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Author: shooper

Published on

DATE:
August 13, 2026

TO:
All Principals
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Jordan District Nurses

SUBJECT:
Medication Administration Training

Utah State Law and District Policy requires that all school personnel delegated to administer medication to students in schools must complete Medication Administration Training. 

New employees who will be giving medication are required to attend the live training on Friday, September 11, 2026. 

For the 2026-27 school year, all medication training and sign-ups will be done through Canvas. Everyone in the district has a Canvas account through your district email. You must sign up using the links in this email. If you need help, contact your nurse. ( If you are not able to add the class after logging in, you may already have it in your cart)

If you are a new staff member administering medications in our district, please register for the In-person Medication class. If you are a returning staff member who has completed in-person training in our district in the past, you may sign up for the Online Medication Training.

As a note, we have added a section to this training that includes reminders for the health room and treating common injuries/conditions seen in the health room. This addition must also be completed to receive your certificate. As a friendly reminder, be sure to view the video in its entirety before taking the quiz. Your certificate should be emailed to you from Canvas. The attached instructions also go over how to find your certificate if it is not emailed to you.
Please make sure to print your completion certificate for your school nurse to sign.

Please forward to any staff who need to complete the training. 

Medication Administration Training
Friday, September 11, 2026
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
District Office Room 129

Published on

DATE:
August 13, 2026

TO:
Principals
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Jordan School District Nurses

SUBJECT:
Immunization Policy and Guidelines, Skyward and USIIS In-service

Jordan School District Nurses will be conducting this in-service on:

Friday, September 18, 2024
9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
ASB, PDC Room 101

This in-service is open to all office staff and administrators. If you are involved with new student registration, this in-service will be of benefit to you. 

Class size is limited. Please contact your school nurse if you are planning to attend. See attached nurse assignment list for 2026-27.

Published on

DATE:
August 6, 2026

TO:
All Principals, Jordan School District
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Jordan District Nurses

SUBJECT:
CPR/First Aid/AED Certification

Jordan School District requires that at least 3 full-time employees in each building be certified in CPR, First Aid, and AED. Most certifications are valid for 2 years. It is also recommended that employees who will have direct responsibility for student health and safety be certified in CPR/First Aid/AED. This may include front office staff, playground aides, hall monitors, P.E. teachers, etc. It is also recommended that you keep a list of current CPR/First Aid/AED certified staff members by all main phone lines where calls for emergency help may originate. 

CPR, First Aid, and AED training and certification is now available to district employees in an online format through the National Safety Council (NSC). The attached document will outline the steps necessary to complete the online portion of the course. Information can also be accessed by going here: CPR & First Aid. The cost of the course is $32.00 and should be paid by the employee at the time of registration. Schools may provide reimbursement for the course if funds are available by following the appropriate pre-approval and reimbursement procedures.

Once the online course is completed, employees may sign up to complete their certification by attending a 2-hour skills check session with our district nurses. To sign up for a skill check, you will need to register at Jordan Digital Learning under CPR Alert Course. All skill checks must be completed within 90 days of sign-up for the online course. The dates and times for the skill check sessions are listed on the attached flyer.

Shannel Hooper will share a Google Sheet with each school principal and administrative assistant to complete, print, and post in your buildings. Once completed, check the red box. Physical copies do not need to be sent to the district office. Please complete the shared CPR/First Aid/AED certification sheet by November 13, 2026.

Published on

TO:
Principals
Special Education Teachers (Preschool and School-Age)
Speech-Language Pathologists

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

This year, the state has allocated 6 additional days available to work two weeks before or after your contract days. Please read the attached memo for instructions on when the days can be worked and how to submit them correctly. The link for submitting the days is included in the attached memo.

Published on

DATE:
Thursday, July 23, 2026

TO:
Middle and High School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:
2025-26 AP Results Updated in Tableau

The AP Analysis Dashboard has been updated with 2025-26 AP exam data in Tableau. School administrators may access AP results here.

School administrators will be able to view participation rates, pass rates, and a distribution of scores by school, discipline, and assessment from 2014 to 2026. In addition, the dashboard also contains scores by AP teacher and student.

Please contact Ben Jameson in Assessment, Research & Accountability with any questions about the AP Analysis Dashboard.

 

Published on

DATE:
Thursday, July 23, 2026

TO:
All School Administrators and District Department Directors/Consultants

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

SUBJECT:
2026-27 Required Testing Ethics Professional Development Procedures for Licensed Educator and ESP Employees

For the 2026-27 school year, administrators will need to conduct a training on the state’s testing ethics policy for all licensed educators as well as any education support professionals (ESPs) who will assist with district-, state- or federally-mandated testing. All licensed educators will need to be trained on the policy. Administrators will want to consider including computer lab assistants who function as the school’s test coordinator, any classroom aides that assist with testing, literacy aides who assist with Acadience Reading testing or progress monitoring, or any office staff that assist test coordinators with district-, state- or federally-mandated testing.

The three required procedures for completing this testing ethics professional development are listed on the “2026-27 Principal’s Testing Ethics Checklist for Licensed Educators and ESPs” form, which is due to Assessment, Research & Accountability by Friday, September 18, 2026.

As has been done in the past, administrators may provide the testing ethics training themselves using the Google slide deck linked in this memo. Alternatively, administrators may show the YouTube video linked below to school personnel. The video provides the same information as the slide deck. Once school personnel have been trained, either by a school administrator or using the video, they are required to sign the “2026-27 Standard Test Administration and Testing Ethics Policy Training Signature Form.” Administrators are asked to keep these signed forms on file at the school.

There are several materials attached with this memo for your use:

Please contact Ben Jameson or Heather Knecht in Assessment, Research & Accountability with any questions.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Jordan School District Cabinet Members

The District-wide Professional Development Day on Aug. 11, 2026 is just around the corner. If you haven't already, please choose from available keynote speakers using the link below. All keynotes begin at 8:30 AM on Tuesday, Aug. 11. The topics and location information for each keynote speaker are included in the registration information. You will receive a confirmation of your keynote choice and location to remind you of your selection.

Register for Your PD Day Keynote Speaker

You must attend both a morning and afternoon keynote of your choice. Be sure to register for an AM and PM session.

2026 District-wide Professional Development Day Schedule Flyer

Published on

TO:
All Administrators
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
Rebecca Eastman, HR Generalist

If you are a contracted employee and need to take Annual/Personal Leave on a Critical Day before/after Labor Day for any reason not listed in policy DP335NEG or DP335B, you must submit a request as follows:  

How to Request
During the window, the employee must send the request through email. Please include your name, school, position, and the date you are requesting the leave. Requests left on voicemail or over the phone will NOT be accepted.

Licensed employees submit their request to licensedpersonalleave@jordandistrict.org

Education Support Professionals submit their request to classifiedpersonalleave@jordandistrict.org

The employee will receive an email confirmation within two working days after submitting the request. If the employee does not receive a confirmation email, then Human Resources has NOT received your request and your leave will not be approved.

School Holiday Date of Holiday Critical Days* Window
Labor Day Sept 7, 2026 Sept. 4 and Sept 8 July 24-Aug. 3, 2026

*Critical Days are the first student attendance days before or after a school holiday. If a non-student attendance day falls before or after a school holiday, the Critical Day is the day before or after that non-student attendance day when students are in attendance.

Licensed
Licensed Annual/Personal Leave Taken on a Critical Day 26-27

ESP
ESP Annual/Personal Leave Taken on a Critical Day 26-27

Published on

TO: 
Administrators

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
Jane Olsen, HR Administrator, Head of Talent Acquisition
Mike Trimmell, Assistant Director of HR, Talent Development

Dear Administrators,
We ask our students to become curious thinkers, responsible teammates, and engaged citizens — and our new educators are the ones who will help them get there. Welcoming them well is our first chance to show what a Culture of Belonging looks like in Jordan School District.

Join us for the “Clap-In,” and “Clap-Out” the joyful, high-energy tradition that kicks off New Educator Induction and officially welcomes the newest members of the Jordan School District family. If you’ve been before, you know: it’s loud, it’s happy, and it sets the tone for the entire year.

Event Details
• Date: Friday, August 7th
• Time: Clap-In: 7:45–8:30 a.m. (estimated 8:30 a.m. departure)
Clap-Out: 2:30-3:30 p.m. (estimated 3:30 p.m. departure)
• Location: Bingham High School, Main Entrance (South side)

What to Expect
This is more than a warm welcome — it’s Jordan’s spirited community on full display, and our first chance to show new educators why JSD is the district of choice. Let’s make it unforgettable.

How to Bring the Spirit
• Dress to Impress: Wear your school or JSD gear with pride — show them the team they’re joining.
• Mascot Magic: Bring your school mascot to spread the cheer.
• Capture the Moment: Snap a selfie with a new educator at one of our two selfie booths — empathetic communicators say cheese!
• Cheerful Welcome Lines: Join the welcome lines and cheer our new colleagues in like the champions they are.

One friendly note: our new educators will already be loaded up with swag and takeaways, so please hold off on gifts of any kind during the Clap-In. Your presence and enthusiasm are the presents!

Show Your Support
Bring your team! If your school has new educators, aim to have two to three staff members there to offer a personal cheer. Nothing says “you belong here” like familiar faces from your own building on day one.

Parking Reminder
Please gather at the South (front) entrance of Bingham High beginning at 7:30 a.m. To keep the best parking open for our new educators, consider carpooling and use the North side student parking lot and walk through the North (back) entrance.

Our new educators chose Jordan — now let’s show them why that was the best decision they’ve made. Together, we’ll welcome the educators who will shape the next generation of JSD graduates.
We can’t wait to see you there as we clap-in an exciting new academic year!

Thank you,
Jane Olsen, HR Administrator, Head of Talent Acquisition
Mike Trimmell, Assistant Director of HR, Talent Development
April Gaydosh, Administrator of HR

Published on

TO:
Administrators

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator, Human Resources
Jane Olsen, HR Administrator-Talent Acquisition

Greetings!

Continuing in the tradition of collaboration, building relationships, and cultivating systems of support, we will be having a Meet & Greet for departments, systems of support, sponsors, and our partners. This is an opportunity to interact with our anticipated 250 new teachers, connect them with resources, and develop relationships.

We would like to invite you to have a table or table(s) for the Meet & Greet during our lunch break. Arrival/setup can begin as early as 10:30 A.M. and take down time would begin at 12:50  P.M.

Departments, to notify us of your reservation and to assist us in planning, please see the invitation below and click the ‘CLICK HERE to Reserve a Table’ link. Please complete your reservation request by 8/3/2026 so we can source the appropriate number of tables and chairs. 

Tablecloths will not be available; please plan to decorate your table and have takeaways to provide to our new educators, such as information, swag, manipulatives, or links to resources connected to your department.

Help us show them that Jordan School District is the District of choice for the best and brightest educators.

Questions?

Please contact Jane Olsen, HR Administrator-Talent Acquisition, at jane.olsen@jordandistrict.org or 801-567-8217.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators
 All Administrative Assistants
 Employees on 242- and 245-Day Contracts

FROM:
Brittany Bauer, HR Administrator, Data and Operations
 April Gaydosh, Administrator of HR

2026–2027 Calendar Change for 242 and 245 Contracts

Please be aware of a change to the 2026–2027 calendar for employees on a 242 or 245 contract. The non-contract days originally scheduled for Thursday, April 1, and Friday, April 2, 2027, will move to Monday, March 29, and Tuesday, March 30, 2027.

The student calendar and critical dates will not change.

Updated calendars can be found here:
242: 2026-27 ESP Admin 242D7H8H.pdf
245: 2026-27 ESP 245 D7H8H.pdf

If you have additional questions regarding assignments or special calendars, please contact Brittany Bauer, HR Administrator, Data and Operations, at brittany.bauer@jordandistrict.org.

For questions regarding leave days, critical days or impact on scheduled FMLA days, please contact Rebecca Eastman, HR Specialist, Leaves, at rebecca.eastman@jordandistrict.org.

Published on

TO:
Elementary Administrators
Elementary Administrative Assistants

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
Brent Burge, Assistant Director, Human Resources

With the implementation of the new Rotation Assistant (RA) position in elementary schools for the 2026-2027 school year, the following information outlines the requirements and the process to move or hire employees who are teaching a rotation for STEM, PE, Fine Arts, etc.

Requirements

    1. RAs must be paid for through a school budget only.  “0050” may not be used.
    2. The maximum number of hours per week is 25.
    3. The RA assignment may only be used for STEM, PE, and Fine Arts.  Media or other assistants do not qualify for the RA assignment.
    4. To qualify for an RA assignment, the employee must meet the following qualifications:
      1. Requires one (1) year of experience working in a classroom setting; AND
      2. Must be “highly qualified-HQ” which includes one of the following:
        1. An Associate’s degree; or
        2. 48 semester hours from an accredited college; or
        3. Passed the ParaPro assessment ($80); or
        4. Project Para Title I ($15)

For information about becoming highly qualified, click here.

5. RAs are hired at lane three (3) unless they are a current or former licensed teacher.  The non-licensed RA may be eligible to advance to lane four (4) upon completion of one year as an RA and upon completion of a training program provided by Teaching and Learning.  Upon completion of the requirements, submit the Rotation Assistant salary change form to Teaching and Learning.

Procedures

  1. For current classroom assistants who taught a rotation in 2025-26, the school must submit a change form in Qmlativ to modify the employee(s) title, budget, FTE, etc.  You must include the subject they are teaching in the notes.  These employees will be allowed to continue, even if they do not meet the HQ status.
  2. If you are interested in moving a current part-time employee at your school into an RA position, you must first ensure they meet the HQ requirements.  The school will need to submit a change form in Qmlativ. Please note: If the employee does not meet the HQ standard, the employee will not be eligible to be hired, and the change form will be denied.
  3. To hire someone from outside your school into an available position for which they qualify, the school will need to submit a requisition in Frontline to post.  Please use the Rotation Assistant template.   The school will need to conduct interviews and references.  Before a hire sheet is submitted in Frontline, you must verify that they meet the HQ requirements.

If you have any questions on the process, please contact Human Resources.  For questions about the training, please contact Teaching and Learning.

Published on

TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
Instructional Coaches
Kindergarten Teachers

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Michelle Lovell, Literacy Consultant
Mandy Thurman, Literacy Consultant

The following letter, as well as the attached Planet Kindergarten Newsletter, will be sent to all kindergarten teachers this week. Please celebrate them with us.

Dear (Kindergarten Teacher),

As a literacy team, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks for your incredible work this year. We recognize that it was a year filled with new challenges: quarterly goals, new curriculum, learning Mastery Connect, and new voluntary professional development opportunities. You not only stepped up to the plate, but you truly hit it out of the park!

Hundreds of teachers and coaches attended each session of the Planet Kindergarten PDs. We know this required sacrifice of your time and energy, but your extra effort in Tier 1 instruction, small groups, and data tracking has made a real difference. Thanks to your dedication, we have more proficient kindergartners in literacy skills moving on to first grade than ever before!

Please know how grateful we are for everything you’ve done. As you begin planning for next year, don’t hesitate to reach out for any support you need.

If you'd like a refresher of Letter Launch or dive deeper with the Letter Launch Workshop, we'd love to see you there.

Wishing you a wonderful summer filled with well-deserved rest and relaxation.

Thank you for changing the lives of students in Jordan District!

Published on

DATE:
June 8, 2026

TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
School Safety Specialists

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

SUBJECT:
2026-27 Monthly Drill Schedule

This schedule is designed so that our district will remain in compliance with state regulations.  The design is set up so the district can help prepare and support each of your schools throughout the year to better implement these drills.  This schedule is to be followed throughout the district.

Secondary schools are required FOUR (4) evacuations a year.  You may do more if desired.

Elementary schools are required to conduct an evacuation EVERY OTHER MONTH.  These evacuations can follow any drill and DO NOT have to be in conjunction with a fire drill.  Due to this regulation and the mandated fire drill after winter break, an evacuation drill will need to be conducted in both December and January in order to remain in compliance.  This only applies to elementary schools.

Three virtual drill preparation trainings will be held back-to-back on the first Wednesday of each month at 2:40, 3:10 PM, and again at 3:30 PM.  The ZOOM LINK will remain the same for each session throughout the year.  School Safety Specialists are expected to attend.  Other administrators or interested employees are always welcome as well.

MONTH DRILL TYPE NOTES
August Fire First 10 days of school
September Secure
October Lockdown Evacuation required for elementary schools
November Shelter
December Hold Evacuation required for elementary schools
January Fire First 10 days of school after winter break
February Secure
March Lockdown Evacuation required for elementary schools
April Earthquake Great Shakeout. Evacuation is optional
May Drill of Choice Choose whichever drill is appropriate for your school

If there are any questions, concerns, or conflicts, please contact the District Safety Coordinator Matt Alvernaz at matt.alvernaz@jordandistrict.org or by phone at (801) 567-8623.

Published on

DATE:
June 8, 2026

TO:
Principals

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

SUBJECT:
School Safety Specialist List Update/Confirmation

Beginning the 2026-2027 school year, the School Safety Specialist must be an administrator. The School Safety Specialist also attends, completes, and participates in the following:

  • All trainings required by USBE for School Safety Specialists (dates and times will be shared by USBE later this summer)
  • Monthly safety/SRP trainings (held on the first Wednesday of each month) provided by the District’s School Safety Coordinator, Matt Alvernaz (specific dates and times will be shared in an upcoming JAM).
  • SRO trainings are held annually and each quarter (a future JAM will provide dates, times, and locations).
  • Standard Response Protocols, Incident Command, and other duties as outlined here.

Please complete the spreadsheet linked below for the 2026-2027 school year on or before Friday, August 14, 2026. The information entered needs to be accurate for them to receive communications from the District and the USBE, as well as getting enrolled in the USBE Canvas course.

2026-2027 School-Based Safety Specialists

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to:

Matt Alvernaz
School Safety Coordinator
Matt.alvernaz@jordandistrict.org
(801)567-8623

Published on

To:
All Administrators
All Office Staff

From:
Steffany Ellsworth, Manager - Information Systems
David Bowman, Assistant Director of Systems and Security

This is a reminder of a previous JAM sent on March 26th regarding a system downtime on the Juneteenth holiday.

Information Systems wants you to be aware of upcoming essential maintenance that will affect the availability of the internet and core systems during the upcoming observed holiday on Monday, June 15th.

The following major systems will be inaccessible on this day:

Skyward Finance & Student Systems
Phone Systems Including Voicemail
Internet Connectivity
Department and School Websites

Thank you for your understanding and patience.

Published on

TO:  
All Administrators

FROM:
Jordan School District Cabinet Members

The Administrative Leadership Conference is scheduled for Tuesday, August 4, 2026, and Thursday, August 6, 2026.

  • Time: Breakfast at 7:30 AM, Conference begins at 8:00 AM
  • Location: West Hills Middle School, 8270 S Grizzly Way (5400 W), West Jordan

Administrative Leadership Conference Workshops

See the Workshop Program Information document for descriptions of the workshops before registering for the sessions you'd like to attend. Please register for Workshop Sessions by June 30th.

  • Workshop sessions will be limited to 25 participants, unless otherwise noted. Please register early.
  • Many sessions will require you to bring your own device - a laptop, Chromebook, or iPad
  • All Administrators are expected to attend the workshop sessions 3-6 on Thursday.
  • Principals’ level meeting will be held on August 6th from 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM.
  • Principals will attend 3 workshops after the principal meeting (Sessions 4, 5, 6).

 

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
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources

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

DATES:  The trainings will run June 10 & 11 or June 17 & 18, 2026

LOCATION:  JATC-S Building

TIME:  8:00-3:30 pm each day

Lunch will be on your own. Please see the attached agenda for more details.

Click HERE to see which training date you signed up for.