Canyon Ridge

I Attended Canyon ridge since it opened and spent four years there until moving to highschool. The first year, the school was brand new and there was no air condioning in the building, but other than that, it was a good school. But, every year the school got progressively worse, going through three principals during my enrollment there, until the teachers became lax, and lazy. The eight grade teachers from my 8th grade year have since been replaced, every single one has excpet one, and it is looking up again. my sibling currently goes to school there in 8th grade and though curiculum has dropped, it looks to be a decent school once again.

This is our kids first year at the school and we love it. The expectations of staff are high and they support students in achieving their goals. The principal is accessible and visible. The school offers after school clubs like Lego Robotics and Rocket Club. They also have great sports teams. The girls' softball team just won first place.
—Submitted by a parent

Reasons we love Canyon Ridge... Very academically challenging. There are many ways for parents to get involved and volunteer. Anytime I have an issue or question the teacher responds very promptly and respectfully. Administration if very helpful and deals with situations appropriately and keeps the parents in the know.
—Submitted by a parent

This is the beginning of our first full school year at Canyon Ridge. We were there for the last half of the school year last year. We have children in 7th, 4th, and 1st grades.We are generally happy with the school, the environment, teachers and the principal. If we had a complaint about anything, we are used to more homework. The kids are learning and are interested in many different aspects of the real world, science, current events, etc. My wife and I are very involved and interactive with their teachers, so this has been our experience. As for other students, we have met some really nice kids and yes some not so nice, but that is the case no matter where you go.We teach our kids to speak up for themselves and stear clear of trouble. My son has an IEP with some special needs. Had no problem with bullying and if there were I know we would have heard about it from the teacher and principal. Staff is very responsible and responsive. As for left wing right wing whatever.. there do not seem to be any political agendas in the class. Science is science, until you get politics involved then it becomes a voters issue, good thing kids dont care about voting yet! LOL Good Job CR
—Submitted by a parent

My son attended 2nd to 5th grade here. He had great teachers, no complaints. Teachers worked with him to make up work if he got a low grade so that he could stay on honor roll. We did not have bullying problems. He will be leaving for the 6th grade. We will miss Canyon Ridge.
—Submitted by a parent

As a parent moving to Arizona from Michigan in 2009, one of the most important factors in buying a home was the school that my kids would attend. I did my research and bought a house 1 block from Canyon Ridge. Boy how things change! I am so disappointed in both the school and the neighborhood. Kids here are awful. I suppose its the lack of parental presence in their lives, but it is just pathetic. My oldest son has autism and is bullied both at school and at home. I have personally seen 15+ kids chasing him through the neighborhood and throwing things at him. The story is much the same at school. He has transferred to another school in the district with much the same story. My younger son who has always been a straight A student with almost no effort, is failing 3 subjects because of social issues at school and the fact that the teachers just don't give a darn about these kids. The teachers are encouraged to just push the kids through regardless of whether they are learning or not. It's really sad to see. The current administration is horrible. They think that they have all the answers and yet the problems get worse. It's such a shame to see such a good school get so bad.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is not good at all. There are no math books. There are no English vocabulary words. The science class is pushing a left wing environmental wacko agenda, even though global warming has been proven to be a hoax and "scientific" data was proven to be falsified by so called legitimate scientists. I hear from other parents with kids in other schools who are having a more enriching educational experience. After 2 years, I believe next year is a time for a change.
—Submitted by a parent

My son went to this school from 3rd to 6th grade. He had amazing teachers that cared about him and "pushed" him to succeed especially since he wasn't a particulary motivated student. Last year, he had Ms. Saltarelli for math and he made amazing gains and excelled on the AIMS test. She is strict, fair, and consistent. At times, this website serves as a forum for parents who don't know much about education or what goes on in the classroom. Get involved, observe the classrooms, and see what goes on for yourself. It's easy to be an armchair quarterback and criticize. Much harder to get off your butt and be involved in your children's education.
—Submitted by a parent

My son has been going to this school since kindergarten and I have not had any complaints so far, this school has a great reputation and has lived up to it. I think people have written bad reviews only because of their lack of involvement in the school itself. Public schools aren't daycares and require parent as well as student involvement in order for the school to achieve a higher learning experience. I would recommend this school to anyone and if it's not good enough, the next step would be a private school.
—Submitted by a parent

This school has gotten worse every year its been open. The 1st year it was amazing, this year it is a horrible mess. Its a shame, the best school in the district has fallen to be the worst! I pulled my kid out !!!
—Submitted by a parent

My son and I love this school. I have yet to encounter a problem.He has been on the honor roll for 3 semesters:)
—Submitted by a parent

I am so proud to say that my children go to CR! Mrs Castillo is so wonderful and open with the kids and they all trust her. The front office staff is a great first impression as you enter the doors. Keep up the great work!!
—Submitted by a parent

We love this school. The only downside of this school so far is the lack of field trips. The office staff and the teachers seem to really care about the students and their parents.
—Submitted by a parent

Outstanding school! The teachers and administration at Canyon Ridge are fabulous. Parent involvement and support is very high. Expectations are high and students are excelling (and the school has only been open for 1 1/2 years). Both students and teachers utilize the latest technology in their classrooms. Students receive a well-rounded education (reading, math, science, health, technology, problem solving, PE, music, art, library). We're fortunate to live within the boundaries of CR.
—Submitted by a parent

Canyon Ridge is an excellent school. Mr. Dean, former principal got the school off to a successful start. To be an excelling school the second year a school opens, that's impressive, great job to Mr. West. Our children's education is the priority at CR. We're thrilled to be a part of this school.
—Submitted by a parent

Love this school! The CR staff (admin, teachers, office, etc) seem to love working here and definetly put forth the extra effort in helping parents, students and each other. You really get a sense the kids matter here and the kids respond by doing their best in academics, sports, behavior and overall spirt. It's great to be a part of a school who really likes their students!
—Submitted by a parent

Great to be apart of a new school opening. The staff handled everything very professionally and as if we had done this before, together. The parents are very supportive. Excited to begin the second year of an incredible school!
—Submitted by a teacher

This school got off to a great start. It has been open for only one year but for the most part, the teaching staff is top-notch and the administration is outstanding. We will miss our principal (as his has been promoted to the dictrict office) but most of us feel confident that the assistant principal, Mr. West, will step into his new role as principal successfully. There is still much room to grow at Canyon Ridge and we are still waiting for the television studio to come to fruition and hopefully, the future 8th grade classes won't miss out on their class trip as happened this year. Overall, we are thrilled to be a part of this school and hope to see its successes continue to grow and flourish.
—Submitted by a parent