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Author: npage

Published on

DATE:   
March 12, 2025

TO:   
School Psychologists & School Psychology Interns

FROM:  
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Fulvia Franco, Program Specialist – Guidance

SUBJECT:   
March School Psychologists & School Psychology Interns Meeting

A meeting for school psychologists and school psychology interns has been scheduled for Friday, March 21, 2025, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Auxiliary Services Building Auditorium (7905 South Redwood Road). Brad Lundahl, Ph.D., and Steve Jones, LCSW from the University of Utah and Compass Counseling will provide us with a presentation on integrating Motivational Interviewing and ACT.

Part-time Staff:  I would appreciate it if you could adjust your schedules in order to attend this meeting.

cc:
Principals

Published on

TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
Coaches
4th and 5th Grade Teachers

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Michelle Lovell, Consultant, Elementary Language Arts
Mandy Thurman, Consultant, Elementary Language Arts

4th and 5th grade teachers have only had digital access to the teacher’s manual for the Wit & Wisdom alternative modules for 4th grade (modules 3 & 4) and 5th grade (module 1).  

Wit and Wisdom has provided PDF files of the teacher manual for these alternative modules. Teachers can print these files so that they will have a hard copy to use as needed. The files are attached. Please share these with your 4th and 5th grade teachers. 

G4M3 ATM.pdf

G4M4 ATM.pdf

G5M1 ATM.pdf

Published on

TO:
Principals

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Michelle Lovell, Consultant, Elementary Language Arts
Mandy Thurman, Consultant, Elementary Language Arts

As a reminder from the principal meeting on March 4th, we need to start ordering materials for the coming year. In order to help us gather this needed information, please complete this form indicating your choice for the 2025-26 school year to either continue using Really Great Reading or to switch to UFLI. Please complete this form by Friday, March 21st. If you have questions, please contact Michelle Lovell or Mandy Thurman. 

Published on

TO:
All Administrators
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources

The following information pertains to Intern Educators, Intern Psychologists, or Intern Counselors graduating in 2025 that are assigned to your location.

Please excuse full time intern educators (BYU, U of U and UVU), intern school psychologists, and intern counselors to attend their own in-person Commencement OR Convocation ceremonies. They are eligible to enter their absence in Skyward under the “Other” Leave Code and the Absence Reason of, “District Excused”. Only one day can be coded as District Excused, and should reflect their commencement or convocation date. Please confirm this date prior to approving in skyward. The following information should be included in the description in Skyward ‘0050- Intern In-Person Graduation UNIVERSITY NAME’

The intern is responsible for requesting a substitute, if needed, through the Frontline Absence Management System. The absence reason entered should be ‘District Excused’ and in the blue notes to administrator box, the intern should add the following information; ‘District Excused 0050- Intern in-person graduation UNIVERSITY NAME’.

If you have questions as to whether your Intern has entered the time off in Skyward or Frontline appropriately, please contact suboffice@jordandistrict.org.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources

The Jordan School District High School graduation dates and times will vary from school to school. Please see the attached 2024-25 High School Graduation Schedule.

Principals and Directors are encouraged to provide flexibility to parents or grandparents requesting the opportunity to attend the graduation ceremonies of family members.

Licensed employees are responsible for requesting a substitute through the Frontline Absence Management System, if applicable. In the blue “Notes to Administrator” box, the employee should add “graduation” along with his/her relationship to the graduate.

For additional assistance, please contact suboffice@jordandistrictg.org.

Published on

DATE:    
March 13, 2025

TO:    
Principals and Administrative Assistants

FROM: 
John Larsen, Business Administrator

SUBJECT:  
Classroom Supplies Appropriation - Payments and Reports

The State Legislature recently clarified Classroom Supply funding qualifications and appropriated funding for the 2025-26 school year. Consistent with last year’s allocation, only Classroom Teachers will receive legislative supply funds as follows:

  • Full-time Pre-Kindergarten through 6th grade teachers will receive $500
  • Full-time 7th through 12th grade teachers will receive $250
  • These amounts will be adjusted, based on FTE percentage, for teachers who work part-time

School Counselors received “legislative funds” in the past, however as stated in JAM previously, Counselors will not receive these funds for the 2025-26 school year.

In late September, ACH deposits will be completed to the licensed employees that qualify for legislative supply funds. At that time, schools will also receive a disbursement and FTE report with instructions and helpful information about legislative supply money.

If you have questions, please contact my administrative assistant, Lisa LeStarge, at 801-567-8120 or via email: lisa.lestarge@jordandistrict.org.

jl/ll

Published on

TO:
Principals

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Amanda Bollinger, Associate Administrator, Teaching & Learning

Administrators,

A Qualtrics Coaching Survey will be sent by Ben Jameson to all teachers on Friday, March 14th.

The Jordan School District is looking for ways to enhance, refine and improve our instructional coaching initiative and we need teacher feedback. Please encourage your teachers to complete the coaching survey and answer the questions based on their experience working with instructional and/or digital coaches. The survey should take less than 5 minutes to complete, depending on the time it takes for teachers to add their comments.

Survey answers will remain anonymous unless you identify yourself in the free response questions. The survey will remain open until April 4th.

Published on

TO:
Principals, Teachers, All Mathematicians

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator, Teaching & Learning
Amy Kinder, Consultant for Math, Teaching & Learning

Dear Administrators, Teachers, and ALL MATHEMATICIANS,

We're thrilled to invite you to a special screening of the documentary film Counted Out by Vicki Abeles, in honor of Pi Day! This is a unique opportunity to celebrate math and explore its impact on our world.

Event Details:

Date: Friday, March 14, 2025 PI DAY
Time: 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM (Please be seated by 4:30)
Location: ASB District Office, 7905 South Redwood Rd. Entrance A. Auditorium
Registration:
Register using the link in the attached flyer below or click HERE. Space is limited, and we're inviting neighboring districts, so be sure to secure your spot soon!

​About the Film:
Counted Out delves into the crucial role math plays in shaping our society. It explores how math influences everything from the news we see to the jobs we obtain. Through personal stories and expert interviews, the film reveals the importance of numeric literacy and challenges us to rethink how we view math.

Watch the Trailer:
Experience a glimpse of the film’s insights by watching the Counted Out trailer.

LINK TO SIGN UP

Questions?
Contact Amy Kinder at Amy.Kinder@jordandistrict.org

We can't wait to celebrate math with you!

Published on

TO:
Administrators Completing Title III Compliance

FROM:
Michelle Love-Day, Director, Language and Culture Services
Kim Lloyd, Director, Special Education

At this time, Skyward does not have the functionality to indicate when a bilingual school psychologist has participated in the evaluation of a multilingual student. As a result, we are currently unable to process requests to update this section.

For your Title III Compliance, as long as you have listed the student ID numbers of those missing a bilingual psych on the LPL report, that is all you will need to do and you will be considered in compliance. Please do not fill out the bilingual psych's request link. It's fine if you already have filled out the form, but please understand that this request cannot be completed at this time.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Published on

DATE:
March 13, 2025

TO:
All Principals
All Licensed Staff

FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Melanie Dawson, Program Administrator of Behavior

SUBJECT:
ETT: Cultivating Classroom Management Skills

Effective Teacher Training (ETT) is available for a spring cohort! Seats are capped at 50 and fill quickly, so learners need to register on Canvas Catalog as soon as possible.

Direct registration link: ETT Spring 2025
Or search “ETT” at pd.jordandistrict.org

See attached memo and flyer for more information.

Published on

DATE: 
March 13, 2025

TO:  
Elementary and Middle School South Jordan City School Principals

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

SUBJECT:   
Safe Routes to School Meeting Sign Up (South Jordan Schools ONLY)

The City of South Jordan is prepared to meet with each administration to discuss your Safe Routes To School.

The meetings will be held on March 26th from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM over ZOOM. Each meeting will be held in 10-minute increments. Please select a time slot on the SIGN-UP sheet provided. Times are on a first come first served basis. Feel free to work with one another as needed.

If more time is required to discuss an issue in depth, then we will schedule another time with the city to do so.

Take a moment to review your district SRTS form and ensure it is accurate and complete as the city will need to review it.

For any additional assistance or clarification please contact Matt Alvernaz at matt.alvernaz@jordandistrict.org or by phone at 801-567-8623.

ZOOM Link

SIGN-UP Link

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Brad Sorensen, Administrator of Schools
Cody Curtis, Administrator of Schools
Odette Desmarais, Administrator of Schools
Meredith Doleac, Administrator of Schools
Becky Gerber, Administrator of Schools
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools

This is a mandatory 2-day in-person training for all administrators.

DATES:  The trainings will run June 11 & 12 or June 18 & 19, 2025

LOCATION:  JATC-S Building

TIME:  8:30-3:30 pm each day

Lunch will be on your own.

Click HERE to sign up for which training date you would like to attend.

 

Published on

TO:
School Administrators

FROM:
Brad Sorensen, Administrator of Schools
Cody Curtis, Administrator of Schools
Odette Desmarais, Administrator of Schools
Meredith Doleac, Administrator of Schools
Becky Gerber, Administrator of Schools
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools

A beverage service will be provided at 7:30 a.m. Lunch will be provided.

LOCATION - PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL START WITH LEVEL MEETINGS AT 8:00 AM
Elementary/Sped - Auditorium
Middle/High - Presentation Room

Published on

TO:  
Principals - Cities of Riverton and Herriman

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

Schools located in the cities of Riverton and Herriman please use the corresponding link to sign up for a time slot to meet with the city. The date is March 12th with Riverton in the morning and Herriman in the afternoon (see sign up for times)

The three schools with a shared border between the cities have a set time to include both cities in the discussion. The times are already on the sign up. Contact Matt Alvernaz with any questions or if your school falls into this category.

Riverton Sign Up

Herriman Sign Up

Published on

DATE:   
February 27, 2025

TO:  
Principals
Assistant Principals

FROM:   
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Michelle Reyes, Prevention Specialist, Student Services

SUBJECT:  
February Attendance Newsletter & Resources

February 2025 Attendance Newsletter

Spring is right around the corner with warmer weather and sunny skies! Although we are all looking forward to warmer weather and longer days, this can make it increasingly difficult to motivate students to attend school. Research by TASC has shown that students are much more likely to miss school during the spring semester. Lessons in the spring tend to be more rigorous and build on groundwork laid in fall semester. Missing spring semester lessons can lead to a more substantial learning loss. Attendance and achievement go hand in hand. Keeping students motivated to attend school through the “Spring Slide” benefits all stakeholders involved in a child’s education.

Spring Slump Attendance Ideas- Supporting Attendance, Engagement & Learning
Included are some ideas to help you reduce the spring attendance slump.

Resources for communicating with families-

Request for Feedback-State Attendance Campaign Slogan Input
The USBE is looking for as much input as they can get on the slogan for a statewide attendance campaign that will launch this summer. Take a minute to fill out a very brief survey to share your input.

Attendance Cohorts-USBE
The USBE is seeking schools interested in being part of an Engagement and Attendance Cohort for the 2025-2026 school year. The Cohort will start in May and will take part in 6 trainings held by the USBE Attendance Specialists. The trainings are collaborative sessions to help develop, build, and implement an attendance system that will work for your school. Reach out to Garrett Russell, garrett.russell@schools.utah.gov, or Megan Menlove, megan.menlove@schools.utah.gov, attendance specialists at the USBE, if you are interested in joining this opportunity.

What’s New: Resource Roundup-
Helpful research and reference articles:

Attendance Works 

Attendance Works 

Attendance Incentive Ideas
Tier I/Foundational Intervention is vital for combating chronic absenteeism in your schools. Incentives are a great Tier I intervention that reaches all students and can help reduce absences. Here are just a few ideas of ways you can focus on the positive and create incentives that work for your specific LEA.

  • March Madness: Attendance Edition-
    • Every Day Labs hosted a Webinar highlighting a Berkeley Unified School District Using March Madness to Increase Attendance. Find the webinar slide deck here.
    • Murray School District has also been using this to increase attendance. For more info you can contact Sierra Marsh, smarsh@murrayschools.org
  • Monthly Improved Attendance Parties
  • Tardy Contest-East Hollywood High recently held a contest and reduced tardies by 50% in target group
  • Here on Time Tickets-Raffle drawings
  • Attendance Recognition in Assemblies
  • Individual Student Recognition-include awards for improved attendance
  • Class Attendance Incentives
  • Letters/Emails/Phone Calls Home to Parents with Improved/Excellent Attendance Focus

Attendance Works Incentive Tips from Attendance Works 

If you have bright spots with attendance interventions at your school, please share with Michelle Reyes, michelle.reyes@jordandistrict.org.

Upcoming Attendance Training Opportunities/Dates

  • USBE Attendance Webinars-

The Utah State Board of Education will be hosting attendance webinars throughout the year.

Spring Recess Reminder
English-
Facebook Post
Instagram Post

Spanish-
Facebook Post
Instagram Post

Questions? Contact Michelle Reyes at michelle.reyes@jordandistrict.org or 801-567-8205.

Published on

DATE: 
February 26, 2025

TO: 
Principals
Assistant Principals
School Safety Specialists

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

SUBJECT:  
Monthly Drill Preparation (LOCKDOWN)

Our monthly drill preparation will be held on March 5th at 3:00 PM with a second session at 3:30 PM. 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.

Published on

DATE: 
February 26, 2025

TO:  
All Administrators

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

SUBJECT:   
Employee Wellness Booster PD offering on March 14, 2025

On March 14, 2025 the Wellness Team will be hosting a “Wellness Booster” professional development workshop is open to ALL employees on PD Day. Participants will be eligible for professional development credit.

This workshop will be held at Juniper Elementary, in the Tech Atrium, from 1:30-3:00 pm.

In honor of Pie Day (3.14), we will be teaching skills for PIE: Presence, Inner Awareness, and Emotion Regulation. The strategies taught are for employees to use in their personal and professional life. All employee types are invited to this hands-on wellness learning experience focused on cultivating one’s skills. PD credit and dessert pie will be offered!

Please share the attached flyer. A link is on the flyer to register for this PD.

 

Published on

DATE: 
February 27, 2025

TO:     
All School Administrators

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

SUBJECT: 
Parent Seminars in English and Spanish to Share!

Jordan District has partnered with the Cook Center for Human Connection to provide ongoing mental health education for parents and caregivers. This collaboration offers FREE access to live, virtual educational sessions covering various topics. A calendar for March sessions is attached. Sessions are offered in both English and Spanish. Previously recorded seminars can be accessed through a comprehensive library of sessions and resources for each topic. You can access the library of recorded sessions at any time by visiting this site: https://parentguidance.org/mhsindex.

For the month of March, we want to highlight the webinar titled What Parents Need to Know About Suicide Prevention. Suicide prevention is a critical subject, and we often receive requests from parents and stakeholders for more information and resources. We encourage you to share this vital information with your communities. This webinar takes place on Thursday, March 20th at 5 p.m. AND 7 p.m.

If parents register and can’t make it, they will have access to the recording. More information and the link to register can be found here.

Please share the attached fliers with your school community.

Should you have any questions please reach out to Angie Rasmussen at angie.rasmussen@jordandistrict.org

Published on

DATE:   
February 26, 2025

TO:   
All Administrators

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

SUBJECT:
Tier One SEW Curriculum Funds Available!

Our District has been awarded State Prevention Block Grant funds to implement prevention best practices. This award includes $2000 per school for tier one, evidence-based social and emotional wellness (SEW) curriculum implementation for the 2025-26 school year. For information about current curriculum options, concerns regarding curriculum use, or other curriculum questions please reach out to Jodee Packer (jodee.packer@jordandistrict.org).

Each school’s selected SEW curriculum implementation must also be included in each school’s annually updated prevention plan (instructions for this are in the Prevention Plan Update JAM).

To access these funds, school principals must complete this form by March 28th, 2025. Unclaimed funds will be re-distributed to schools that were awarded funds and the total award amount may exceed $2,000 per school after re-distribution. For each school that is awarded funds a new budget code will be created and shared with the school to post the allowable expense. Schools will coordinate the purchase of the curriculum directly with curriculum vendors, including covering any additional costs using other school budgets.

As evidence-based prevention practices are implemented school-wide, schools utilizing grant funds will be expected to schedule a 1-hour professional development with the Wellness Team titled “Fewer Tears, More Tier One.” This professional development is meant for the whole school staff and can occur any time prior to the end of the first quarter (October 17, 2025). This can be during PLC’s, staff meetings, August PD days, or other professional development time at your school’s convenience.

Please note, it is not required that all schools utilize these funds.

For questions, email wellness@jordandistrict.org or contact McKinley Withers (mckinley.withers@jordandistrict.org, extension 88245)