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TO:
Administrators

FROM:
McKinley Withers, HR Administrator

Employee Wellness is coming to you!

Throughout the 2026-27 school year, the Employee Wellness Team will be doing site visits in partnership with the Employee Benefits Team.

All you need to do is pick a day that works for your school/worksite! We will set up in a faculty room or shared space for employees to bring treats, information, and handouts, along with an open-ended invitation for employees to share their experience and suggestions for our growing wellness program.

To schedule your worksite visit, use this appointment scheduler link. The default site visit time is during your school/worksite’s lunches (10:30-1:30). If you’d like to arrange a different time (before or after school) or have questions about expectations, contact McKinley Withers (cell: 801-448-1404, mckinley.withers@jordandistrict.org). We look forward to seeing you at your worksite!

In addition to these scheduled Site Visits, our team would love to conduct a brief professional development for your staff. Contact McKinley to schedule professional development for ANY employee group.

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First Look targets Middle School/Jr. High and High school students, and educators, offering them a unique sneak peek into Ballet West's ongoing productions. Prior to the public opening, students attend pre-performance offerings, gaining insights into ballet's inner workings. 

https://www.balletwest.org/community/education/first-look

The program aims to familiarize students with ballet's evolution by showcasing complete ballets and repertory programs. Ballet West grants students an exclusive view of a performance's final dress rehearsal. A member of the Ballet West education staff lead pre-presentation discussions and intermission chats which enable students to recognize audience attributes, evaluate authenticity, substance and excellence, and engage in aesthetic activities.

Digital study guides align with the content of shorter school-hour performances, enriching students' experience. Overall, First Look enhances students' understanding of ballet, fostering aesthetic appreciation and personal growth through intimate exposure to the art form's intricacies.

 We have the ability to accept groups as small as one or two students, teachers attending on their own, or large groups attending together. Parent chaperones are welcome as well. We’re very flexible. This must be arranged through the teacher of any particular group. Please share this opportunity with other faculty members who may be interested in taking advantage of this unique event for their students and themselves. You may request attendance at multiple offerings as well.

 All Performances are at the Jesse Quinney Eccles Capitol Theater, 50 West 200 South, SLC, Utah

Reserve early – seating is limited. To reserve seats or for questions, please contact us at 801-869-6911 or at  pchristie@balletwest.org

 Groups of 40 or more may request a student/teacher workshop to supplement their attendance at a Ballet West First Look presentation. Availability is limited.

We would love to hear from you with any questions or comments regarding our programs, or for information, you can reach us at pchristie@balletwest.org or by calling us at 801-869-6911.

PDF available here: 2026-2027 First Look: printable pdf

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DATE:
October 1, 2026

TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
School Safety Specialists

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Buddy Alger, Director of Student Services
Matt Alvernaz, School Safety Coordinator

SUBJECT:
Monthly Drill Preparation (LOCKDOWN)

Our monthly drill preparation meeting will be held on October 7th at 2:40 PM, 3:10 PM, and again at 3:40 PM. Each session will last about 20 minutes. This month we will be covering LOCKDOWN.  Each School Safety Specialist is expected to attend along with administrators assigned to oversee school safety.  All other administrators are welcomed to attend as well. The meeting is also open to any staff who may be interested.

After each monthly training, all school staff should be trained by the administrator over school safety and the School Safety Specialist. After being trained each month, teachers should educate their students on each safety drill. Additionally, schools should communicate with their patrons regarding Standard Response Protocol(s) (SRP) and the drill being conducted each month. Videos, handouts, and other resources can be found at the link(s) below.

Information regarding the LOCKDOWN response protocol can be found in the Jordan School District Safety Manual on pages 12-14.  We will discuss how to implement and execute the drill.  This will be an opportunity to ask questions and share ideas amongst the schools.

We will be holding this meeting over ZOOM so please join using this link.

 

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DATE:
October 1, 2026

TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Buddy Alger, Director of Student Services
Jodee Packer, CARE Team Specialist

We are excited to share with you a new data tracking program for wellness rooms across the district: The Wellness Room Assessment Program (WRAP) is free for all schools and available immediately to your Wellness Room Coordinators by completing the attached Google Form. The student data will be shared in a separate email to you and your other mental health team members once your form is created and shared with your Wellness Room Coordinators.  

Tracking this data is essential to improving your student support systems. By utilizing WRAP, you will be able to:

  • Serve as a prevention indicator to better and earlier identify students who may be struggling before issues escalate.
  • Pinpoint student needs and tailor tier 2 & 3 individualized interventions.
  • Identify Patterns & Trends as a school to better allocate staff and resources.
  • Ensure wellness spaces are being utilized effectively for their intended purposes and avoid any misuse. 

Please complete the Google Form and get access to your school’s WRAP portal. 

Thank you for your leadership and dedication to supporting our students' well-being. Please reach out to Jodee Packer, one of our CARE Specialists, if you have any questions regarding access or setup. She can be reached at jodee.packer@jordandistrict.org or 801-567-8193

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TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
Elementary Administrative Assistants
Secondary Attendance Secretaries
Secondary Registrars

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Buddy Alger, Director, Student Services
Scott Festin, Student Services Administrator of Planning

Student Services will be hosting training opportunities for staff to prepare for the 2027-28 permit season on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. The Open Enrollment window opens on Sunday, November 15, 2026 this year. This training will be geared towards Administrators overseeing permits in their building and office staff that process applications. It is especially appropriate for administrators and staff that are new to permits. Sessions will not be targeted at any specific audience, so individuals are welcome to attend either session.

Both sessions will be held at the District Office, Room 129. Due to updated security protocols at the District Office, please remember to bring your ID badge.

Please register for all sessions using this link: 2027-28 Permit Training Signup

Date Time Location
Wednesday, October 28 9:00-11:00 AM District Office, Room 129
Wednesday, October 28 1:00-3:00 PM District Office, Room 129

Permit questions should be addressed to Scott Festin, Student Services Administrator of Planning, scott.festin@jordandistrict.org, x88370

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TO:
Elementary Principals
Elementary Instructional Coaches

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Jessica Stowe, Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning
Mandy Thurman, Consultant of Teaching and Learning

To support high-quality literacy instruction across our schools, the Teaching and Learning Department is pleased to provide an UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Initiative) Foundations Training specially designed for our Instructional Coaches.

This essential training provides a valuable opportunity to equip coaches with targeted strategies, deepen implementation practices, and support our collective goal of ensuring strong literacy outcomes for all students.

Instructional coaches are required to attend both Part 1 and Part 2 of this professional development series. Two scheduling options are available for each part to accommodate school needs. Use this sign-up sheet to indicate the sessions you will attend:

UFLI Elementary Coach Training
Intern Facilitators are invited to attend as well.

UFLI Coach Training Part 1
Option 1: Oct. 27, 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. | PDC 103
Option 2: Nov. 3, 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. | ASB Presentation Room

UFLI Coach Training Part 2
Option 1: Nov. 10, 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. | PDC 102
Option 2: Nov. 16, 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. | PDC 102

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TO:
All Employees

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Sandy Reisgraf, Director of Communications
Mike Heaps, Director of Information Systems
Steffany Ellsworth, Manager in Information Systems.

SUBJECT:
Notice of Upcoming Emergency Notification Drill – 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 16

Do you want to know if schools, District offices, and departments are closed due to a snow day this winter? Are you properly set up to receive emergency alerts in ParentSquare so you know when it happens?

Having up-to-date contact information is critical if you want to receive important messages. If your contact information is incorrect in Qmlativ Employee Access, you won’t receive essential alerts from both your school and Jordan District in the event of an emergency, severe weather event, or unexpected school or districtwide closure.

Jordan School District will be conducting an emergency notification drill on Oct. 16 at 11 a.m. The purpose of this drill is to test our mass notification capabilities and ensure that all employees are properly set up to receive timely, accurate information during an unexpected emergency or school closure, like a snow day. The test will be conducted simultaneously through phone calls and SMS text messages.

As referenced in JEM dated Aug. 18, 2026, all employees were asked to log into Qmlativ Employee Access to review and update their contact information. Our emergency alert system relies entirely on the contact information provided by you. If your details are outdated or inaccurate, the system will be unable to reach you.

• What to expect during the drill?
• What: Automated phone call and text messages, clearly identifying the communication as a DRILL/TEST.
• When: Oct. 16, 2026 at 11 a.m.
• Who: All employees

• What to do after the drill?
• Check with your co-workers to confirm if they received the test call and text message.
• If you did not receive the notification, log into Qmlativ Employee Access and follow the instructions in the JEM previously sent in August.
• Reach out to the Information Systems help desk if you have any trouble updating your phone contact information at 801-567-8737 or extension 88737.

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TO:
Elementary Principals
Assistant Principals

FROM:
Megan Cox- Rose Creek Elementary
Garett York- Bastian Elementary
Ronna Hoffman- Oak Leaf Elementary
Bryce Eardley- Mountain Shadows Elementary

Please submit questions to be discussed by the JAESP committee and cabinet by Wednesday, October 7th.

You may submit concerns or questions using this Google Form, OR you may send items to be discussed directly to Megan Cox at Rose Creek, Garett York at Bastian, Ronna Hoffman at Oak Leaf, or Bryce Eardley at Mountain Shadows.

Contact information is optional but will allow a committee member to reach out to you if more information is needed. All items will be discussed anonymously as we work to provide clarification and solutions to concerns of elementary administrators.

 

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TO:
Secondary Principals

FROM:
Lynsey Williams, Secondary Science Specialist
Curtis Jenson, Assistant Director of Teaching & Learning
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning

Principals, please send this out with your next ParentSquare message to parents so they are aware that their students have this opportunity.

Parents,

It’s time to start thinking about the JSD STEM Fair! What’s that? All secondary students in our district are invited to participate in the JSD STEM Fair by working on a STEM-related project and then presenting it to others. Winners will move on and compete at a regional STEM fair. All students in grades 7-12 are eligible, and students can work individually or in a group of up to three members.

What’s the project? Students can base their STEM project on existing classwork or participate with a new project done completely outside of school. Projects can be in any of 11 categories across science, engineering, computer science and math. Students are required to fill out Project Forms at the beginning of the process to ensure they know and meet project criteria; there are specific rules and requirements for students working with people (surveys or tests of any kind) or other living things.

Students must register here for the district fair by Friday, January 8th in order to participate. The District STEM Fair will be held on Thursday, January 28th, and the Regional Fair is on March 18th for those who qualify.

Contact Lynsey Williams for more information. lynsey.williams@jordandistrict.org

 

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DATE:
October 1, 2026

TO:
All Administrators
All Office Staff

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Michael Heaps, Director of Information Systems
Steven Harwood, Assistant Director of Application Development

SUBJECT: Skyward Student System Maintenance

The Skyward Student System, including Family and Student Access, will be unavailable during a system upgrade from 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 30th, until noon on Saturday, October 31st.

We appreciate your patience while we perform this system upgrade.

 

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TO:
School Principals

FROM:
Mike Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Lisa LeStarge, Administrative Assistant

REMINDER:
The following must be completed by October 20, 2026:
• Review your current School LAND Trust Plan, implementation of the Prior Year's Plan, and the Teacher and Student Success Act Plan (TSSA).
• Complete the NEW Fall Requirements Form. This form has replaced both the Council Membership Form and Principal Assurance Form and can be found on the State Land Trust website. Instructions can be found here: Fall Requirement Form Guide.
• Update required school website postings.
• Verify that SCC members are listed the same on both the school website and the state website.
Recommended training resources for SCC: Council Elections and Membership Requirements for District Councils (YouTube)

Once you have updated your SCC rosters, please send Lisa LeStarge the names, phone numbers, and email addresses for your SCC Chair and Vice Chair, so an invitation can be sent for an upcoming JPAC meeting.

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DATE:
October 1, 2026

TO:
All Administrators
All Office Staff

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Michael Heaps, Director Information Systems
Steffany Ellsworth, Manager - Support Services, Information Systems

SUBJECT: 
2026 Utah Skyward User Conference

Happy fall, y’all! With fall comes the annual Utah Skyward User Conference. This year, it’s even more exciting as you’ll get a sneak peek at Qmlativ, the new student management system that we will be implementing! Join us on Thursday, November 5th at Canyons School District in their Support Services Center. Please see the agenda for the address and session times. 

This conference is a great opportunity to learn directly from Skyward experts, as sessions are taught by their staff. This year’s lineup includes several outstanding sessions focused on both Qmlativ Finance and Qmlativ Student. This conference is a great chance to preview how the Qmlativ Student system looks, operates, and can make your daily work easier. 

During these sessions, there will be an opportunity to ask questions. However, if you have an issue that may be more timely to resolve, we ask that you contact our helpdesk for assistance. 

We hope this year’s conference will inspire you with new insights, practical tips, and a deeper understanding of what’s possible in Skyward. There is no need to register in advance. For questions about attending the conference, please feel free to call the Help Desk at extension 88737.

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DATE:
September 24, 2026

TO: 
Principals and Assistant Principals

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Buddy Alger, Director of Student Services
Michelle Reyes, CARE Team Specialist

SUBJECT:
Panorama Student Feedback Survey Dates, Opt-In Report & Survey Coordinator Resources

The Panorama Social-Emotional Wellness survey may only be administered to students whose parents have opted-in. Parents are asked to opt-in to the student feedback survey during the yearly school registration process. When the online registration process closes on Oct. 1 schools will need to manually enter the opt-in consent received after that date into Skyward. Attached is a digital copy of the parent opt-in consent from the online registration information.

2026-27 Panorama Survey Windows:

  • Fall- October 5, 2026-November 6, 2026
  • Winter- January 22, 2027 – February 19, 2027
  • Spring- April 19, 2027 – May 11, 2027

Action for Schools

  • School Panorama Survey Coordinators should print out the list of students who have opted-in and provide teachers administering the survey with the list of students in their classes that have opted-in. The student opt-in list can be accessed through Skyward using this data mining report.
    • Most secondary schools use the advisory period teachers to administer the survey and post the link panoramaed.com/utahjordan in Canvas or Google Classroom
    • Most elementary schools share the link panoramaed.com/utahjordan in Canvas or Google Classroom and use grade level teachers to administer the survey

The following information is provided to inform and assist you as you administer student surveys:

  • The list of students who may take the survey (opted-in) will be provided to Panorama before and at mid-window during the administration of the survey by Student Services. Only opted-in students will be able to log in and take the survey. If students are unable to login to take the survey, it is likely that they have not been opted-in. Teachers should refer to the list.
    • If there are students who are on the opted-in list, but are having log-in issues, the school survey coordinator should contact Panorama directly for assistance at support+utahjordan@panoramaed.com. Student Services does not have the ability to manage access to surveys.
  • Survey coordinators and administrators should view the Administering Panorama Survey presentation for information, instructions, and guidance regarding the student feedback surveys.
  • The updated Panorama Dashboard with your school data will be available 7 days after the survey window closes.

Questions? Contact Buddy Alger (buddy.alger@jordandistrict.org) or Michelle Reyes (michelle.reyes@jordandistrict.org) at 801-567-8183.

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TO:
Elementary Principals
Elementary Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Odette Desmarais, Administrator of Schools
Meredith McPhail, Administrator of Schools
Becky Gerber, Administrator of Schools
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools

Please find your school tab in this Google Sheet and complete the Elementary Parent/Teacher Conference Reporting Form by Friday, October 16, 2026. If you have any questions, please contact Shannel Hooper at extension 88204.

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TO:
Administrators

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Jared Covili, Innovative Coaching, Teaching & Learning

Innovative Coaching wants to help your teachers become Big Six certified this year. Nominate ONE teacher (preferably someone where technology is an area of growth) to participate this year. Our program includes stipends as teachers complete various steps in working with Big Six tools in their classrooms. As they complete each step in order, your teacher will receive that stipend.

Click on the attached PDF for more information.

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TO:
Administrators and Administrative Assistant/ All Staff

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Sarah Palmer, Director of Payroll

With the beginning of the new school year comes new pay rates along with new deductions. All employees are encouraged to log in to Skyward Employee Access and review the following:

Salary placement and Hours Per Day (FTE)
• ASSIGNMENTS tile - make sure you are in the 2026-2027 (Current) year at the top of the screen
• Open the assignment by clicking the arrow to view the assignment details

Paycheck - insurance premiums, deductions, name, address, phone, tax exemptions (from your Form W4)
• PAYROLL CHECK HISTORY tile

Paychecks that are not direct deposit will be held in Human Resources for pickup. You can sign up for direct deposit through Employee Access (DIRECT DEPOSIT PRIMARY ACCOUNT tile).

Your actual paycheck is available to view up to two (2) days prior to payday each month in the PAYROLL CHECK HISTORY tile. If you have questions, please contact the following:

Help Desk: 801-567-8737 (Employee Access login & password assistance)
Payroll: 801-567-8154 or email payroll@jordandistrict.org
Insurance: 801-567-8146 or email insurance@jordandistrict.org
Human Resources: 801-567-8150 or email hr@jordandistrict.org

** This information and tutorials can also be found on Payroll’s website at payroll.jordandistrict.org/employee.

• Name Changes (EMPLOYEE NAME CHANGE REQUEST FORM tile)
• Address Changes (EMPLOYEE PROFILE tile - ’Edit by Online Form’ next to
EMPLOYEE DETAILS- CONTACT INFORMATION UPDATE tile)
• View W4 Tax Information (MENU/PAYROLL/TAX INFORMATION)

 

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TO:
School and District Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Michelle Love-Day, Director LCS

Please enjoy the September Language and Culture Newsletter. In this edition you will find:

Dates for administrator compliance workshops (link)
ELLevation strategies (flyer attached)
Information about our ML Family night (flyer attached)

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TO:
New Administrators & Interns
New School or Department personnel
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Lisa LeStarge, Administrative Assistant

Training will be provided by the Business and Auxiliary Services Departments on October 15, 2026 from 8:00 a.m. to noon at the Auxiliary Services Building Presentation Room. This training opportunity is for new administrators and interns; and new school or department personnel including principals, assistant principals, administrative assistants, clerks, aides or others with responsibilities correlating with the Business or Auxiliary Services Departments. The draft agenda is attached.

If you would like to participate in this session, please send an email to Lisa LeStarge, at lisa.lestarge@jordandistrict.org. The total number of participants in this session will be capped at 60 (plus presenters). Attendees will be provided with a link to hand-outs provided by the presenters so they can be viewed during the training or downloaded for future use.

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