Skip to content

Date: September 24, 2021

From: Special Education Department

Subject:  Paraprofessional Training Courses


Basic Paraprofessional Course

All special education paraprofessionals that are new to the district (As of the 2021-22 school year) must take the Basic Paraprofessional Course. This course aligns with the Utah State Board of Education Paraprofessional Handbook on the critical understandings for a paraprofessional. It is a 5-hour Canvas course that the paraprofessional should complete off contract time. They may receive payment for up to 5 hours and will have 3 months to complete the course from the date they are invited to the Canvas course. Payment for the course follow verification of course completion.

Advanced Paraprofessional Course

All paraprofessionals that are assigned in a support classroom or special school must take the Advanced Paraprofessional Course. The objectives of this course focus on additional information on behavior, data collection, instruction, and the application of the coursework in their placement. This is a 35-hour course, with 20 hours of coursework on Canvas outside their school day and 15 hours of practical project. The para will get paid an hourly rate for up to 20 hours for the off-contract coursework. They are not eligible for payment for the 15-hour practical project because that time will occur during their contract time. It is anticipated that the completion of this course should take place over an extended period of time, but must be completed within six months of the date of the invitation to the course. Paraprofessionals will receive payment for the course and credit of completion after receipt of their timecard and verification of course completion.

*Paraprofessionals that have completed both courses and have worked for the district for at least one year may be eligible for a lane change from Lane 2 to Lane 3 if they meet the highly qualified requirement. Lane change requests must include the Lane Change form (attached in the Canvas course Completion Module) and a copy Certificate of Completion that the paraprofessional will receive via district mail after verification of course completion. The lane change request and certificate of completion should be emailed to Amanda Hamblin at amanda.hamblin@jordandistrict.org.

Goalview Paraprofessional Training

Secondary clerical paraprofessionals must complete the Basic Canvas course and the Paraprofessional Goalview training course before they are given access to Goalview.

Registration for All Courses

To register for any of the paraprofessional courses, the paraprofessional’s supervising teacher or team lead should email Malynda Tolbert at malynda.tolbert@jordandistrict.org with the paraprofessional’s name, school, assignment (e.g., cluster paraprofessional, resource paraprofessional, clerical paraprofessional), and the course that the paraprofessional should be registered. The paraprofessional will get a Canvas email invitation and an invitation from Malynda within 48 hours of the request. The supervising teacher or team lead will be cc’d on the invitation.

The District website will be down for scheduled maintenance on Saturday, Oct. 9 from 1 - 10 p.m. This maintenance will only affect the main District website. Department and school websites as well as online services such as Skyward will not be effected.

You can go to websites.jordandistrict.org to access most of the features of the website. The full site, including documents and forms, will be available when the maintenance has concluded.

Administrative Leadership Conference - August 2, 2022 - To be held at Mountain Creek Middle - All Administrators

Principal Meeting - August 4, 2022 -  To be held at the ASB - Principals only

District-wide Professional Development Day - August 11, 2022 - To be held at the Mountain America Exposition Center - For all licensed employees

The final session of the optional training for office and administrative staff of schools and District offices will be held Thursday, October 14, 2021, beginning at 8:00 a.m.  There is space available for an additional 50 attendees.  If you would like to participate, please send an email to Lisa LeStarge at lisa.lestarge@jordandistrict.org and let her know you would like to sign-up to attend.  Attendees will receive an email the day prior to the training with instructions for connecting to the Zoom meeting.  The agenda is attached.

The elementary progress reports have been changed to reflect the move from trimesters to quarters. As you work to help your teachers prepare for parent teacher conferences, please use the information in the September 2nd edition of JAM and this Elementary Progress Report table.

The content of the progress report has not changed. Please encourage your teachers to refer to the progress report rubric in order to provide a score for each indicator, including “Reads grade level text.” Teachers can determine if a student is reading at grade level by evaluating each student’s performance on a variety of tasks, including, but not limited to, student reading materials in Journeys, benchmarks, other formative assessments, and Acadience.

We have been so excited to visit schools and see the great work you are doing with the implementation of Really Great Reading (RGR) and 95% Walk to Read. We have heard many teachers express their appreciation for the skills and knowledge they are gaining in LETRS training. We are working to ensure that all teachers receive their compensation in a timely manner and we appreciate your patience in this process. The following is an update on the payment processes:

  • All teachers should have received compensation for attending the summer literacy launch training. 
  • We anticipated RGR compensation would be included in the September paycheck; however, we’ve heard from some teachers that it was not and we apologize. All RGR timesheets have been turned in and should be in the October paycheck at the latest.  
  • We are currently processing the timesheets for the extra day that was given to teachers for implementation purposes.  
  • Compensation for LETRS training will be provided after completion of each unit (includes online modules, bridge-to-practice, and in-person training). Teachers are asked to submit this form upon completion of a unit. Submitted forms will be processed at the end of each month to be paid the following month. Teachers completing unit 1 by the end of October will receive a $100 incentive.

Please feel free to reach out to T&L if you have questions or concerns:

Sara Henderson 801-567-8161  |  Michelle Lovell 801-567-8087  |  Mandy Thurman 801-567-8119  |  Ronna Hoffman 801-567-8242  |  Shelley Nordick 801-567-8122

We invite parents who are newcomers (refugee, immigrant, or asylee) to our school district to attend one monthly parent orientation to get information on how they can best help their child in school. Different dates and Interpreters will be provided. Please fill out this RSVP form.

 

Utah State Senate Bill 150 requires schools to assess students three times per school year (fall, winter, & spring) and inform first, second, and third grade parents/guardians of whether or not their child is reading on grade level. Please send the attached letters home with your students to inform parents of their student’s beginning of year Acadience results by October 31. You may copy the letters onto your school letterhead and send the letters home with students.

Microsoft has recently updated their Microsoft Office software, and it’s time to move forward with Microsoft Office 2021! Office 2019 is no longer available to purchase, and we are now required to purchase the 2021 version of the program for new computers or any computers at your school running something older than Microsoft Office 2019.

Please use the following information to purchase Microsoft Office 2021 software licenses moving forward:

  • Part# 021-10696 Microsoft Office 2021 Standard lifetime license for PC, per device. $50.67/each
  • Part# 3YF-00731 Microsoft Office 2021 Standard lifetime license for Mac, per device. $50.67.each

There is no shipping as these are electronically delivered. The vendor is Insight Public Sector.

Please note that Information Systems has not had an opportunity to test out this software. There could be a few issues with the software once you have it loaded on your machines. Information Systems will do their best to troubleshoot any problems that may arise. If significant issues occur, they may have to move you back to Office 2019 for a time until the bugs can be worked out, and then have Office 2021 reinstalled. Please be aware of this possibility.

Please contact Tonya Hodges in Purchasing at tonya.hodges@jordandistrict.org or 801-567-8706 if you need assistance with these software licenses.

DATE: October 7, 2021

TO: District Administrators

FROM: Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Scott Festin, Consultant, Planning & Enrollment
Caleb Olson, Consultant, Planning & Enrollment

SUBJECT: Fall Enrollment as of October 1, 2021


Attached to this memo is District enrollment as of October 1, 2021. This report is subject to revision based on the USBE final review, expected by mid-October.

If you are a building administrator and  haven’t had the opportunity to come to the Literacy Launch day 2 training, there is still time!  In this training you will receive all the information you need to set up a successful tier 2 structure using the 95% Walk to Read materials.  The following dates are still available:

  • July 27, 8:00-4:00, ASB Auditorium 
  • July 29, 8:00-4:00 ASB Auditorium 

There are also some dates that have been set aside for classroom assistants.  Building administrators are welcome to attend any of the following sessions:

  • August 11, 8:00-11:30 AM, ASB Presentation Rm (50 people)
  • Wednesday August 11 12:30-4:00 PM, ASB Presentation Rm (50 people)
  • Monday August 16, 8:00-11:30 AM, ASB Presentation Rm (50 people)
  • Tuesday August 23, 8:00-11:30 AM, ASB Auditorium (100 people)

There is no need for administrators to sign up in JPLS.  Just come and learn with us!

Attached you will find information and guidelines regarding the Extended Year Stipend that is available to Special Education Teachers and SLP's. Please be sure to read the instructions carefully. The state has allotted 4 extra days to work either two weeks before or two weeks after your contract ends. The eligible timeline for these days is July 26-Aug 6, 2021 and/or June 7-20, 2022. You can work them all before, all after, or a combination of both. The days you work are turned in on a Qualtrics survey that the state sends us to generate the payroll information. The link will be emailed to you as soon as we receive it.

DATE:
July 21, 2021

TO:
Secondary School Principals
Secondary School Financial Secretaries

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Daniel Ellis, Director of Accounting and Audits
Jason Mott, Accountant/Internal Auditor

SUBJECT:
Unclaimed Property


“The Utah Unclaimed Property Act (Section 67-67-4a) requires that a holder report to the State Treasurer property which is presumed to be “abandoned” or “unclaimed” after the stated dormancy period.” For school purposes, unclaimed property is defined as property (checks, book refunds, lunch refunds, or other unclaimed balances, but not current school lunch balances) that is due to a payee but have never been cashed or collected and that are dormant for a period of one year as of June 30, 2021. Checks written BEFORE July 1, 2020 AND not cashed by June 30, 2021 are considered unclaimed property.

Every effort should be made to contact the payee and ensure that they receive payment that is due to them. If you cannot locate a payee, then the money must be sent to the State. It is preferable to void an old check and request the accounting department to reissue a new one. Schools may not simply “write off” a check and add the money back into school accounts just because it was never cashed, nor may a school take uncollected refunds and add the money back into school accounts.

Checks issued prior to July 1, 2020 that are currently outstanding should be voided in Skyward.  New this year: please include the general ledger account number on the attached reporting form so accounting can adjust the proper account in lieu of you writing a check to the District.

All individual items that are under $50 per item may be combined and reported in one lump sum. For example, if you have 10 checks and/or unclaimed book refunds individually each for less than $50, then you may have one line item on the report for the total of those items. You should put “aggregate” in the column requesting the owner’s name, the total aggregated in the column of amount due owner, and MS99 in the property code column. You do not need to report each item less than $50 individually.

The reporting form that must be completed and sent to Jason Mott by Friday, September 17, 2021. If you have no unclaimed property, report $0.00.

Please call Jason Mott at (801)567-8388 with any questions.

DATE:
July 21, 2021

TO:
All Principals

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent

SUBJECT:
Monday, August 2, 2021 Principal Meeting


 

  • Principals only, Monday, August 2, 2021
  • All-day meeting, 8:00-3:30pm
  • ASB Auditorium
  • Light breakfast/beverage service beginning at 7:30am
  • Lunch on your own

DATE:
July 22, 2021

TO:
Building Principals
Elementary Administrative Assistants
Secondary Registrars

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Caleb Olson, Consultant, Planning & Enrollment

SUBJECT:
Initial Enrollment Without Birth Certificate


Utah Code (§53G-6-603) states that: Upon enrollment of a student for the first time in a particular school, that school shall notify in writing the person enrolling the student (parent or legal guardian) that within 30 days they must provide either a certified copy of the student’s birth certificate, or other reliable proof of the student’s identity and age, together with an affidavit explaining the inability to produce a copy of the birth certificate.

The original or certified copy of a birth certificate issued by the Bureau of Vital Statistics is required for initial enrollment into any Jordan School District school. A copy of the certificate should be made and kept in the student’s cumulative folder. When a student transfers between Jordan District schools, it is not necessary to have the parent again supply the birth certificate (especially when the school is able to confirm that a copy of the birth certificate is available in the student’s cumulative folder when it transfers); however, building principals may choose to require birth certificates from transfer students or students entering the initial grade offered by the building provided this requirement is consistently applied to all students.

When a parent or guardian cannot provide a birth certificate at registration, the following steps should be followed:

  • The student is enrolled and allowed to attend school.
  • The parent/guardian is immediately given the 30-day grace period letter. This should be provided in-person at the time of registration.
  • If a birth certificate has not been provided within 30 calendar days, the 10-day warning letter should be provided. If it cannot be provided in person, it should be sent via certified mail. An additional copy of the letter may be sent to the email provided by the parent at registration if delivered via MoveIt.
  • If a birth certificate has not been provided by the end of the 10-day window, the student should remain enrolled and allowed to attend. School staff should notify law enforcement by certified letter. Once notification has been sent, the school’s statutory obligation has been met.

In some instances, the parent/guardian may not have a birth certificate. In this case, “other reliable proof” may be used. The documentation provided must prove the student’s identity and age. The steps below should be followed when using other documentation:

  • The student is enrolled and allowed to attend school.
  • The 30-day and 10-day letters should be provided as explained above.
  • If other reliable proof is brought to the school, the “Affidavit of Birth” document must be completed and notarized. A copy of the documentation and the affidavit should be placed in the student’s cumulative folder.
  • Law enforcement should be notified if documentation is not provided by the end of the 10-day warning window.

Parents and guardians do not need to be sent to Planning & Enrollment for approval of their “other reliable proof” documentation; however, school staff are welcome to consult with Planning & Enrollment about the particulars of documentation provided to the school. Notary services are also available at Planning & Enrollment if they cannot be provided at the school.

The 30-day and 10-day letters, as well as the “Affidavit of Birth” documents, are available on the Planning & Enrollment website (http://planning.jordandistrict.org) in the School Resources section under the “Resources & Forms” tab.

Please contact Planning & Enrollment at 801-567-8183 with questions or concerns.

Thank you for your efforts to make summer school a positive experience for your students. I have loved hearing stories of what a difference it has made. Please continue to share them! As you finish up your summer school sessions, it is important that the steps below are completed so reimbursements are not held back.

  • Ensure your teachers are getting paid! You must report hours worked to payroll through one of the following:
    • Print the timesheet from your school ESSER II Worksheet and send to payroll
    • Have teachers fill out individual timesheets and send to payroll
    • Complete a group timesheet and send to payroll
    • Have teachers use True Time
  • Provide a list of all teachers and assistants working summer school on your school ESSER II Worksheet. 
  • Provide a summary of summer school to include:
    • Number of students participating
    • Number of credits recovered (9th - 12th grades only)
    • Summary of summer school results such as pre/post scores OR number and list of courses offered OR a written description, etc. (Elementary, 7th, and 8th grades only)  

Please feel free to contact Shelley Nordick (ext. 88122) if you have any questions

DATE:
July 22, 2021

TO:
Elementary School Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
McKinley Withers, Health and Wellness Consultant

SUBJECT:
Select Health FREE Social and Emotional Learning Conference


On July 28th Select Health will be hosting a Social and Emotional Learning Conference that is free for those that are interested. Review this flyer for details. Please share with those that would benefit from participating.