Principal’s Message:
Good evening Ridgecrest families,
We are busy making plans for the new school year and we have some exciting things planned. With that in mind, I would like to take a moment to encourage each of you to join our PTA this year. It is a very small cost but it has a large impact. When we ask our students about their favorite part of a school year, they often reference class parties, halloween parades, field day, and extra curricular events like chess and Ridgecrest runners. All of these events happen with coordination and support from our PTA and would not be possible without them. Please help us to support what is meaningful to your children by joining our fabulous PTA during Back to School registration which starts tomorrow!
Back-to-School Registration
Back-to-School Registration is under way. Registration is the process we use to update information each year. This is the step after enrollment (completed through our website). Registration is required every year, for all students, and is completed online using Skyward. Each family who is enrolled should have received an email with instructions and access information for this process.
If you have trouble completing registration online, we will offer registration help at Ridgecrest during the week of August 11-15th at the following times:
August 11-14th, 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
August 15th from 8:00 AM – 12:30 PM
We will have Spanish interpretation support available during these times.
We are asking families to complete the registration process as soon as possible and make personal information updates as needed. Here is a link to more information: Registration Info
Bell Schedule
Set your alarms and get ready! Our bell schedule has not changed from last year. For those of you who are new, please note, our bells will ring at the following times:
ARRIVAL
- Welcome Bell – 8:40 AM
- Tardy Bell – 8:45 AM
*Breakfast will continue to be served daily at 8:15 AM.
DISMISSAL
- Monday-Thursday – 3:30 PM
- Early Release Friday – 1:40 PM
Being on time each day makes a difference for your child and their teacher. Please make every effort to arrive by 8:40 AM each day.
Safe Transportation To and From School
With the first day of school just around the corner, there’s one thing we can all agree on — nothing is more important than our children’s safety. Canyons District invites all families to participate in a new safety awareness initiative, which aims to ensure every student gets to school safely and confidently whether by bus, bike, foot, or traveling by car. Watch our social media channels for safety tips or visit our Think Safe safety portal to brush up on smart transportation habits for traveling to school. Our three areas of focus are:
Pedestrian Safety – Students should always use crosswalks, listen to crossing guards, make eye contact with drivers, and stay alert when walking to school.
Driver Awareness – Please watch your speed in school zones and on school property, avoid distractions, and watch for crossing guards and buses.
Drop-Off Zone Safety – Every school has unique drop-off instructions. Follow signs, pull forward when directed, and never stop on a crosswalk or block traffic. School drop-offs and pick-ups should only happen on school grounds, not on surrounding streets.
A little awareness goes a long way. Let’s work together to make this school year safe — even before the first-day-of-school bell rings.
Kindergarten
Kindergarten First Week
New This Year: Kindergarteners start school on Wednesday, Aug. 20th and will attend the full day from 8:40 AM – 3:30 PM. Transportation will be provided for students who are eligible to ride the bus.
Please remember that all students are dismissed at 1:40 PM on Fridays. The following week, our regular bell schedule will apply for all students Monday – Friday, including our kindergarteners.
Kinder KEEP Assessments – Monday 8/18 and Tuesday 8/19 will be used by kindergarten teachers to complete individual assessments, known as KEEP, with each kindergarten student. Kindergarten families should receive notice to sign up for a time to come to the school for this assessment from your kindergarten teacher soon. Please watch for this and sign up for your child’s assessment time ASAP.
Kindergarten EnrollmentIn accordance with Utah State law, if you have a child that will be five years old on or before September 1, they are eligible for kindergarten. If you know of a neighbor that has a qualifying kindergarten student, please share this information with them.
Eligibility: Children must be five years of age on or before September 1, 2025.
The office is required to have the following documents on file prior to student enrollment. Front office staff will be happy to assist in making copies of each document:
- Birth Certificate
- Immunization Record
- Proof of Residency
Back to School Night
Back to School Night will be held on Tuesday, August 12th from 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM. Doors will open to the public at 5:45 PM. We will hold a general parent meeting at 6:00 PM in the Ridgecrest gym followed by an open house in teacher classrooms between 6:30 and 7:30. The general sessions will include information about our school processes and procedures as well as messages from the PTA and the SCC. The teacher open house will be a time to meet teachers, and learn about their classrooms. Please come in, meet your teacher, and see the school!
Parent Square
Our school will be using Parent Square again this year as its primary form of communication with families. This platform provides many options that facilitate communication with families of all languages. You are not required to sign up or download the app to receive communication from Parent Square, but it will improve the features for you if you do. More information about Parent Square is linked below.
Overview video of Parent Square
SCC Nominations Open
School Community Councils are composed of elected parents and/or guardians whose children attend the school, elected employee representatives, and the school principal. As directed by state law, School Community Councils (SCC) review achievement data, help identify academic needs, provide input on school improvement plans, and assist in evaluating the success of the plans.
The SCC is also responsible for determining how the LAND Trust funds are used in our school. When Utah was granted Statehood, parcels of land were placed in a perpetual Trust with the children of Utah as beneficiaries. Revenues from these lands go into the Permanent State School Fund. The dividends and interest of that fund are distributed annually to each public school in Utah.
Serving on the School Community Council is an excellent way to be part of school improvement and supporting your child’s educational experience. Each fall parents and teachers are invited to submit a Declaration of Candidacy to serve on the SCC. Elections are held each year before the start of the school year.
Ridgecrest has 7 openings on our SCC for the upcoming school year. If you are interested in being a member of the School Community Council, please email Sara Allen (sara.allen@canyonsdistrict.org) by Sunday, August 10th, 2025.
Volunteer Registration
It is time to renew your supervised volunteer application with Canyons School District. All volunteers in schools, including members of the PTA, School Community Council, anyone attending field trips or working with students in any capacity need to complete and submit a yearly application form for background screening. For more information, please visit volunteer.canyonsdistrict.org.
From Our PTA
It’s that time of year…Become a PTA Member:
Sign up for PTA membership here: https://ridgecrest.givebacks.com/shopIt’s NOT necessary to volunteer your time to be a member of the PTA. You can sign up to be an informed advocate for our students. Everyone is welcome to join!
What is PTA? PTA is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children. Memberships are for one school year. Follow us on Instagram: @ridgecrest_pta. We regularly share important information regarding school/PTA events and pictures and videos. New this year, we will be doing some hidden prizes for our Instagram followers to find!
Sincerely,
Carrie Christensen
Ridgecrest PTA President
@ridgecrest_pta
Important Dates
August 12: Back to School Night
August 18: First Day of School for 1 – 5th grade
August 20: First Day of School for kindergarten
August 29: Vision and Hearing Screening
September 1: Labor Day – No School
September 2: Fun Run Fundraiser begins
September 5: Acadience Assessment 3-5th grade
September 8: Acadience Assessment K-2
Contact Info
If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us at:
- (801) 826-9250
- sara.allen@canyonsdistrict.org
- www.ridgecrest.canyonsdistrict.org
Sincerely,
Sara Allen
Principal, Ridgecrest Elementary