Skip to content

Category: Elementary Info

Published on

TO:
Elementary Principals and Assistant Principals

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Buddy Alger, Director of Student Services
Fulvia Franco, School Psychology Administrator

We are excited to invite your elementary school psychologists and school psychology interns to a monthly PLC beginning November, 20 2026.

These meetings provide an opportunity to build shared knowledge, exchange effective practices, and collaboratively problem-solve challenges related to school psychology services. We will also share relevant district updates, resources, and guidance on policies, procedures, and practices to support school psychologists in their work with students and school teams. Through ongoing professional collaboration, school psychologists can strengthen their practice and identify effective ways to better meet student needs.

Principals are encouraged to support their school psychologists and interns in participating in these opportunities for professional collaboration and growth. Participation is optional.

Meetings will be held via Zoom from 3:00–4:00 p.m. on the following dates:

• November 20, 2026
• December 18, 2026
• January 22, 2027
• March 12, 2027
• April 16, 2027
• May 21, 2027

There will be no PLC in February.

We look forward to collaborating and appreciate your continued support of our school psychologists and interns!

Published on

TO:
Elementary Administration

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Brandon Larsen, Performing & Fine Arts Consultant, Teaching & Learning

Jordan School District Fine Arts is thrilled to announce that we have officially established a new Student Art Gallery right here at the Auxiliary Services Building (ASB)!

Our goal is to celebrate the incredible creativity across Jordan School District, starting with elementary schools, and fill our hallways with vibrant, student-created masterpieces. To make this gallery a success, we need your help showcasing the amazing talent thriving in your classrooms.

How to Participate:
We are inviting each elementary school to nominate and submit student artwork for display. Whether it's visual arts from a dedicated art class or outstanding projects created during regular instruction, we want to show it off! We are happy to coordinate artwork pickup if needed and will assist with any barriers to participation.

Please use the link below to submit the details and artwork of the student(s) you would like to feature:
Submit Student Artwork Nominees

Thank you for your help in spotlighting our young artists and making the ASB a brighter, more inspiring place for everyone who visits.

Published on

DATE:
October 29, 2026

TO:
All Administrators

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

SUBJECT:
Suicide Prevention Funds and Conference Registration

Administrators,

Suicide Prevention Grant funds are available for allowable expenses up to $1,000 per school. Schools may use these funds to pay for HopeSquad or Sources of Strength program renewal fees or to conduct suicide prevention training. These funds cannot be used to purchase supplies or food related to suicide prevention programming (NO T-shirts, incentives, fidgets, etc.). For questions, contact Buddy Alger (buddy.alger@jordandistrict.org) in Student Services.

As part of this allocation, schools may choose to register relevant staff members (school psychologists, school counselors, school-based therapists) for the Rocky Mountain Suicide Prevention Conference and code the P-Card registration fee to the grant.

Schools may register one individual for elementary, three individuals for middle school, and up to five individuals for high school, using the grant. Administrators can code the expense to program 5674 on the P-Card Reconciliation. There will not be District personnel registering school staff this year.

Here is the registration link for the Rocky Mountain Suicide Prevention Conference. It is held on December 1st and 2nd at the Utah Valley Convention Center in Provo, UT.

If school staff have already been registered and your school would like to be reimbursed, contact Carmen Covarrubias (carmen.covarrubias@jordandistrict.org).

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Ami Shah, Compliance Officer

The Jordan Native American Program invites teachers to bring authentic Indigenous perspectives to their classrooms. We are now booking engaging, age-appropriate presentations to build cultural awareness and enrich your curriculum.

We know classroom time is precious. Our presentations can be fully tailored to your unit, and all we ask for is 30 to 45 minutes of class time.

While November is Native American Heritage Month, these conversations matter every day. If your schedule cannot accommodate a guest speaker this November, schedule us for a later winter or spring date.

Click Here to Request a Presentation

Thank you for helping broaden our students' perspectives. We look forward to visiting your classroom!

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Cherie Oliver, Jordan Education Foundation

Costa Vida is hosting a fundraising event that supports the whole district! On November 4th, eat at one of three Costa Vida locations and 20% of proceeds will come back to Jordan Education Foundation. Details on attached flyer.

Published on

TO:
All principals and administrators responsible for facility assessment

FROM:
Ian Roberts - Director of Facility Services

Starting at the beginning of November, Facility Services will be reaching out to arrange a meeting with principals and custodians to discuss and review facility needs. This event typically takes place from January through February, however, recent changes in legislation will result in additional time needed to meet time line requirements for the Division of Facilities and Construction Management oversight.

The purpose of the annual facility assessment is to provide a collaborative opportunity for the principal, custodian, and facilities coordinator to review and prioritize the building’s most critical needs. Guided by the prioritization philosophy established by the district and Board of Education, the team works together to make strategic, responsible decisions with a primary emphasis on student and staff safety. The assessment also helps schools identify significant facility improvement needs, such as roof replacements or major mechanical and building system upgrades. In addition, the process provides an opportunity to discuss other facility concerns, needs, and desired improvements and to categorize them appropriately—for example, as routine work orders, school-funded special projects, or larger capital projects for future consideration.

We understand the demands on administrators' time, particularly with the upcoming holidays and their numerous responsibilities. That said, we respectfully request that principals prioritize this assessment review.

Published on

DATE:
October 15, 2026

TO:
All Administrators and Administrative Assistants

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources

SUBJECT:
Administrative Assignments

The following are new administrative assignments:

New Assignments effective Oct. 20, 2026:

  • Katie Mintiloglitis, Assistant Principal at Rivers Edge School, transferred as Consultant to the Special Education department.
  • Becky West, Behavior Specialist in Granite School District, appointed Assistant Principal at Rivers Edge School.
  • Keith Klein, teacher at Jordan Ridge Elementary, appointed Assistant Principal at Bluffdale Elementary.
  • Polla Slade, Intern Assistant Principal at Foothills Elementary, transferred as Intern Assistant Principal at Aspen Elementary.

Published on

TO:
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Michelle Love-Day, Director of Language & Culture Services

We have a few spots open for Spanish for Office Staff. Our goal is to provide tools and resources for office staff so that you can sharpen the Spanish skills, whether this is your first time being exposed to Spanish or you learned in high school, we encourage all office staff who have students that speak Spanish to take this 5 week course from our DLI educators. Please sign up here. 

Published on

TO:
Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Michelle Love-Day, Director of Language and Culture Services

Language & Culture Services wants to provide you with one place to find the information to support the language and culture in your school. In this newsletter you will find:

  • We had an excellent turn out at our annual Multilingual Family Night! We celebrated multilingualism with great food, student performances, and by celebrating our MLs that tested proficient on WIDA last year! Thank you to our JSD employees that attended, Foothills Elementary DLI students, our other student speakers and performers, and all of you that support our Multilingual Learners!
  • Strategy Highlight - ELLevation has a catalog of high-quality strategies that can be implemented into Tier 1 instruction. Each strategy also provides scaffolding suggestions for Multilingual Learners. You can find the Strategy Catalog by logging into ellevationeducation.com, then use the “Strategies” tab, and go to “Browse Catalog.”
    This month we’d like to highlight the following strategy: Vocabulary Rating - Benefits for Multilingual Learners Develop Academic Language with Weighted Words: Increased exposure to and meaningful practice with vocabulary words and phrases will support a deeper understanding of language at all levels. How To: Identify a list of vocabulary to focus on during the lesson and have students self-assess their vocabulary knowledge. Best used for: Hook/Intro of a lesson, as an Assessment
  • Announcements - Reminder: ELLevation Tasks are due! Exit Letters: Any remaining letters left in “Not Started” should be printed & sent home. Exit Interviews: Interviews need to be conducted with parents/guardians of students that tested proficient last Spring. Quarter 1 Monitoring: Forms are due Oct. 16. For support, please reach out to your school’s ELD Lead, Admin over MLs, or Language Teacher Specialist!

  • Culture & Diversity - Hispanic Heritage Month: Sept. 15 - Oct.15 | Recognize the history, culture, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans. Hispanic Heritage Month Information Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead): Nov. 1 -2  | a traditional Mexican holiday celebrated to honor, remember, and welcome back the spirits of deceased family and friends. Day of the Dead Resources.

Published on

TO:
All School Principals

FROM:
Mike Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Lisa LeStarge, Administrative Assistant

The School LAND Trust team will host a virtual training session for School Community Councils on November 10, from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. It is highly encouraged that principals and SCC chairs attend this training.

Join the session using the link below:
Join the School Community Council Training Zoom Meeting

This training will cover essential topics, including:
• Program implementation: School LAND Trust Program requirements and practices
• Council responsibilities: Roles and expectations for council members
• Plan development: How to develop a School LAND Trust Plan
• Support resources: Guides and tools available to support your council

A recording of the session will be posted afterward for council members to review at their convenience. If you have already completed local training at your school covering these topics, you have fulfilled the annual training requirement and are not required to attend this session.

Published on

DATE:
Thursday, October 15, 2026

TO:
Elementary School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:
2026 BOY Acadience Reading Dashboards in Tableau

2026 beginning-of-year Acadience Reading data and results are available in Tableau.  Administrators may view aggregate student participation, benchmark proficiency, and measure proficiency by school and grade level over time.  In addition, school administrators and instructional coaches may view individual student and teacher data. Demographic filters are also available to help school administrators drill down to the data they wish to see.

These dashboards may be accessed through the Explore menu in Tableau or directly using the links below:

Acadience Reading, 2015-Present

Explore > Assessments > Acadience Reading & Early Literacy > Acadience Reading Analysis, 2015-Present

The Progress Monitoring Fidelity Report in Tableau has also been updated to include the following:

  • Completion rates by school
  • Completion rates by course
  • Completion rates by teacher
  • Completion rates by student

The progress monitoring dashboards contain a link to guidance and recommendations from Teaching & Learning about the frequency at which students should be progress monitored.

Acadience Reading results may be accessed in ALO, including the new Time of Year Report, which can be accessed from the main dashboard page in ALO or by clicking on the kebab menu under the Students tab:

OR

Please contact Ben Jameson or Brooke Anderson in Assessment, Research & Accountability for more information about these dashboards.  For questions about progress monitoring recommendations, please reach out to your school’s district literacy specialist.

Published on

TO:
Administrators

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Amy Lloyd, K-12 Math Consultant, Teaching & Learning

Dear Administrators,

We're excited to invite your teachers to a professional learning session hosted by the elementary math team: Using Open Up Centers in Your Classroom.

When: November 13th (District PD Day), 1:30–3:00 PM
Where: Bingham High Tech Atrium
Registration: Canvas Course

In this engaging, practical session, we'll explore how to make the most of Open Up Math Centers in the classroom, with strategies for:

Organization – smooth routines and center management
Engagement – keeping students active and invested
Fluency – building automaticity with purpose
Deeper learning – extending student thinking

Teachers will walk away with ready-to-use ideas and tools they can apply the very next day.

Because space is limited, we encourage teachers to register early to secure their spot. Please share the link above with your teams.

Thank you for your support in getting this opportunity to your teachers!

Published on

TO:
Elementary Principals and Elementary Assistant Principals

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Todd Theobald, Teaching and Learning

Grade Transmittal Day is Oct. 19, and all elementary teachers are expected to review student evidence and record Quarter 1 proficiency levels in Skyward. Quarter 1 provides an important snapshot of where students are in their learning at this point in the year, even though a formal report card is not generated until Semester 1. Teachers should record a current proficiency level for each strand where they have enough meaningful evidence to make a reasonable determination, using the full-year proficiency scale as the reference point. Please review the JSD Elementary Grade Transmittal Expectations for a quick overview of what to record, why these snapshots matter, and how expectations progress throughout the year.

JSD Elementary Grade Transmittal Expectations
Grade Transmittal Day provides teachers with dedicated time to review student evidence, reconcile proficiency levels, and ensure that Skyward accurately reflects each student’s current learning. The goal is not to create a perfect or final judgment of student performance. The goal is to provide an accurate snapshot of where each student is at that point in time.

What should teachers do?
For each subject area, review the overall strand proficiency level in Skyward and ask: “Based on the evidence I have right now, what is the best description of this student’s current proficiency?”

The proficiency level recorded should reflect the student’s current performance in relation to the full grade-level standard and proficiency scale, even if every portion of the standard has not yet been taught.

Teachers should enter a proficiency level whenever they have enough meaningful evidence to make a reasonable determination. This does not require perfect or exhaustive evidence. If the evidence available provides a reasonable picture of where the student currently is, that information should be recorded.

A blank should generally indicate that there is not yet enough evidence to make a reasonable determination.

Why does this matter?
Quarterly proficiency levels create a record of student learning over time.

Even though elementary report cards are only generated at the end of Semester 1 and Semester 2, Quarter 1 and Quarter 3 scores still provide valuable snapshots. These records can:

  • Help document student growth across the year,
  • Provide useful information if a student transfers to another school or district,
  • Support communication with parents and future teachers, and
  • Ensure that reported proficiency levels accurately reflect what students currently know and can do.

Ideally, the information entered in Skyward should not be a surprise to families. Teachers should be communicating student progress early, often, and consistently throughout the year.

What should be recorded at each checkpoint?
Quarter 1 - Snapshot - Record current proficiency levels for the strands where you have meaningful evidence. Students are still early in the learning process, so Level 1 and Level 2 scores may be entirely appropriate.

Semester 1 - Semester Picture - Review and reconcile the Semester 1 proficiency level for each strand that has been meaningfully measured. In English Language Arts, students should have a proficiency level for all three strands: Reading, Writing, and Speaking & Listening.

Some areas in other subjects may still be blank if they have not yet been sufficiently measured.

Quarter 3 - Updated Snapshot - Update proficiency levels based on the evidence collected since Semester 1. The picture of student learning should continue to become more complete as the year progresses.

Semester 2 - Complete Picture - By the end of the year, the full grade-level core should have been taught, and teachers should generally have a proficiency level recorded for every strand.

There may be rare circumstances where an exception is appropriate. In those cases, teachers should work with their administrator.

One important reminder
A proficiency level is not based on whether a student is “on track for this time of year.” It is based on the full-year proficiency scale.

For example, if a student has successfully learned everything that has been taught so far but their current evidence places them at Level 2 on the full standard, Level 2 is the accurate proficiency level to report.

The purpose of Grade Transmittal Day is simple:

Review the evidence → Reconcile the overall proficiency level → Document where the student is right now.

Published on

TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
School Psychologists and School Psychology Interns

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Buddy Alger, Director of Student Services
Fulvia Franco, School Psychology Administrator

A meeting for school psychologists and school psychology interns has been scheduled for
Friday, October 30, 2026 from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Auxiliary Services Building (7905 South Redwood Road). Please bring your laptops to this meeting. Buddy Alger and Jeff Morris will provide us with training on Ken Ginsburg’s Reaching Teens materials. Julia Connelly, Ph.D., Director of Spectropolis, will provide us with a presentation on Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA).

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

Published on

TO:
All Employees

FROM:
Mike Anderson, Associate Superintendent

The 6th annual Health and Wellness Day is back again, will be bigger than ever, and will be here before we know it! Employees can look forward to connecting with colleagues and prioritizing their well-being through a variety of wellness offers across the District. Mark your calendar because you won’t want to miss this!

Published on

DATE:
October 15, 2026

TO: 
All Administrators & Threat Assessment Teams

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Buddy Alger, Director of Student Services
Angie Rasmussen, CARE Team Specialist

SUBJECT:  
Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) Training

CSTAG training consists of two (2) training levels, Level 1 and Level 2. Both levels must be completed by all administrators and threat assessment team members.  CSTAG Level 2 training is for all who have completed the Level 1 training (the web-based training from Navigate360). Level 2 training builds upon your knowledge of threat assessment by providing practical application and implementation of the CSTAG process in your school.

New Administrators and Administrative Interns are encouraged to attend.

Select the link to register for a session of CSTAG Level 2 training.

In-Person CSTAG Level Two Training:
Friday, November 13th (In-Person) 1-3PM
District Office Room 129
Registration Link

Other important CSTAG reminders: If your school wants to train a staff member or threat assessment team member that is not an administrator in CSTAG level 1, please email angie.rassumussen@jordandistrict.org the request with the person’s name, title, and email address. CSTAG Level 1 is web-based through Navigate 360 and costs $100 per person. A request for reimbursement will be sent to the school after the staff member has been added.

To access CSTAG documents and resources use this link: CSTAG Resources

We look forward to learning more about your school's violence prevention initiatives and CSTAG implementation, or assisting you with customized training needs. To schedule a meeting, please contact Angie Rasmussen at angie.rasmussen@jordandistrict.org.

Published on

TO:
All School Administrators
All School Admin Assistants

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Steffany Ellsworth, Assistant Director, Information Systems

ParentSquare Pointers – New Feature Alert!

New Contact Log for Principals and School Admin

Need to confirm a parent received the message? The Contact Log puts 60 days of  communication history right at your fingertips. Principals and School Admins can easily search  contact history for staff, parent, or student’s – filtering by type, site, and date range to verify  what was sent in seconds.

To find this new feature make sure you are in the Admin tab, located in the upper left-hand corner, then follow these four steps:

  • find Data Assistant
  • click on either Students, Parents, or Staff
  • search and click on the name of the user
  • under Activity in the left sidebar, click Contact Log

If you have any questions please reach out to Information Systems Help Desk, (801) 567-8737  – ext. 88737. Or for Contact Log FAQs from ParentSquare just click here!

Published on

TO:
Elementary, Middle, and High School Principals

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning

JSD Content Proficiency Scales

Following Jan Hoegh’s presentation to school-level administrators at the Principals Meeting on October 6, we would like to reshare our JSD Content Proficiency Scales.

Together, district teacher teams and Teaching & Learning have developed power standards and corresponding proficiency scales for Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, PE, Health, and Music. These scales serve as exemplars and anchors for grade-level expectations, ensuring Level 3 indicators align precisely with the depth and rigor of the Utah Core Standards.

To access the standards, scales, and integration resources for planning, instruction, assessment, and feedback, enroll in the new JSD Content Proficiency Scales Canvas course.

⚠️ Important Note on Math Standards: The State Board of Education (USBE) is currently reviewing math standards and is expected to release updates soon. Consequently, the development of math power standards and proficiency scales is paused until those official updates are released.

Published on

TO:
JSD Administrators

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Curtis Jenson, Assistant Director of Teaching & Learning

We had the chance in this week’s Principal meeting to spend the day with Jan Hoegh talking about how our work over the past year with Proficiency Scales translates into next steps with assessment and reporting. While we do that work, we have the unique chance to participate in a book study with Jan this spring using her book Planning & Teaching in the Standards-Based Classroom.

 The book study will happen during three 75-minute virtual sessions with Jan Hoegh. While dates are still being finalized, they will occur in February, March and April of 2027. We will provide all participants with a copy of the book to use throughout the book study and beyond. All JSD administrators are invited to participate in this optional book study.

Interested? Let us know here and we’ll get you a copy of the book.

We’ll keep you posted on exact dates and times for the book study. We just want it to be on your radar while it’s fresh. It’s unusual to get the chance to talk in this setting with the leading expert in the field while we’re actually doing the things she’s writing about. If you’re interested, let us know and we’ll get the book for you. If the final dates for the book study don’t work for you, at least you have access to the source material.