Skip to content

Author: npage

Published on

DATE:
April 1, 2024

TO:  
All Principals

FROM:  
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Brian King, Assistant Director of Special Education
Mike Trimmell, Ed.D., Special Education Administrator

SUBJECT: 
Embrace - SCRAM Submit Button

Please utilize the submit feature in Embrace. You will still need to submit the paper version of the SCRAM this time around. This is the beginning of ensuring that our Embrace version of SCRAMS and paper version of SCRAMS are consistent. The plan is to use the Embrace SCRAM button this spring and to implement Embrace SCRAM and paper SCRAM. By spring of 2025 we should have enough data to determine if we can just use the Embrace SCRAM only for the 25-26 school year. More information will be provided in the End of Year SCRAM Memo.

NOTE: Preschool teachers do NOT use the Embrace submit button. They should continue to submit the paper SCRAM only.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Ami Shah, Officer Equity & Compliance

The final PD of the year is on April 11, 2024, at the JATC South from 4:30 to 6:30 PM. Prof. Dusty Jensen from USU will present on understanding the culture and needs of our Native American students.

All licensed employees will receive 2 hours of in-service pay and licensure points. The administrators are encouraged to attend.

Register for the PD HERE

Please see the flyer for additional information.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
June LeMaster, Administrator of Human Resources

URGENT - Professional License Renewal Reminder

Teachers and other educators whose license will expire on June 30, 2024, are encouraged to begin the license renewal process IMMEDIATELY by going to the USBE website. Reminder letters regarding license renewal information will be sent out this month to individuals with expiring licenses.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
June LeMaster, Administrator of Human Resources

Special Calendars are Coming Mid April

It is that time of year when Administrators review Licensed staff to determine who require a special calendar for the 2024-25 school year. Special Calendars are an essential Human Resources process to ensure appropriate contract pay, accurate time entry, and emergency employee tracking.

Examples for employee who may be on a special calendar include:

  • Educators in Job Share Assignments
  • Educators split between two or more locations
  • Educators on a 187 Modified or 207 Modified contract working modified hours or modified days (i.e. a .50 employee working 8 hours every other day or a 207 that works certain days during the summer that are not part of a normal 207 contract-usually in late June or early July)

If you have questions about special calendars please contact Brittany Bauer (x88214) or Jane Olsen (x88217).

Published on

DATE:
March 15, 2024

TO:
Principals
Elementary and Middle School Resource Team Leaders
High School Special Education Team Leaders

FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education

SUBJECT:
Special Education Resource Instructional Assistants for 2024-25
Special Education Support Class Instructional Assistants for 2024-25

If you have any questions, please contact your assigned teacher specialist or program administrator. We want to make sure everyone has the support staff necessary to meet student’s individual IEP needs. Critical Needs Requests due to your teacher specialist by Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Published on

DATE:  
March 20, 2024

TO:  
All Principals

FROM:  
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Brian King, Assistant Director of Special Education
Mike Trimmell, Ed.D., Special Education Administrator

SUBJECT: 
Inclusion Symposium 2024

This is a great opportunity to take teams of teachers to work together to discuss inclusive practices and strategies for students with disabilities in your schools. Funding for the symposium would need to come from school funds. Please consider sending teams of teachers and leaders to learn more about these inclusive practices.

Registration for the event can be found at the link on the attached memo.

Published on

DATE:
March 20, 2024

TO:
Elementary Principals
Elementary Special Education Teachers
Secondary Special Education Teachers

FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Brian King, Assistant Director of Special Education

SUBJECT:
"A Day in the Life of a Teacher with Inspire" PD Opportunity

The session will be facilitated by an N2Y expert and will focus on providing practical insights and strategies for effective implementation of this curriculum to support student learning.

Please join us to see how using Inspire can help make your groups more engaging and tailored to the unique needs in your resource classroom!

Date/Time: April 19th, 2024 from 1:30- 2:30 PM
Location: Google Meet (link will be sent out to all resource teachers via email)

See the memo below for more information.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Scott Thomas, Administrator of Auxiliary Services
Katie Bastian, Director of Nutrition Services

The USDA and Utah State Office of Education Board addressed fundraisers and competitive foods and services by enacting guidelines for food fundraisers that are exempt from Smart Snack nutrition Standards. Please see accompanying handout for details and let your Nutrition Services Coordinator know if you have questions.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Michelle Love-Day, Director of Language & Culture Services

We are excited to share our ML Memo with you. In this newsletter, we have important dates, ML parent nights along with SIOP and ELLevation tips and resources. We hope that as you continue to support students you will gain insight in our cultural corner about Ramadan and celebrate our teacher spotlight.

The full newsletter can be found at the link below. Stories include:

  • WIDA Testing Done - You should have scores by beginning of May! Consider Giving your MLs a WIDA-style formative assessment at the end of Q3 & Q4.
  • Educator Spotlight - Dawn Torres at Columbia Elementary has done a great job working with the ML's at her school. She has gone over WIDA data and created Pull out groups that she works with daily. She has started working with these students using a curriculum that focuson speaking and listening. Over all, Dawn is doing amazing at supporting teacher and ML students.
  • ELLevation Tips - The resource center offers a plethora of articles that you can read to learn more about effectively using the dashboard, student list, student profile, forms, activities, and much more.
  • Culture Corner - On March 11, we entered the Islamic holy month. Here are some things to keep in mind:
    • Fasting: Ramadan is a month of fasting, reflection, and community. Students observing may not eat or drink from dawn until sunset. Please be mindful of students who are fasting. Avoid scheduling food-related activities and provide a quiet space for them during lunch if possible.
    • Prayer Times: Students may need to perform Salah (prayer) during school hours. Allowing flexibility for these brief prayer times shows great support.
    • Tiredness: Be aware that students might be more tired than usual due to early morning and late-night meals. Adjusting physical activity expectations can be helpful.
    • Inclusion: Encourage class discussions about cultural diversity and inclusion. This fosters a supportive environment for all students.
    • Tests & Homework: During Ramadan, students might find it challenging to study late at night. Consider flexible deadlines or additional support.

Published on

TO:
All Principals
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services

All McKinney Vento Aides are required to attend.

Monday, April 22, 2024
10:00am - 11:30 am
Presentation Room, ASB, Entrance C

See attached flyer.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Mike Haynes, Director of Jordan Education Foundation

District support staff are among the unsung heroes of the Jordan School District.

Each year Jordan school principals and department heads are invited to nominate one non-teaching/support staff employee for recognition. Based on the scoring rubric and the nomination submitted, the Jordan Education Foundation Board of Directors will select up to five individuals who will be recognized as Outstanding Education Support Professionals. Each recipient will be given $1,000 and a commemorative award at the Board of Education meeting May 28, 2024 at 6:30 pm.

All Jordan School District Education Support Professional employees are eligible. Past winners of this award are not eligible for nomination. One nomination per department/school will be considered. Please make sure the Nominee's Department Head or Principal has approved this nomination.

Please visit the Jordan Education Foundation website for more information.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: MONDAY, APRIL 15, 2024

Published on

DATE:  
Thursday, March 21, 2024

TO: 
Elementary School Administrators

FROM: 
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT: 
Research Project

The Research Review Committee has reviewed a research project in which your school has been asked to participate.

Project Title: Enhancing Educator Expertise: Evaluating the Impact of an E-Learning Module on Teachers’ Knowledge of Collaborative Writing Strategies

Applicant: Stacy Selk, Western Governors University

The project has been approved by the District Research Review Committee. The applicant will email educators directly to invite them to participate in the e-learning module. Participation in the study is at your discretion. If you have questions or concerns relating to participation, please contact Ben Jameson at 801-567-8243.

Thank you for your assistance.

Published on

DATE:
March 21, 2024

TO:
Principals and Administrative Assistants

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator

SUBJECT: 
Legislative Supply Envelopes – Due May 1, 2024

Teacher Legislative Supply envelopes are due May 1, 2024. The attached memo gives reminders and information to help with the year-end process. Please note the important changes for 2024-25 and contact Lisa LeStarge (ext. 88120) if you have questions.

 

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

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

Every Chromebook comes with an expiration date called Auto Update Expiration (AUE) where it will no longer receive critical updates. Google recently announced that new Chromebooks will receive updates for up to 10 years after a model is first released. In addition, Google announced that updates for some older Chromebook models will also be extended. These updates range from keeping your devices secure on the web to continued device stability improvements.

What Does This Mean for You? The extended time before updates expire may allow your school some flexibility in prolonging the life of your Chromebooks. While it remains important for your school to maintain a regular rotation of purchasing new Chromebooks, you may find that your rotation is able to be spread out over a longer period of time, depending on hardware performance, maintenance and deterioration.

When to Surplus Older Chromebooks? It is not necessary to send a Chromebook to surplus solely due to the original AUE date. Rather, the extended AUE date can be used to determine when a Chromebook will no longer receive updates. However, if the Chromebook has performance or hardware issues, continue to surplus the device even if it hasn’t met the extended AUE date. If in doubt, consult with your school tech.

How Long Will My Older Chromebooks Continue to Receive Updates? The chart below shows the extended AUE dates for older Chromebooks.

 

Chromebook Model Extended AUE Date
Chromebook 11 G6 EE* June 2027*
Chromebook 11A G6 EE* June 2029*
Chromebook 11 G7 EE June 2029
Chromebook 11 G8 EE June 2029
Chromebook 11A G8 EE* June 2029*
Chromebook 11 G9 EE June 2031

*IMPORTANT NOTE - Chromebook models with an asterisk will have some features and services that will not be supported through the extended AUE date. According to Google, this includes Google Play Store being removed from the Chromebook and all Android-related data being erased from the Chromebook and not recoverable.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Ami Shaw, Officer of Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion

Jordan School District invites all faculty, students, and families to Heroes Among Us to hear the inspiring stories of remarkable individuals who have shown unwavering dedication to our community. Join us at West Jordan Middle from 5-7 pm on April 3rd to hear our speakers share their struggles, successes, and life lessons. Bring your questions about mentoring, career paths, and internship opportunities for your students.

Pizza dinner will be served! RSVP by clicking HERE or scanning the QR code on the flyer to secure your spot! Please see the attached flyer for more information!

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services

The Health and Wellness Department, in Student Services is hosting a parent event scheduled for April 10th, 2024 at Riverton High School. This conference- style event aims to bring together professionals and education experts in the field of mental health and well-being to share their knowledge, insights, and research with parents in our JSD communities. This event aims to help parents to be best equipped to support their children with well-being.

We will offer resource booths near the entrance of the school from 5:30-6pm, and throughout transition time for parents to gain insight and information on helpful resources.

We will offer three(3) 30-minutes sessions between 6pm-8pm to maximize learning for parent participants. Some sessions will repeat more than once.

Topics will include best practices, research insights, or information that would be useful to parents of school-aged children. Including mental health issues in the schools and associated issues (bullying, stress, perfectionism, social pressures, etc.), risk, prevention, resilience and ways in which parents can help support their students.

Please share the attached flyer and encourage parents in your communities to attend!

 

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Jared Covili, Consultant in Teaching & Learning

We are writing to inform you of an important update to our professional learning registration system, JPLS. Starting with the 2024-2025 school year, we will be transitioning from JPLS to Canvas Catalog for all in-district professional development class registration and transcript records for those classes.

Action Required: To ensure a smooth transition, we ask each teacher to take the following steps by June 20, 2024:
Log into JPLS and download an archive of your transcript Save these records in a secure location for your reference.

Why This Change? This decision was made after careful consideration to enhance our professional learning experience. Canvas Catalog offers a more user-friendly interface for end users and provides additional features that we believe will significantly benefit our teachers. We understand that change can be challenging, and we are here to support you every step of the way. Detailed instructions on downloading your transcript from JPLS is available below.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please reach out to Chris Westra in Teaching and Learning, christine.westra@jordandistrict.org or Jared Covili, Admin - Digital Teaching and Learning, jared.covili@jordandistrict.org.

Link for the Instructions

Published on

TO:
Elementary Principals

FROM:
Becky Gerber, Administrator of Schools
Ann Pessetto, JAESP Committee Member

2024 JAESP Awards:

Jennifer Ludlow: Distinguished Principal of the Year
Veronica Holyoke: Distinguished Assistant Principal of the Year
Tiffany Smith: Community Leader Principal of the Year
Candie Checketts: Student Advocate Principal of the Year
Jerilyn Schaffer: Rookie Principal of the Year
Jessica Stowe: Instructional Leader Principal of the Year
Ken Westwood: Mentor Principal of the Year
Suzie Williams: Innovator Principal of the Year

We congratulate these principals for their excellence in school leadership.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Jared Covili, Consultant in Teaching & Learning

Check out the link to the flyer for the latest updates from Teaching & Learning for March. Learn tips and tricks, sign up for upcoming PD, and learn about important updates from the T & L team.

March 2024 T & L Newsletter