Middle School Mentor – Josh Semendoff
Josh Semendoff brings a myriad of experiences to his role as Middle School Mentor at Canyon Grove having worked with students inside the classroom for 3 years as well as outside the classroom as a NCAA Basketball Official, CPS Investigator, Sports Instructor and even as a Journalist where he would spotlight both student and teacher achievements to the community. Born and raised in New York City, Josh developed a deep passion for history, sports and learning about a wide variety of ethnic cultures and nationalities, embracing the city’s diversity and becoming an expert on both the history and contemporary landscape of his beloved hometown.
In 2008, Josh graduated from Arizona State University with an Elementary Edu Degree and in 2010 received his Masters in Secondary Edu Social Studies from University of Phoenix where he completed the entire program online and experienced distance learning first hand. No matter what capacity Josh works with children in, he always considers himself a teacher and mentor so whether it is officiating High School and Collegiate athletes and enforcing integrity and sportsmanship or working inside the classroom and or online, Josh considers his role a calling, an extension of who he is and a privilege to get to serve in such a meaningful capacity.
The role of the Middle School Mentor is to guide and support the students as they move from an Elementary model to a High School model and Josh is committed to getting to know each Middle School student on an individual basis, building a mentoring relationship with each student to use all his resources, skills and talents to best service any of their needs whether it is academic, extra curricular or even if they need advice on the transition to the social dynamics of High School.
If you have any questions or concerns for Josh, he is here to help and encourages all parents and students to not hesitate to contact him or stop by his office.
Phone: 801-785-9300 x1103
Room: 103
Canyon Grove’s Middle School classes are designed to stimulate thinking and develop a strong skill base for the students. Based on student interaction and engagement, these courses will strengthen critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, and productive collaboration, all skills needed in the 21st-century job market. They will also build accountability and self-governance to encourage consistency, dependability, and follow-through. These classes are all recorded so students who miss the class can view it at a later date. Recordings are only shared with enrolled students. Sign up for classes.
Mentor
Mr. Semendoff is our Middle School mentor. His role is to guide and support the students as they move from an elementary model to a high school model. Our program is about more than just the individual courses your student will take. In education, scaffolding means to gradually move students toward greater independence in the learning process. Like scaffolding in a construction environment, temporary support is put in place through supportive strategies which are then incrementally removed as they are no longer needed, shifting more responsibility for their own learning process over to the student. Our structured curriculum and the relationship with their mentor is intended to gradually build the skills needed for this transition from scaffolding to independence.
Humanities
The process of writing does not just utilize a pen or a keyboard. Productive writing comes from having something worth sharing and this process includes reading, thinking, discussing… and then writing, more discussion, and ultimately revising and improving your writing. Therefore, learning to write is best accomplished within a group setting, not in a vacuum. Ideally, language arts skills are best learned with familiar and engaging content and in the context of stories.
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 both past and present, and learn the power of their voice as they present their thoughts and ideas. This course is designed as a Socratic or a “Collaborative” seminar. Everyone participates as an equal contributor, but they must use facts and reason to discuss ideas by using questions based upon a text they have all read. Students will study the coursework through Google Classroom in preparation for a weekly discussion with their classmates via Google Meet.
Math
Our math class goes beyond just learning math… it helps students build a great relationship with math. Math builds critical thinking and problem-solving skills in a way that no other subject can. While some students may love math and feel confident in their skills, others may not see any purpose for learning math at all. Our goal is to create a positive math mindset while students build the skills they need to be successful in math. There are two options for our math classes, guided instruction and self-paced.
Guided Instruction
Our engaging Middle School teacher, Mr. Semendoff, will guide the students through our math program using Google Meet several times a week. In addition, students will practice their math skills through Imagine Learning. This is an exciting program that offers excellent math instruction, motivation, relevance, and personalized tutoring as needed.
Self-Paced
Students also have the option of an adaptive, self-paced math course (that does not include the CGA Google Meet sessions). Self-paced students have access to our amazing math course and Imagine Learning. Imagine Learning builds conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills and provides access to support from a live teacher as needed. This program builds confidence in students’ math ability and builds a deep understanding of math, connecting their problem-solving skills to day-to-day life and going beyond computation to true math comprehension.
Sign up for classes.
Other Resources
Middle School students also have access to subjects beyond Humanities and Math:
- Students can sign up for our Innovative Learning Center (ILC), a weekly in-person experience on our campus in Pleasant Grove. ILC includes a more middle school suitable version of CGA innovations classes such as Space center, Smartlab & Farm.
- Students can join our Speech and Debate team.
- Students can sign up for Outdoor Adventures. (A more age appropriate version of Discovery)
- We offer wonderful online resources such as Storybird for writing or Brainpop for video creation, coding… and more!
- You can request other items through our Wishlist (Curriculum Request Form) and they will be reviewed. If approved, they will be available in October at the soonest.
- Resource Library has a plethora of resources available for you to checkout and use at home. Online access to our resource library allows you to browse and reserve materials online from the comfort of your own home! You can log in to the library interface at https://canyongrove.goalexandria.com/?lang=en&site=QUAI. If you need the login, contact your mentor or the front desk for assistance.
- Williamsburg Learning courses are also available.
Our Innovative Learning Center Rotations for Canyon Grove Students are held at Pleasant Grove on Tuesdays.
Registration for these classes is through Williamsburg Learning. Registration information is below.
If you choose the ILC or Williamsburg Learning courses, you must register with them. Here are the steps:
March 29: Registration begins for returning families, March 31: Registration begins for new families.
- Make sure your child has been approved at Canyon Grove Academy
- Log into the WA SIS and check that your child has an account with Williamsburg Academy
- If your child does not have an account, click on the Add Child link and add their information. If you child already has an account, proceed to Step 4.
- Click on your child’s name and go to the Registration tab. Please ignore the message that will ask you to fill out an application for LAU.
- Proceed to choose the classes you desire for the 2021/22 school year.
- When you get to the Payment option, please click that you have a Third-Party, choose Canyon Grove as the school, and click the circles next to all classes you want billed to Canyon Grove
- Proceed through the rest of the tabs until you click the final Submit button.
- Email Shelly at shelly@williamsburglearning.com if you run into any issues or have any questions about registration
Once you register for your classes and Canyon Grove has approved them, you will then receive login information for your canvas account and all the information you need to complete your coursework from Williamsburg Learning. Again, if you are having difficulty in this area, please contact Shelly.
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