School year to kick off with new administrators in Canyons schools

By Julie Slama | [email protected]

Midvale school children have been impacted for four years by one man, one they have seen dress up in an elf costume from the popular holiday movie. The same school administrator is now moving to nearby Sandy, but he feels the strong bond in the community he served.

Matt Watts, who has served as an assistant principal at Midvale Elementary for three years and at Midvale Middle for one is returning to Mt. Jordan Middle, where he initially was as assistant principal.

“It’s been really fun being with the kids at the elementary school for three years and then to go to the middle school, to see and follow them and their progress,” Watts said after he moved his boxes from Midvale Middle to Mt. Jordan. “I loved the parent support, the different cultures, the great friendships I’ve made with people. It’s a tight-knit administrative group, definitely a team approach, with a lot of interaction between the schools like we’re one big campus. I’m going to miss that and this community.”

An intern administrator, Courtney Long, will become the new assistant principal at Midvale Middle.

Throughout Canyons School District, there are about 25 administrative changes taking place this summer.

At nearby Hillcrest High in Midvale, Assistant Principal Sara Little will become Corner Canyon High’s assistant principal while the Draper high school’s assistant principal, Quentin Linde, will become Hillcrest High’s assistant principal.

Little, who has been at Hillcrest High for the past four years, said while she won’t miss all the construction at the school — “I won’t miss my office shaking,” — she will miss being with her son, who is a junior and active in the music program there. 

Although in her new position she will run the Corner Canyon freshman orientation, she said she will be sad to leave behind the 22-day program she began for incoming Hillcrest freshmen, Husky Strong.

“It’s one of my favorite things at Hillcrest,” she said. “We help the incoming freshmen bridge with their transition to high school. They receive a quarter credit and have the basis of academic and social skills and mentors to help them be successful.”

At Midvale Elementary, Assistant Principal Jeri Rigby will assume the duties of Copperview Elementary principal as the current principal Christie Webb will move to Sandy Elementary to oversee that school.

Achievement Coach Sara Caldwell will move in as assistant principal at Midvale Elementary.

As of press deadline, there are no other administrative appointments in Midvale schools.