Canyons board reviews final 'Thrive Time' K–8 curriculum, moves item to new business for fall adoption

Canyons School District staff presented the final draft of Thrive Time, a K–8 social‑emotional curriculum the district developed over two years, and the board moved the proposal into the new‑business portion of its June 4 meeting for further consideration.

Amber (Director, Instructional Services Department) told the board the curriculum was developed through a multi‑phase process that included educator writing teams, a six‑part stakeholder review, an optional field test and a targeted field test in which 400 teachers and 6,000 students provided feedback. ‘‘The lessons were revised based on teacher and student input, and we believe they are ready to publish for final proposal and fall implementation,’’ Amber said.

Thrive Time is organized into six competency units — building resilience; setting goals; making responsible decisions; understanding community; respecting self and others; and resolving conflict — with four core lessons plus at least one digital‑citizenship lesson in each unit. Staff emphasized the program is not therapy or behavioral treatment and said materials are public: lessons are posted in BoardDocs and can be previewed online or requested in print.

Board members praised the transparency of the process and the review work by parents and specialists. Mrs Oaks said she had reviewed the lessons and had not received complaints during development; Mrs Naar and others echoed appreciation for the stakeholder review. When asked where families can find the materials, staff directed viewers to the district website’s family/parent connections page.

No formal adoption vote on Thrive Time was recorded at the June 4 meeting. The board administratively moved the item to the new‑business docket to permit formal second reading and possible action at a subsequent meeting; staff said full implementation would begin in the fall if the board approves the final curriculum.