CSD's Back-to-School Plan
Health
Wellness
Learning
Last Updated Friday, Dec. 31
Canyons cares — and continues to focus on health, wellness, and learning. With those aims at the forefront, Canyons District is following a comprehensive and data-driven safety plan to maintain healthy and welcoming learning environments in the 2021-2022 school year.
Canyons’ plan was created to address any COVID-19-related concerns while also adhering to state laws and taking into account recommendations from public-health authorities.
Armed with lessons learned since the onset of the pandemic, Canyons is committed to continuing with robust cleaning regimens and disease-tracking protocols, as well as offering high-quality academic options in both in-person and online formats.
While CSD’s safety plan addresses many issues, we recognize that no plan could cover every need of all students, employees or family. As in any other school year, the District and school administrations will problem-solve unique situations as they arise with individual schools, students, families and employees. CSD also notes changes have been, and will continue to be, made in line with new and changing health guidance.
Canyons thanks parents for their partnership in support of efforts to safeguard students and employees while preserving in-person learning and activities.
- Mask Requirement at School
By law, Canyons District cannot require masks on its own. The Utah legislature last spring eliminated the school district’s ability to enforce such a mandate unless it is ordered by the local health department and allowed to stand by local and state officials. Masks are strongly encouraged on campuses where there is an increase in the number of positive COVID-19 cases.
- Learning Opportunities
Canyons District is providing access to high-quality in-person and online-learning opportunities. For the most part, in-person classes are held in a traditional manner, much like they were before the COVID-19 school year. However, many families have chosen for personal reasons to take advantage of Canyons Online, CSD’s new online-learning program. Via Canyons Online, K-12 students are able to move through grade-level learning at their own pace and on their own time while also accessing extracurriculars at nearby schools. High school students enrolled in Canyons Online can take the online classes for credit, both original and recovery, toward high school graduation. They also can learn at their own pace and place. More information about the school can be found on the school’s website.
- Safety and Health Protocols
Health authorities have recommended several COVID-19-related precautions for schools, including the following:
- Attendance requirements have been rescinded temporarily to encourage parents to keep children home if they are experiencing any symptoms of illness. Testing for COVID-19 also is encouraged if the illness continues. Canyons will provide regular testing for students and employees. You can find dates, times, locations and registration information on this website.
- CSD schools will be as clean as possible. CSD schools are equipped with cannisters of hand-sanitizer, touchless water fountains, and air filters that utilize an electrostatic charge to remove fine particles from the air. Classrooms also will be provided plenty of cleaning supplies. As always, schools will be cleaned thoroughly throughout the day and into the evening hours. Cleaning crews also will regularly disinfect classrooms, hallways, and commons areas with hospital-grade cleaning detergents.
- Seating charts and/or co-horting, or a combination thereof, will be encouraged to aid any contact-tracing efforts, which will be done by the Salt Lake County Health Department.
- Regardless of vaccination status, students and employees who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate at home for 5 days from the test date. Students who are in quarantine or isolation can access education via Canvas, Canyons District’s common online-learning management system.
- Parents and guardians of students will be notified in the event of a close-contact exposure at a school. Fully vaccinated students (those who have received two doses of Pfizer of Moderna vaccine) can continue with their studies uninterrupted. Health authorities recommend that non-vaccinated students quarantine at home for 5 days after exposure and access education via Canvas or attend school with a mask. Close-contact exposure will be decided by the Salt Lake County Health Department. It’s also recommended that any student who is exposed wear a mask for 10 days after exposure and get tested 5 days after exposure to make sure you are not positive and possibly spreading the virus to others.
- To the end of keeping students engaged in in-person learning, CSD will conduct Test to Stay events when case counts meet the thresholds as identified in state law.
- Community Engagement and Customer Service
As a service to the community, Canyons will feature on the District website a regularly-updated COVID-19 Dashboard. The District receives confirmation of positive cases from the Salt Lake County Health Department, from which CSD takes its cues in matters of public health. The Canyons community will be updated regarding the status and operations of District schools. Newsletters, flyers and other materials outlining CSD’s operations will be sent to parents regularly. Information also will be posted on CSD and school websites and social media channels. Canyons also will turn to live-streams and podcasting.
