The Canyon Valley Connect

Hello Canyon Valley Families and Students,

We had a great first week back! Students were engaged and it felt like we just picked up right where we left off!

As we start the 2nd quarter, I really want to focus on the importance of having good attendance every single day. This is a repeat of last week's information but I want to share it again because it is so important. Good attendance is the number one thing our students can do to help themselves be successful here at Canyon Valley!

As a reminder, tonight is the GPS district career fair and tomorrow is PSAT testing for our sophomore students (regular school day for everyone else). More details about each can be found below.

Thank you for reading this week's newsletter!

Why Attendance Matters: Showing Up is the First Step to Success!

Did you know that attending school every day is one of the most important ways students set themselves up for success?

Research and real data show a strong link between regular attendance and academic performance. When students are present, they’re more engaged, better connected to their school community, and more likely to keep up with lessons and assignments.

Here’s what we’ve seen from the 1st Quarter here at Canyon Valley:

Students who had positive attendance habits—showing up regularly and on time—were far more likely to pass all their classes.
In contrast, students with poor attendance struggled academically and were more likely to fail one or more classes.

This isn't just about grades. Students who attend school consistently build stronger relationships with teachers and peers, feel more supported, and develop the routines that lead to long-term success—in school and beyond.

Every day counts. Let’s work together to make attendance a priority and support every student’s journey to success!

Thank you for your continued support of our students here at Canyon Valley.

Adam Strock

Principal

Canyon Valley School

Gilbert Public Schools is proud to announce the second annual District-Wide College and Career Fair on October 20th from 6 pm-8 pm at Gilbert High School! Our eight high schools (Campo Verde, Desert Ridge, Gilbert, Global Academy, Highland, Mesquite, Canyon Valley, and Gilbert Classical Academy) have teamed up to create a night dedicated to helping our students gather information so they can make the best choice for their post-secondary plans. We hope you will take advantage of this great opportunity!

Here are three reasons why we hope to see you there:

It is never too early to start researching your options! Gone are the days of having only minimal choices for post-secondary education. You can attend a trade school to get licenses or associate's degrees in jobs that AI can't replace. You can go to community colleges for licenses, certifications, associate's degrees, and even some bachelor's degrees. You can join the military for on-the-job training and college credit, or secure an apprenticeship through a business to further your education. And, of course, you can go to a university in-state, out-of-state, and even at satellite locations. With so many different options and price tags, you should start exploring early.
You are a hot commodity! Because there are so many options, schools have to convince you that their programs, locations, and price tags outperform their competition. College fairs are an excellent opportunity to compare options simultaneously. You can walk from booth to booth and see which school fits your needs the best. Sign up for StriveScan to communicate with each school you are interested in so that you can follow up with additional questions after you have left the fair.
Take this opportunity to learn what steps you should be taking now to reach your future goals. Ask about specific admissions requirements, including minimum GPA (unweighted vs. weighted), required high school courses, SAT or ACT expectations, essays, portfolios, interview processes, extracurricular involvement, and scholarship qualifications. Gathering this information early can help you make informed decisions about your class schedule, develop strong study habits, and choose extracurricular activities that support your goals.

In addition to the 110+ institutions that will be participating, we are also offering two different pre-sessions (from 5:30 pm-6 pm) - one with the College Funding Coach (great for grades 8-11) and another with Julie Sainz, FAFSA & College Access Initiatives Director (great for grade 12). Please see the following flyer for more information

This is a StriveScan Fair! Students can register for the event and scan barcodes at each college table to share important information with the institution! Register for StriveScan before you arrive!

We are looking forward to a fantastic event and hope you’ll take full advantage of the opportunity to explore your future options, ask questions, and make meaningful connections.

Gilbert Public Schools will be administering the PSAT/NMSQT© to all currently enrolled 10th grade students free of charge on Tuesday, October 21, 2025.

The PSAT/NMSQT is an important assessment that opens doors to future college and career opportunities. Benefits include:

Free, personalized practice resources
College application fee waivers
Scholarship opportunities

Please note that October 21st will be a regular school day for all Canyon Valley students in all grade levels.

Monday, October 20th, 6-8 PM @ Gilbert High: College and Career Fair
Tuesday, October 21st: PSAT for all sophomores.
If you have not already done so, please complete your Annual Update.
Sign up for district bus transportation with this link.
Free & Reduced Lunches application and adding money to a lunch account
Gilbert Public Schools- district Health Dashboard
To stay up to date, please be sure to read District emails (link to all district emails here)
Calendar for the 25-26 school year and 26-27 school year

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Student schedules can be found within the Infinite Campus app. Students new to Canyon Valley will be able to find their schedule there once it has been created.

All students should double check their schedules prior to the start of school on Monday. Any student who failed 1 or more classes likely had their schedule changed to accommodate re-taking the failed class or classes (on a plus this is only a few students as the vast majority of our students passed all of their classes 1st quarter!)

Gates open for high school students at 7:15 AM. First hour begins at 7:30 AM.

Gates open for junior high school students at 8:15 AM. First hour begins at 8:30 AM.

Students may not enter through the front office until after the late bell at 7:30 AM.

The student drop off entrance is indicated on the map below with the GREEN X.

The student bus entrance is indicated on the map below with the ORANGE X.

Weapons screening will be in process at both entrances.

For students who drive, the student parking lot is indicated in BLUE.

The faculty parking lot is indicated in RED.

The parent drop-off and pick-up flow is indicated in YELLOW.

Student drop-off and pick-up is always a little crazy the first few days. Please be patient as it will improve as families learn and become comfortable with the new processes and routines.

Students who arrive late to school will need to enter through the front office, sign-in, and get a pass to class. Weapons screening will be in effect within the office entrance.

All visitors to campus must check in through the front office and must present a valid ID card (drivers license or state issued ID card). Please be aware that Canyon Valley utilizes the Raptor Background Check system for guests needing to access campus. All guests must also pass through the weapons detector security checkpoint. These processes are standard at all GPS high schools.

Canyon Valley is excited to partner with you this year as we work to support your students in meeting and exceeding their educational goals while also preparing them for their next steps in their college and career journeys.

Gilbert Public Schools will be administering the PSAT/NMSQT© to all currently enrolled 10th grade students free of charge on Tuesday, October 21, 2025.

The PSAT/NMSQT is an important assessment that opens doors to future college and career opportunities. Benefits include:

Free, personalized practice resources
College application fee waivers
Scholarship opportunities

Please note that October 21st will be a regular school day for all Canyon Valley students in all grade levels.

Students are expected to wear their student ID badges at all times. New students will be provided with a badge and lanyard to wear it.

Please work with your students to ensure they bring their ID badge with them to school every day.
Bus riders will use the barcode on their ID badge to get on and off the bus once they have received their ID badge from the school. Students will not be allowed to ride the bus without their ID badge.
Students use the barcode on their ID badges to access sign-in into class for attendance and to purchase lunch in the cafeteria.
Junior High and High School teachers will be using ID badges to take attendance each period. Students are required to wear their ID badge in a visible location that can easily be scanned on their way into each classroom.
Replacement badges are $5 for a permanent copy. Lanyards and badge holders are $1 each.

Per Gilbert Public School (GPS) Policy JHCA, all GPS schools are closed campuses. Students are to remain on campus during the school day, including lunch, unless they are signed out by a parent/guardian in person or have approved release time. Students found to have been off campus (including being in the parking lot) during school hours may be subject to a search by school personnel and face disciplinary consequences including suspension.

Canyon Valley does not accept food deliveries from delivery services such as DoorDash, Uber Eats, or from restaurants. Students may purchase lunch from the school cafeteria or bring their own lunch from home. See the link below for information about cafeteria services.

NUTRITION SERVICES

Visit gilbertschools.net/meals for lunch account information and free/reduced meal applications.

Gilbert Public Schools Governing Board approved policies regarding student use of cell phones during the school day to promote student learning and well-being by reducing distractions and improving focus during the school day. All elementary schools and some of our junior highs have already been operating ‘Away for the Day,’ and our high schools have been operating ‘No Cell Bell to Bell’ during the 2024/25 school year. The policy will simply formalize these approaches.

Away for the Day Grades K-8: Once the school day begins, cell phones and wireless communication devices must be turned off or set to silent and stored out of sight (for example, in a backpack) for the entire school day, unless instructed otherwise by a staff member for educational purposes. This restriction includes earbuds and headphones as well.

No Cell Bell to Bell Grades 9-12: During instructional time, cell phones must be turned off or set to silent and stored out of sight (for example, in a backpack), unless instructed otherwise by a staff member for educational purposes. This restriction includes earbuds and headphones as well.

Please visit gilbertschools.net/families for more details.

GPS College & Career Fair

Join us at our 2nd Annual GPS College and Career Fair!

Monday, October 20, 2025 | 6-8 PM

Gilbert High School

1101 E Elliot Rd

Gilbert, AZ 85234

Over 80 College & Industry Partners. Discover academic programs and career pathways. Learn about scholarships, Financial Aid, and application tips. Ask questions and get expert advice on your next steps.

Know Your Ride

The Gilbert Police Department is introducing a new public education initiative: Know Your Ride, a campaign designed to help residents understand the important differences between electric bicycles and electric motorcycles and the laws that apply to each.

As electric two-wheelers become more popular, so can the confusion about how they’re classified and regulated. While electric bicycles and electric motorcycles may look alike, they are treated very differently under Arizona law.

Walk4Hearing 5k, Silent Auction, and Community Event

Join Gilbert Public Schools at the 2025 Arizona Walk4Hearing on Saturday, November 1st, 2025, in Mesa, Arizona! This free, family-friendly event aims to raise awareness and support for the d/Deaf and hard of hearing community in Arizona. Free ice cream, refreshments, kids activities, bounce house, and more will be available.

When you sign up for the walk, register for the "Gilbert Public Schools" team! The cost of the walk is free. Donations are greatly appreciated. GPS is a Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) Alliance organization and will receive 40% of the donations from the "Gilbert Public Schools" team. Register at Walk4Hearing.org/teams/GPS.

The GPS Family: A Place to Call Home

The GPS Family culture is an authentic, welcoming feeling that keeps staff, families, and students connected for life. Through personal stories, we see how the Gilbert Public Schools community is a place that, for many, is more than a school district - it's a place to call home. | Read More

What Happens on Wednesdays: Professional Learning Communities

While the students head home early on Wednesdays, our dedicated teachers and staff stay on campus for Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). These essential professional development sessions help our educators grow and refine their skills, ensuring they're equipped to positively impact every classroom. | Read More

Infinite Campus Updates Mobile Apps for Parent and Student Portals

Browse assignments by specific class or due date.
Review attendance events in summary and detail form.
Immediate access to grades as they are posted.
Review schedule from anywhere, at any time.
Receive notifications immediately on attendance and updates grades.

Download the mobile app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store by searching for either Campus Student (for students) or Campus Parent (for parents). Learn more

What is Be SMART?

The Be SMART campaign was launched in 2015 to promote responsible gun ownership in order to reduce child gun deaths. Whether you’re a gun owner, or you know someone who owns a gun, there is a role for everyone in the conversation around secure gun storage. Be SMART is a framework that parents, caretakers, and community leaders can follow to help keep their communities safe. Ultimately, you can help prevent kids from accessing firearms by storing them securely, and encouraging others to do the same.

Learn More about Be SMART Here

Please find below campus specific information for our senior students who are planning to participate in senior activities and graduation with their home high school campus.

Campo Verde High School - Coming Soon!

Desert Ridge High School

Gilbert High School - Coming Soon!

Highland High School

Mesquite High School

To enhance safety measures that protect our students, staff, families, and the broader community, we continue to add to our wide range of safety and security tools, processes, and strategies. At the end of last school year, we implemented the use of weapons detectors at all of our high school campuses, and for the new school year, we will also be implementing a clear bag policy for athletic and other large events on our high school campuses.

Additionally, at Canyon Valley we will continue to utilize security cameras in all common areas and classrooms as well as the use of vape sensors in all bathrooms.

If your student is attending a GPS high school for a school event (i.e. sports, carnivals, etc.), please visit gilbertschools.net/safety for more information about expectations and processes.

If you haven’t already, please take a moment to complete the online ‘Annual Update’ for your student(s). In order to ensure we can communicate with you regarding your student, or in case of an emergency, it is important that we have your up-to-date contact details. Even if there are no changes, we ask you to please complete to confirm the information we have is accurate for this school year. Please log in to your Infinite Campus parent portal and complete your student’s Annual Update today.

For more details, visit gilbertschools.net/annualupdate.

As we begin the new school year, please review the updated bell schedule for 2025-2026 below. This bell schedule is significantly different than last year to accommodate state requirements for instructional minutes for each course each quarter.

Canyon Valley is excited to share that, over the summer, we added food services to our facility and will be serving lunch daily on campus. Students will have the choice between a hot lunch or cold lunch with a bi-weekly rotating menu (see below). With the addition of a cafeteria and served lunch this does mean a couple of logistical changes for Canyon Valley students:

1. Food deliveries (i.e. DoorDash, Uber Eats, etc.) will no longer be accepted and will be turned away. Lunch is a busy time for our front office and organizing and delivering student food orders is not something our office staff can manage during that time.

2. All students have a student lunch account. You can apply for free and reduced lunches and or add funds to your student's account by credit card through the LinQ app or by bringing in a check or cash to the front office at the beginning of the school day. Credit cards and Apple pay, etc. are not accepted to purchase lunch. Instructions for adding funds to your student's LinQ meal account can be found below.

3. Canyon Valley will remain a closed-campus. Students are not permitted to leave campus during the instructional day unless they have an early release on their schedule and are finished with their academics for the day. Students who leave campus are subject to disciplinary action including the search of both their personal belongings and their vehicle.

Adding money to your student's lunch account?

Every student has a lunch account, it is up to the parent to add funds to the lunch account or to complete the free and reduced application. If you would like to add money to your child's lunch account you can do so one of two ways: Adding funds via the LinQ Connect App, or by bringing in cash or a check to the office. If you would like to add money via the app you will create an account (you will need your child's student id number). By creating an account you can choose to be notified when your child is low on funds and you have the ability to see which days they purchased a meal.

Apply for free & reduce meals

To check your student's balance go online to www.gilbertschools.net/meals

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Meal Account Online Instructions with QR Code.pdf

Meal Account Online Instruction (Spanish) with QR code.pdf

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Sign up for district bus transportation

If your child needs to utilize district transportation please complete this Google Form in order for them to be registered.

Download the Here Comes the Bus App

Does your student ride the bus? if so, be sure to download the "Here Comes the Bus" App. This app will notify you when the bus is arriving, when your child has scanned on the bus and when they scan off the bus. ALL STUDENTS MUST HAVE THEIR STUDENT ID'S TO SCAN TO GET ON THE BUS.