The tug and pull of life’s major turning points – such as retiring from a long, productive career – can feel a bit like a mental time machine. At one moment, we find ourselves filled with nostalgia. In the next, we’re plotting vacations, pondering new hobbies, and planning long stretches of unstructured time.

“Today is history,” as the saying goes, “and tomorrow’s a mystery,” which is why Canyons District sets aside an evening each year to bid a fond a farewell to retiring colleagues. More than 70 employees are departing Canyons this year, and we’re breaking out the “photographs and still frames” to reflect upon and celebrate their immeasurable contributions. Some have devoted 40 years or more to Utah’s public school system, and many have worked for Canyons since the District’s inception in 2009. All of them have contributed to our success. 

This year’s Retirement Banquet will be held on Tuesday, May 29 at The Gathering Place at Gardner Village. There will be a reception at 6 p.m. followed by dinner and a program at 6:30 p.m.

In addition, individual schools and departments will be hosting Open Houses to honor the careers of Canyons’ talented teachers, ace administrators and exceptional education support professionals (see list below). If you have an Open House to add to the list, please email communications@canyonsdistrict.org.

• An Open House for Purchasing Administrative Assistant Susan L. Taylor will be on Friday, May 4, 2-4:30 p.m. in the Superintendent’s Conference Room at CAB-East, 9361 S. 300 East in Sandy.
• An Open House for Pam Clayson will be on Friday, May 11, 4-5:30 p.m. at Sprucewood Elementary.
• An Open House for departing Jordan High teachers Bonnie Berrett, Rachel Hardy, Todd Landeen will be on Wednesday, May 16, 2:30-3:30 p.m. in Jordan High’s Media Center.
• An Open House for Allyson Hanks will be on Wednesday, May 16, from 2:30-4:00 p.m. at Corner Canyon High School in the Media Center.
• An Open House for Sue Ranglack will be on Thursday, May 17 from 3:15-4:30 p.m. at Indian Hills Middle.
• An Open House for Ellen Stone and Paul Burns-McEvoy will be on Friday, May 18 from 2:30-3:30 p.m. at Crescent Elementary.
• An Open House for April Humphries and Sheila McDonald Montierth will be on Friday, May 18 from 2-4 p.m. at Silver Mesa Elementary.
• An Open House for Leslie Covington-Taft and Marde Brunson will be on Wednesday, May 23, in Hillcrest High’s Faculty Lounge, 2:30-4 p.m.
• An Open House for Trudy Cloward, Debi Hortin, and Rebecca Washburn will be on Thursday, May 24, from 3-4:30 in the library at Mt. Jordan Middle School.
• An Open House for Kristy Jones will be on Friday, May 25 from 3-5 p.m. in the Media Center at Ridgecrest Elementary.
• An Open House for Leslie DeMille will be on Wednesday, May 30, 2:30-4 p.m. in the CTEC Assessment Center. 
• An Open House for Karen Medlin will be on Friday, June 1, 2-5 p.m. in Alta View Elementary’s gymnasium.
• An Open House for Dave Nuzeman and Mickey Vincent will be on Friday June 1, 2:30-4 p.m. at Draper Elementary.