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Category: Elementary Info

Published on

TO:
Elementary Administrators
Coaches
K-6th Grade Teachers

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

Join us for Literacy Live: K–6th Grades Fall Conference on September 25, 2026, from 1:30–3:30 ASB!

This exciting afternoon is designed to give teachers practical ideas, fresh strategies, and tools they can take right back to their classrooms. Participants will choose from a variety of literacy breakout sessions, connect with colleagues, enjoy food, and have opportunities to win prizes!

Encourage your K–6 teachers to save the date and sign up today! This is a great opportunity to support teachers as they continue building their literacy knowledge and strengthening instruction for students.

Registration is now open at pd.jordandistrict.org

Published on

DATE:
August 27, 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 (SECURE)

Our monthly drill preparation will be held on September 2nd 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 SECURE.  Each school safety specialist is expected to attend.  All other administrators are welcomed to attend as well. The meeting is also opened to any staff who may be interested as well. 

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 SECURE response protocol can be found in the Jordan School District Safety Manual on pages 8-11. 

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

TO:
All Administrators & Program Directors

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

At we start the 2026-27 school year, we want to remind you about the master calendar for the District. You can find it on mastercal.jordandistrict.org. This calendar is intended to inform principals, administrators & District personnel of district events and due dates (it does not include individual school events).

If you would like to copy anything on this calendar to your personal google calendar, simply click on the “see more details” link and then copy it using the three vertical dot (options) button.

To search for an item in the master calendar, you can use Command+F (Apple) or Control+F (PC). This will bring up a search bar where you can type a few key words to help you find the information you are seeking.

If you would like to add a district event or make a revision to the master calendar, please contact Lisa LeStarge at 801-567-8120 or lisa.lestarge@jordandistrict.org.

Published on

TO:
Elementary Administrators

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

Principals,

As we begin a new school year, we want to make sure our literacy curriculum materials and resources are being managed consistently across the district.

Please remind teachers that district-provided curriculum materials and literacy resources belong to the school—not to an individual teacher. When a teacher leaves a school or changes grade levels, all curricular materials and resources should remain at the school or in the classroom for the next teacher who will use them.

This includes materials and resources such as UFLI (both sound wall cards and manuals), Wit & Wisdom, Heggerty, MSRC, and other district-provided literacy resources. Beginning this year, all literacy materials should remain at the school when a teacher transfers to another school or changes grade levels, including Heggerty and MSRC materials. Keeping these materials at the school ensures that teachers have the resources they need.

Managing Your School's Materials
Schools are responsible for managing, maintaining, and redistributing their existing literacy materials to ensure they are available to the teachers who need them. If materials are lost or otherwise unavailable due to materials not being properly retained at the school, the school will be responsible for replacing them.

Teaching & Learning will provide materials for additional FTE/new positions as appropriate. However, materials for existing positions should be managed within the school and redistributed as staffing or grade-level assignments change.

Have Extra Materials?
If you have extra materials from any literacy programs or resources (including extra Wit & Wisdom workbooks), please have your instructional coach contact your assigned literacy teacher specialist with the types and numbers. We will attempt to redistribute wherever possible. Please do not surplus or destroy the materials.

Thank you for helping us maintain and responsibly manage our district literacy resources. Your partnership helps ensure that teachers across the district have access to the materials they need to support student learning.

Published on

TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Buddy Alger, Director of Student Services

The Fall Panorama student feedback survey window previously scheduled to open on Monday, September 8, 2026, has been delayed to accommodate an update to the survey questions and subsequent online data dashboard. This update will include Portrait of a Graduate indicators.

The full survey will now open Monday, October 5, 2026 and will close on Friday, November 6, 2026. Student Services provides the opt-in list to Panorama the week prior to the window closing and at least one time midway through the survey window. Survey response rates may be accessed through your Panorama login and results are typically available the week following the last day of the survey window.

The winter survey window is January 22, 2027 - February 19, 2027
The Spring survey window is April 19, 2027 - May 11, 2027

Schools wanting additional Panorama training should reach out to Buddy Alger.

Published on

TO:
Elementary Administrators
Coaches
K-3rd Grade Teachers

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

UFLI Refresher Class
September 18
ASB-Auditorium
1:30-3:30

Please see the attached flyer for more information.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
Mike Trimmell, Ed.D., Assistant Director Talent Development

 SUBJECT:
Crucial Policies for New Hires

With recent updates with Qmulativ and Vector, we are working through crucial policies for new hires. The Vector course new hires are assigned is based on the new hire sheet submission date. 

New Hire Sheet Submission Date Before 8/10/26: Crucial policies were completed as part of onboarding. The only course that must be completed after onboarding is the “Child Abuse Mandatory Reporting” course in Vector. This single course will be assigned in Vector. 

New Hire Sheet Submission Date After 8/10/26: Crucial policies will be completed through Vector after onboarding. This is for every employee hired after 8/10/26 moving forward.    

Also, please note that due to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employees should be given time to complete crucial policies while on the clock. 

If you have questions regarding Crucial Policies, contact Mike Trimmell, Ed.D. in Human Resources:

Phone: 801-567-8462
Email: michael.trimmell@jordandistrict.org

Published on

TO:
Directors, Administrator & Administrative Assistants

FROM:
McKinley Withers, Administrator of Employee Experience & Wellness

SUBJECT:
Support & Planning for Pregnant Employees: “Expecting Jordan” Consultations

Dear Employees, 

Navigating maternity leave, insurance changes, and sub coverage shouldn’t feel overwhelming. “Expecting Jordan,” is an initiative led by the Employee Experience and Wellness Team. One-on-one consultation sessions are offered to help pregnant district employees through their leave and transition process. 

What we cover in our consultation:

  • FMLA & Leave Applications
  • Substitute Coverage 
  • Insurance & Dependent Coverage
  • District Childcare & Benefits
  • Lactation Accommodations and Mental Health Resources
  • Other wellness needs and resources

If you are currently expecting and planning your leave, please sign up for a 1-on-1 consultation time with Paige Wightman using our online form. 

Congratulations on your growing family!

Link to flyer: 

Published on

DATE:
August 20, 2026

TO:
All School Administrators

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Assessment, 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: Cooling Adequacy & Heat Preparedness in Utah Educational Infrastructure

Applicant: Stacia Ryder, Utah State University

The project has been approved by the District Research Review Committee. The applicant has been directed to contact you to discuss the extent of the project. 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

TO:
Administrators

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

We want to provide you with one place to find the information to support the Language and Culture in your school. Here you will find:
1. Information on commgap
2. How to prepare for Title III compliance
3. Fall Family fair
4. Giraffe club, presentations and other school support.

 

Published on

DATE:
August 20, 2026 

TO:
Principals and Assistant Principals 

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

SUBJECT:
Wellness Centers

As we prepare to support students in Wellness Centers around the district, student services is here to help train and support new and returning wellness room coordinators. 

This session will cover foundational operational standards, student privacy laws, mandatory reporting procedures, and data collection practices designed to measure student impact. 

Training Details 

  • Date: August 28th 2006
  • Time: 2:00 pm
  • Location: District Office Training Room 129 (7387 S. Campus View Drive West Jordan, UT )
  • Target Audience: Wellness Center Coordinators
  • Agenda:
  1. FERPA & Student Data Privacy
    ○ Clear guidelines on maintaining student privacy compliance. 
  1. Mandatory Abuse & Neglect Reporting
    ○ Mandated reporter obligations, recognizing signs of child abuse/neglect, site-level reporting protocols, and documentation best practices. 
  1. Room & Environmental Standards
    ○ Physical safety, supervision protocols, creating a welcoming and trauma-informed space, and room capacity/sign-in procedures. 
  1. Data Collection & Best Practices
    ○ Tracking student visits, measuring outcomes, maintaining confidentiality in logbooks/software, and utilizing data to support school-wide wellness goals. 

Action Requested from Principals 

  • Confirm Attendance: Please ensure your Wellness Center staff are registered and scheduled to attend by clicking here.

For questions or additional details, please contact Jodee Packer 801-567-8193.

Published on

TO:
Elementary Principals

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

Teaching & Learning is offering a UFLI training for classroom assistants who frequently sub for teachers. The training will take place on September 30th from 9:00-11:00 in the Presentation Room at the ASB (Entrance C). Employees attending this training will be able to log into TrueTime to receive compensation for their time. This training is by principal invitation, and employees can contact Brittney Eldredge to register.

Published on

TO:
Elementary Administrators
Elementary Administrative Assistants

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

We know that Utah schools work hard to increase financial literacy among students and their families, and my529, Utah’s 529 educational savings plan, appreciates your efforts. my529 looks forward to working with your school to help inform your parents and guardians about saving for their children’s future education expenses.

Under Utah law, elementary schools are required to provide information during school enrollment to parents or guardians of kindergarten students about saving for qualified education expenses, including details about my529 (see Utah Code Ann. § 53G-10-305) — and my529 is here to help.

Each year, my529 sends brochures to elementary school principals to fulfill this requirement. To help get the word out about saving for qualified education expenses, my529 will send enough brochures for each school’s entire student body. Please ensure they are distributed at the beginning of the school year. The brochure is also available in Spanish.

If you have questions about my529, the elementary school brochures, or if your school would like a PDF version of the brochure or Spanish-language brochures, please contact Taryn Owen, Marketing Specialist, at 801.456.7344 or email towen@my529.org.

Published on

TO:
Elementary Administrators
Coaches
Kindergarten Teachers

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

Dear Kindergarten Teachers,

It’s so exciting to begin another school year and our second year of Planet Kindergarten and Letter Launch! Last year, our kindergarten students left kindergarten and began first grade in a stronger place than they have historically. That is something worth celebrating!

It was wonderful to see so many of you at our Letter Launch Workshop. Thank you to everyone who participated and especially to those who shared their expertise by teaching breakout sessions. I’ve heard so much positive feedback about the presentations! I’ve posted all of the resources shared by our presenters on the Letter Launch Workshop page of the K–2 Goals website.

We have one more Letter Launch class on September 11 at 1:30-3:30. This is a repeat of last year’s Letter Launch class and is designed for new teachers, those who were unable to attend previously, or anyone who would like a refresher.  Please register in Canvas.

Upcoming Dates & Kindergarten Goals

I’ll be sending newsletters throughout the year to help you stay up to date on data and give you a glimpse into some of the inspiring things happening across the district.

Kindergarten has two goals for the first quarter:

    • Students will be able to identify 43 first sounds on Acadience progress monitoring
    • Students will be able to name all letters and their corresponding sounds

Mastery Connect dates for letter and sound data:

  • September 4 — First optional progress monitoring opportunity in Mastery Connect 
  • October 2 — Second optional progress monitoring opportunity in Mastery Connect
  • November 6 — District benchmark for letters and sounds in Mastery Connect

These optional progress-monitoring dates are an opportunity not only to see your classroom data, but also to become familiar with Mastery Connect and the many features the platform has to offer. Larisa Nageli is over Mastery Connect and would be more than happy to talk through any questions or concerns you have. 

Most importantly, remember that you are not in this alone. If at any time you feel overwhelmed, uncertain, or simply aren’t sure what to do next, the literacy team is here to support you. When you share your questions or concerns with us, you help us better understand what teachers need and plan meaningful training and support.

Thank you for all that you do each day. Your work matters tremendously. There isn’t a day that goes by that our literacy department doesn’t recognize the dedication, creativity, and hard work you are putting into building strong readers across Jordan School District.

We are so excited to see what this year brings!

With gratitude,

Lori McCarty 

Published on

TO:
Principals
Administrative Assistants

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

The following information is being provided for your awareness and to share with staff members as needed. While we are still finalizing some aspects of this rollout, please feel free to begin moving forward with these guidelines as you consider the needs of your students and programs. Lunchroom managers are already in compliance with food served in cafeterias.

Please make note of the exceptions to State Code included on the attached flyer. We've also included a template that you may share with teachers who would like to request permission from parents to provide food in the classroom. Principals should approve any permission slips as well as any personalized information about food usage in the classroom that is sent home by teachers. If your teachers have already incorporated this permission into their disclosures, there is no need to change their process at this time.

If you have further questions, please contact your AOS.

Published on

DATE:
August 20, 2026    

TO:
All Administrators    

FROM:
Ian Roberts, Director of Facility Services   

SUBJECT:
2026-2027 Facility Services Contact Updates 

Facility Services has a number of updates to personnel for the 2026 – 2027 school year. You  will find the updated contact information and area responsibilities within the facilities department below. Refer to Facility Services web page for any additional information. Please  share these updates with your administrative assistants and custodians.

 

 

Published on

TO:
Administrators and Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Sarah Palmer, Director of Payroll

Annual Leave During the Contract Days Before School Starts
All Licensed Employees

8/10/26-8/17/26
Licensed employees may not use annual/personal leave during the contract days before school starts. However, they may, through correlation with the principal, arrange to exchange one of these days for another non-contract day.

Annual or Personal Leave During the First Five Days of School
All Licensed and ESP Employees

8/19/26-8/25/26 Elementary Schools
8/18/26-8/24/26 Secondary Schools
8/18/26-8/24/26 District Offices Auxiliary Services

DP335NEG-Annual Leave-Licensed
DP335B-Annual Leave-Education Support Professionals

Per District policy, annual or personal leave days may not be used during the first five days of school, unless the leave reason is listed in policy as an exception. If any of the exceptions do apply, you must provide both the leave reason and the policy exception in the time off description. If the leave reason does not meet the policy exceptions, Licensed employees will be docked $170 and ESP employees will be docked 40% of their daily rate.

Published on

DATE:
Thursday, August 20, 2026

TO:
All School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:
Record of August 11th Professional Learning Day Attendees

School administrators may access a Tableau dashboard that contains a record of all educators who signed in using the QR codes for the morning keynote sessions during the August 11th professional learning day.  The dashboard may be accessed here.  Administrators may also filter the list by conference location.

For questions about this dashboard, please refer to Ben Jameson in Assessment, Research & Accountability.

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.