I hope this finds you well and your student's school year off to a good start. It has been a fast and furious start but things are starting to settle down. With August over, and September beginning, this is a good time to update you on what has been happening as well as inform you of some exciting events coming up in September.

The beginning of every school year always comes with scheduling issues. As much as everyone would like to have their schedule in place day one, unfortunately, it isn't going to happen with a school this size and the number of class opportunities we offer students. In addition to trying to accommodate student requests, we also have the issue of trying to balance class sizes. Complicating this year was the unexpected surprise that our enrollment is over 100 more students than was predicted. This is a great problem to have as it reflects on the great school we have. But it does require hiring extra teachers and adding extra sections which requires more student movement than normal. With a few exceptions, most schedule changes should be finished. We thank everyone for their patience and understanding as we worked through these challenges.

In 2007, Canyon High School began holding a 9th grade orientation program for all of our new 9th graders at the beginning of the school year. This program is led by professional guest speaker Keith Hawkins and is organized by Canyon teacher Mr. Vic Valencia. It involves having over 100 of our best 11th and 12th grade leaders, who make up a group known as the Ambassadors, mentor the current 9th graders. These ambassadors gave up the last Saturday of their summer vacation for a 6 hour training with Keith. Then on Tuesday, August 22nd, they helped lead the orientation. From 9:30 to 1:00 our 9th graders had the opportunity to hear Keith speak, learn more about Canyon and meet in small groups with two ambassadors. Each 9th grader has been assigned an ambassador who will serve as their mentor for the 2023-24 school year. The goal of this orientation was to help connect our newest Comanches to Canyon and make them feel more comfortable in their new surroundings.

On Tuesday, August 22nd, our Varsity Girls Flag Football team, under the direction of Head Coach Rebekha Anderson, played the first girls flag football game in school history. Although they played well, the girls came up short losing 14-13 to Estancia in a very exciting game. However, the very next night, the team earned their 1st victory ever by defeating Valencia. I would encourage you to come out and support them as the games are exciting, fast paced and fun to watch.

With the beginning of the school year comes a new opportunity for students to get involved. We offer a variety of extra curricular opportunities for students to be part of. We offer multiple athletic teams, band, choir, dance, drama, academic competitions and close to 100 clubs. There are far too many opportunities to list here. I would highly encourage your student to get connected. If they try one club and it isn't for them or they don't make a sports team, have them try again. There is something for everyone at Canyon High School. More information is available on our school website and for a list of clubs, have your student go to the Student Center.

The Canyon High School Career Technical Education Department is excited to announce the addition of the new Spyder Lab work-based learning program. The Spyder Lab is a comprehensive, engaging graphic media production and digital fabrication program that trains students in a one-year internship to run a business, while obtaining industry certifications. Students produce boutique products utilizing Laser Engraving, Large Format Printing, Embroidery and other Direct-to-Garment equipment while creating designs using programs such as Illustrator, PhotoShop and AutoCad. The SpyderLab allows students to explore their creativity, build technical production and soft skills, in a team-oriented environment while students learn to manage an actual business.

After a year of change in 2022-23, we are excited to welcome the following new APs!

Every morning at 7:30 AM, we offer Math Tutoring in Room 139. Mr. Joe Svoboda is available to help any student who is having trouble with Math. No appointment is necessary. This is a great opportunity for those who can't get help outside of school to come before school and get help with Math. Due to Faculty meetings, there is no tutoring on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month.

• Monday, September 4 - Labor Day - No School
• Thursday, September 7 - PTSA Meeting at 9:00 AM - Canyon Library
• Friday, September 8 - Welcome Back Dance - 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM - CHS New Quad
• Wednesday, September 13 - Back To School Night Starting at 6:00 PM
• Thursday, September 21 - Club Carnival Day 1 during Lunch - CHS New Quad
• Friday, September 22 - Club Carnival Day 2 during Lunch - CHS New Quad
• Monday, September 25 - Counselors will be doing Senior Presentations - 12th Grade English Class
• Wednesday, September 27 - Senior Parent Night With Counselors at 6:00 PM - Canyon HS Library
• Thursday, September 28 - Homecoming Pep Rally at 7:00 PM - Gym
• Friday, September 29 - Homecoming Game vs. Yorba Linda at 7:00 PM - Fred Kelly Stadium
• Saturday, September 30 - Homecoming Dance -7:00 PM - 10:00 PM - CHS New Quad
  
• ***AP Tests will go on sale in early September. More information will be sent out at end of September***