meet with students one-on-one or in groups to assess their progress. They determine if students have mastered the Canyon Grove Academy Power Standards (from the Utah State core standards). Using this standards-based approach, teachers can easily see where to focus additional support and resources to make sure that students continually progress and continue to practice becoming independent learners.
Teacher Support:
Teachers have open office hours for student accessibility daily from 10 am to 2 pm.
Language Arts
Content:
Canyon Grove Academy’s Tier 1 program combines targeted reading instruction, literature circles, interdisciplinary practice, and grade level skills videos to provide comprehensive language arts instruction. Our Tier 1 allows teachers to differentiate as they work to meet the unique needs of all students.
The components of our Tier 1 are designed to empower students with the language arts tools necessary for phonemic awareness, morphology, fluency, spelling, and writing and handwriting skills. They are also designed to encourage students to own their educational journey. The program incrementally leads students through the skills they will need to become strong communicators:
| Kindergarten – 3rd Grades | 4th – 6th Grades |
| Phonemic Awareness: the ability to hear sounds in words and discriminate the placement of sounds in words | Morphology: the study of roots and affixes in words |
| Phonics: correlating sounds with letters or groups of letters | Fluency: the ability to read orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings |
| Fluency: the ability to read grade level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings | Spelling & Vocabulary:: Spell grade-appropriate words correctly and expand ability to use vocabulary |
| Writing and Handwriting: become proficient with writing letters legibly and fluently and compose ideas through the writing process | Writing and Handwriting: become proficient with writing letters legibly and fluently and compose ideas through the writing process |
Students meet with teachers and receive targeted reading lessons. Students also participate weekly in literature circles. In addition, our interdisciplinary approach with social studies incorporates literature and writing into the lesson plans where students can practice their language arts skills in other academic settings.
Canyon Grove literacy skill videos provide students with grade-level direct instruction from a certified reading specialist. Lessons target essential Utah core standards. Teachers provide follow up and make sure that students are understanding and internalizing the concepts.
Assessment:
Students are given the Acadience and NWEA assessments at the beginning of the year. This gives teachers an important baseline measurement. Teachers meet with students one-on-one or in groups to assess their progress. They determine if students have mastered pertinent literacy skills from the Utah State core standards. In addition, Acadience progress monitoring throughout the year continues to direct teacher instructions. Using this standards based approach, teachers can easily see where to focus additional support and resources to ensure that students are progressing and continue to practice becoming independent learners.
Teacher Support:
Teachers have open office hours for student accessibility daily from 10 am to 2 pm.
Science
Content:
Canyon Grove Academy science lessons are aligned with SEED standards and are designed to be project based. Students access video-based content developed by our curriculum specialists delivered by a Canyon Grove science teacher and then follow up with collaborative, hands-on projects.
In addition, students also participate in science lessons and projects using Generation Genius. They investigate scientific questions and are immersed in the scientific method. All SEED standards are covered during the year in these lessons. Doubling up our content with Generation Genius lessons helps solidify skills for students and increases opportunities for depth of knowledge experiments.
The resource library at Canyon Grove is an important tool for multi-sensory, student-led projects. Students can choose from a wide selection of lessons, resources and supplies throughout the year to guide and support their individual investigations, including language studies, microscopes, rock testing kits, literature studies, math games, music and art kits, coding and engineering materials, etc.
Assessment:
Teachers meet online weekly where students share their completed project or experiment with the teacher and the rest of the class and they discuss their results. Teachers reinforce concepts and give specific feedback during this process. Teachers also reinforce students to continue to practice becoming independent learners.
Teacher Support:
Teachers have open office hours for student accessibility daily from 10 am to 2 pm.
Interdisciplinary Studies
Students participate in our interdisciplinary studies during Epic. Epic uses a four-year rotation of history topics. This year is focused on US History and its impact in the world. These history-themed unit studies incorporate humanities and the arts, social studies, literature and engineering using hands-on projects, simulations, games and movement-based lessons. Students also participate in a leadership lesson where they receive help on study strategies, brain work, self awareness with learning, problem-solving and stress relief techniques, etc.
Student Support
Open Office Hours:
Teachers have open office hours for student accessibility daily from 10 am to 2 pm.
Tier 1 Support:
Canyon Grove Academy scaffolds instruction for students who need temporary supports to help them master a concept. We use content, task, and material scaffolding as appropriate for our students.
504s:
Canyon Grove Academy also supports those students who qualify for a 504 plan because of their specific medical diagnosis. A designated school administrator works with parent(s) to gather appropriate documentation and create a 504 plan, if needed. They also follow up on any existing 504s, communicate with appropriate staff and faculty members, and take any other additional steps necessary to ensure that accommodations are made and that all 504 plans are effectively implemented.
TIER 2 & TIER 3 Program
Intervention
Students identified for Tier 2 or Tier 3 receive interventions from their Education Specialist (Certified Teacher) in the classroom as determined appropriate (intensity and duration). The ES and para-educator progress monitors the student throughout the process, keeping notes on the date of intervention, specific intervention used, duration of intervention, and student results, making adjustments based on progress monitoring data. If progress monitoring results show a student needs additional interventions, the data collected by the teacher is brought to the appropriate PLC team, which discusses and determines the best course of action. This may include continued interventions from the ES or paraeducator, or a student receiving interventions from the school’s math or reading interventionists. This process is continued until such time as the student is no longer identified as at risk of academic failure or the student is identified as needing assessment for special education services.
IEPs
Students who need Tier 3 interventions who are on IEP are supported by referral and IEP process. Canyon Grove Academy directly employs a special education team of certified special education teachers and qualified paraprofessionals and provides access to ongoing professional development to all team members. This team works to ensure that, according to IDEA, all IEP plans are implemented for students who qualify for special education. For example, our special education teacher or para-educator fulfills service minutes in the IEP through onsite or distance/blended learning methods.. In addition, Canyon Grove Academy contracts with special education consultants to perform external evaluations, oversee our UPIPs, and monitor our compliance with all pertinent rules, regulations, policies and procedures, including the effective implementation of all IEPs so that our students with disabilities have access to a free and appropriate public education. We outsource or employ qualified and licensed professionals for all related services.
