Middle School Director – Darren Beck
Darren Beck is the Middle School Director. He brings 26 years of experience with him as an administrator, teacher, consultant, program manager, and substitute teacher during that time in California and Utah. Mr. Beck’s 19 years in Utah also saw him serve as a member of the board for the Utah Association of Public Charter Schools, serving 3 years as Board chair, and as one of several founders of the Utah Charter Network. He has assisted with the founding, writing, and/or managing of 12 charter schools.
As a parent, Darren and his wife, Paula, have six graduates of Rockwell Charter High School in Eagle Mountain, the youngest having graduated in 2021. Paula developed and teaches at a successful preschool in Eagle Mountain that now has three locations. They were married in Salt Lake City in December of 1992. Much of his educational philosophy has formed over the time since living in southern Chile in 1983-85 and as a graduate of California State University, Chico. Mr. Beck is a devout believer in education and how it can transform a person’s life. He is a life-long learner and gets as excited when he learns something new as when he sees the eyes of students light up when they learn.
Mr. Beck believes that out-of-the-box thinking and doing, as long as it is legal and ethical, is the only way to address education as we head deeper into the 21st century. While he appreciates that some people need the familiar and known compartments, he believes that the world is anything but routine and wants to support students and parents as they navigate it all.
Sara Holt
Online office hours: 10am-2pm, M-F (for security the link is provided via email)
Office hours: 9am-4pm, M-F
Sara.Holt@canyongrove.com
Tasha Christensen
Tasha has a deep passion for strengths-based education and individualized learning. She has been teaching for fourteen years and has worked with students from all grades, pre-k through 12. She also has a lot of experience in public, private, online, and charter schools, and she’s homeschooled her own children. Tasha enjoys building and expanding upon educational programs, making sure that each student receives the best education for him or her.
Tasha graduated from Brigham Young University-Hawaii with a Bachelor’s in International Business Management and Secondary Education. She also earned a Master’s in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Gifted, Creativity, and Talent Development from The University of Connecticut. She has run a math and English tutoring business for the past 18 years, and she also teaches for a math non-profit organization.
Tasha and her husband have a blended family with five amazing children. They love to create music and dance together. They also love the outdoors and love to explore National Parks. Tasha plays a number of instruments and sings, and she has performed professionally with a variety of groups.
Tasha is excited to be with Canyon Grove Academy and share her love of math and learning.
With the options available starting in the 2023-24 school year, Canyon Grove’s Middle School is set up to serve every learner better. The middle school team works to build on a foundation of academic agency where choices are made and accountability encourages learners in and out of the classroom. Middle School students and educators are committed to being respectful, responsible, and ready. From the core courses to the electives to Innovations & Discovery and everything in-between, a student will have great opportunities spending time at Canyon Grove.
HUMANITIES
Our grade-level humanities courses integrate language arts skills with a study of history. In this way, students have an opportunity to quicken their intellect, make connections to past and present, and learn the power of their voices, thoughts, and ideas. This course is designed as a Socratic or a “collaborative” seminar.
MATH
CGA’s middle school math program aspires to help students build a relationship with math by building critical thinking and problem-solving skills in a way that no other subject can do. The goal is to create a positive math mindset while students build the skills needed to be successful in math now and beyond.
SCIENCE
In addition to the use of the Generation Genius program, students are taught the Utah Science and Engineering Education or SEEd standards. They look at a variety of topics throughout 7th and 8th grade, all with a nod to developing STEAM familiarity – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.
Other Resources
Middle School students have additional opportunities:
- Students can sign up for Middle School Innovations & Discovery – see below for more information about this great program.
- Depending on the option chosen, students are given subscriptions to Zearn Math, Generation Genius, Gizmos, Find Your Grind, and BrainPOP, among others to supplement and extend great learning opportunities. Other online subscriptions are available and include courses not offered in-person.
- Students and parents are invited to visit with members of the middle school team when challenges or concerns arise.
- CGA’s Resource Library has a plethora of resources available to checkout and use at home. Online access to the resource library allows learners and parents to browse and reserve materials online. You can log in to the library interface at https://canyongrove.
goalexandria.com/?lang=en& site=QUAI. If you need the login, please contact the front desk for assistance.
Innovations & Discovery
Innovations and Discovery for our middle school students will be held on Fridays, 12:15-2:45 pm. (We may need to open another session on Fridays that would put these times on an alternating schedule of Innovations at 9-11:30 am and Discovery from 12:15-2:45 but we are trying to not do that but wanted to let you know of the potential change.) These activities are only for those enrolled in our middle school program. Registration for these programs will happen 4 times throughout the school year as listed on the schedule below. We do not accept late registrations. All rules and expectations for these programs are posted on the main Innovations and Discovery webpage.
Program | Assigned Day | Registration Dates | Dates of Activity | Time |
Innovations 1 | Friday | July 31-Aug. 10 | Aug. 25-Oct. 13 | 12:15-2:45 |
Fall Break | No classes | Oct. 16-20 | ||
Discovery 3 | Friday | Sept. 25-Oct. 9 | Oct. 27-Nov. 17 | 12:15-2:45 |
Thanksgiving | No classes | Nov. 21-24 | ||
Discovery 4 | Friday | Sept. 25-Oct. 9 | Dec. 1-Dec. 22 | 12:15-2:45 |
Winter Break | No classes | Dec. 25-Jan. 5 | ||
Innovations 3 | Friday | Nov. 16-Dec. 4 | Jan. 12-Mar. 1 | 12:15-2:45 |
Discovery 7 | Friday | Feb. 1-Feb. 15 | Mar. 8-Apr. 12 | 12:15-2:45 |
Discovery 8 | Friday | Feb. 1-Feb. 15 | Apr. 19-May 10 | 12:15-2:45 |
Break | No Discovery classes | Mar. 12-15 | ||
Spring Break | No classes | April 1-5 |