Skip to content

Category: Elementary Info

Published on

DATE:  
December 7, 2023

TO:  
Principals
Assistant Principals

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

SUBJECT:   
Attendance Holiday Messaging Strategies

As we approach winter recess and near the end of the second quarter, we would like to offer some messaging strategies to help maintain regular attendance. Absences tend to increase prior to and following a holiday break from school. By this point in the year some students are struggling to get to school on time or at all. Panorama is a great resource for delving into attendance data. It provides easy access to data showing which students are struggling with attendance. You can locate the attendance report in Panorama under Student Success for your school.

As a school you can be proactive by communicating early and often with families about dates and expectations surrounding the upcoming winter recess. Attendance Works provides the following ideas to help with communication:

  • Send a letter out weeks before the longer winter break urging students and families to avoid unnecessary absences. (Sample letter included that you can modify for your needs.)
  • Let students and families know the date when the break will start and when school will resume. (Resources provided for your use to post on Facebook or Instagram.)
  • Include the name and contact information for the school, and organizations that can provide support to families if needed.
  • Consider sharing health guidance flyers (Health guidance flyers from Attendance Works included)
  • Plan a special event for the first day after the holiday break to welcome the students back to school. Send out text messages, phone calls, emails, social media notifications, etc. right before school resumes to remind them of special plans.

For more information on holiday messaging activities, review the holiday messaging guidance from Attendance Works here.

Should you have questions or would like editable copies of the social media resources please contact Michelle Reyes at michelle.reyes@jordandistrict.org or 801.567.8205.

Published on

Language and Culture Services is excited to open our second Family Engagement Center for Jordan District.

Please join us as we celebrate the opening of our West Jordan location on Dec. 6 at 3 p.m. in the Joel P. Jensen media center.

Published on

DATE:   
November 29, 2023

TO: 
All Administrators

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

SUBJECT:  
FREE! Well-Being Course with Practical Strategies

Jordan District educators are invited to participate in our 2024 FREE Educator Well-Being Continuing Ed Courses for administrators, teachers, counselors, and specialists. This course is an opportunity for all JSD employees to address their own well-being by exploring practical strategies associated with connection, happiness, self-care, conflict resolution, growth mindset, problem-solving, and more! Participants will collaborate, learn from, and connect with other educators throughout the District as they work towards meeting their own wellness goals.

This course is FREE for JSD employees and Winter, and Summer sessions are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Space is limited for this great opportunity!

The class will meet on Thursdays from 4:00-5:30 over Zoom:

January 11, 18, 25
February 1, 8, 15, 20
March 7, 14, 21

Participants can earn continuing education, lane-change, and re-licensure hours from SUU (up to 3 college credits).

Sign up using the attached flier and share this information with professionals in your schools who may be interested in this opportunity.

 

Published on

Update to policy DP380 Maternity/Parent Leave

Last night, after careful consideration, the Board has reduced the length of the contract requirement following the use of maternity/paternity days.

Retroactive applied to 07/01/2023, an employee using maternity/paternity leave days shall agree in writing to repay compensation at his/her daily rate of pay for maternity/parent leave used or granted if he/she terminates employment with the District for other than medical reasons before completion of the current contract year. All other provisions listed in the Maternity/Parent Leave Policy still apply.

If you have further questions, please see the updated policy DP380-Maternity/Parent Leave or contact the HR Generalist at rebecca.eastman@jordandistrict.org.

Published on

Principals, you may use the message below (and attached) to share the maturation materials with 5th Grade parents:

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Our 5th grade maturation program is held online. It is presented in an online video format presented by health care providers. While this is not a mandatory program, this is presented as an opportunity for you to watch the program together. Students are encouraged to talk to their trusted adults for questions or concerns that they may have. Our presentation can be found online at Elementary Health & Maturation.

Sincerely,

Published on

Holiday decorations add a joyous and festive mood to the holiday season, but when holiday decorations are not used properly they can turn from festive to fiery in a split second.

Jordan School District would like everyone to follow a few safety tips when decorating to avoid a tragic holiday and keep everyone safe.

See the flyer below for more information.

Published on

DATE:
November 27, 2023

TO:
All Administrators
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Daniel Ellis, Director of Accounting and Audits

SUBJECT:
Gift Card/Certificate Purchasing Policy

As a reminder, the purchase of gift cards, e-gift cards, prepaid credit cards, or anything with a stated cash value that functions like a gift card is not allowable with funds managed by the district, school, or department, including grants.

Please review the District Financial Accounting Manual for further information.

Published on

DATE:
November 20, 2023

TO:
Principals
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Daniel Ellis, Director of Accounting and Audits
Natalie Grange, Accounting Administrator

SUBJECT:
District Allocations by School - October 1 Adjustments

District allocations for individual schools were updated in Skyward on November 15. Adjustments were made based on the October 1 headcount. Carryforward balances and transfer requests are included in the total allocation. See the following attachments:

1) Student estimate compared to October 1 headcount.

2) Estimated District Allocation compared to October 1 adjustment.

Please review these adjustments and contact Natalie Grange (801) 567-8312 with any questions or concerns.

Published on

Jordan School District Board authorizes up to four (4) full-time employees to be selected for leave.

Sabbatical Leave
Sabbatical leave provides a 1-year leave for professional study. Educators who have completed at least 7 years of continuous service in JSD may apply. Employees on sabbatical leave receive one-half of their salary. Please read Policy DP333 Neg – Sabbatical Leave for complete information. Applications are reviewed by the Local Professional Improvement Committee and approved by the Board.

Educational Leave
Educators who have worked in Jordan School District for at least three (3) consecutive years may apply for an Educational Leave. Educational leaves are for continued study and must include an outline of studies along with the application. Please read Policy DP332 NEG – Educational Leave for complete information. Educational Leave is without pay.

Applications for 2024-2025 Sabbatical and Educational Leaves are due February 1, 2024. Additional questions can be referred to Chris Westra, 801-567-8657.

Published on

DATE: 
November 14, 2023

TO:  
School Psychologists and School Psychology Interns

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

SUBJECT: 
December School Psychologist Guidance Meeting

A meeting for school psychologists and school psychology interns has been scheduled for Friday, December 1, 2023, from 12:00 to 3:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Auxiliary Services Building (7905 South Redwood Road). We will start at 12:00 p.m. with lunch. You have the option of participating in our pot-luck luncheon, or bringing lunch for yourself if that’s your preference. Christy Kane, PsyD, CMHC, will provide us with a presentation titled The Social Anti-Social Brain--How Social Media is Impacting the Mental Health of Kids.

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

cc:
Principals

Published on

DATE:  
November 15, 2023

TO:  
Principals
Assistant Principals
School Safety Specialists

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

SUBJECT:   
School Safety Specialist Role and Responsibilities

Role Description and Expectations:

The School Safety Specialist helps oversee school preparedness in prevention and/or response to situations threatening the safety of students, staff, and guests. This is done through proactive training and equipment accountability. The School Safety Specialist serves in a support and advisory capacity to school administrators or others designated in leadership positions as per the Incident Command System. This role does not supersede those in leadership roles, such as the Incident Commander. The School Safety Specialist should consult the Jordan School District Safety Manual or the District School Safety Coordinator for further clarification and training.

Primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. All School Safety Specialists shall be trained and certified in level 1 Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG). The School Safety Specialist acts as a member of the school’s interdisciplinary CSTAG team.
  2. Become trained and familiar with the Standard Response Protocols (SRP) and Incident Command System (ICS) as per district guidelines.
  3. Attend regular refresher or update safety training sessions and relay pertinent information back to assigned schools or areas.
  4. Be prepared to train and advise in all matters regarding safety to include SRP and ICS.
  5. Keep records of drills and/or evacuations to ensure compliance with state law and district policy reported annually. Records should be kept and maintained at each school or district building to be made available upon request.
  6. Responsible to maintain and report school Emergency Preparedness Kits in each classroom including Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC) kits.
  7. Maintain TECC kits strategically placed throughout the schools.
  8. Maintain the school’s Reunification Operations Kit (ROK) and ensure each is properly equipped.
  9. Conduct visual inspections of fire extinguishers and Automated External Defibrillators (AED’s) and note any obvious abnormalities or if missing. Report any potential issues to the school administrators as well as the district facilities department or the School Safety Coordinator.
  10. Additional responsibilities may be assigned by school administrators.

Any of the listed responsibilities are subject to change. Responsibilities may be added or removed by school administrators in consultation from the district School Safety Coordinator.

The School Safety Specialist stipend of $3,000 (for full-time status and before taxes/benefits) will be paid on the May 2024 paycheck.

Published on

DATE:   
November 9, 2023

TO: 
All Administrators & Threat Assessment Teams

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
McKinley Withers, Health and Wellness
Angie Rasmussen, Student Safety & Wellness Specialist

SUBJECT:
Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) Level 2 & 3 Training Dates

Traditionally, CSTAG training consists of two (2) training levels and both levels must be completed by all administrators and threat assessment team members. The CSTAG Level 2 workshop is for all who have completed the Level 1 training (the six (6) hour web-based training from Navigate360). This workshop will build upon your knowledge of threat assessment by providing practical application and implementation of the CSTAG process in your school.

If you have already completed level 2, we are excited to announce a new training opportunity, CSTAG level three (3).

This in person Level 2 workshop will:

  1. Review CSTAG level 1
  2. Focus on implementation and use of the threat assessment process
  3. Focus on sustainable ways to use CSTAG in your school
  4. Review and training on the decision tree
  5. Review the CSTAG forms and best practices for documentation
  6. Practice using real-world scenarios.

Level 2 Course #101883 Friday, December 1, 2023

District Office Room 129
8:00am-10:00am Section #127887 or 1:30pm-3:30pm Section #127888

Level 2 Course #101883 Friday, March 1, 2024

District Office Room 129
8:00am-10:00am Section #127889 or 1:30pm-3:30pm Section # 127890

NEW Level 3 In-Person Training

Wednesday, June 5th
District Office Room 129
10:00am-12:00pm Course #101984 and Section # 127891

Please sign up using JPLS for the session you will be attending. Select this  to register for level 2 or 3 sessions of CSTAG training.

If you are not certain about having completed the CSTAG Level 1 or 2 courses or should you have any questions please reach out to Angie Rasmussen at angie.rasmussen@jordandistrict.org.

Published on

Attention Principals,

New/updated Labor Law posters have been distributed to all principals/buildings.  We are required by law to post these in a location where employees have ready access to review them (i.e. Faculty rooms).

If you have a need for additional posters in English or Spanish, please contact Human Resources.

Thank you for your assistance.

Published on

What are Critical Days?
Critical Days are the days before or after a school holiday when students are in attendance

What if I use an Annual/Personal leave day on a Critical Day?
Employees using annual/personal leave on Critical Days will be docked on their next paycheck as listed below:

  • Licensed - $156, equivalent to 50% of the daily rate of a licensed employee on salary level one
  • ESP - 40% of the employee’s daily rate

Will I still be docked if I don’t need a substitute?
Yes, this is not to cover the cost of a sub

Are there any exceptions in the policy to having my paycheck docked?
Annual/personal leave may be taken on a Critical Day without being docked for the following specific reasons:

  • Observance of religious holidays which fall on a regularly scheduled school calendar workday.
  • Family weddings of near relatives including children, father, mother, brothers, sisters, grandchildren, grandparents, or the same to one's spouse or any other person who is a member of the same household
    as the employee.
  • Graduations of near relatives as defined above.
  • Required court appearances,
  • Deaths not covered by DP330 NEG Bereavement Leave - Licensed.
  • Conferences and conventions which relate to the individual employee's work assignment and are not
    covered by policy DP339 – Released Time—Professional.
  • To attend to personal or business matters which require the employee’s attendance and scheduling is
    beyond the employee’s control.
  • First year employees who notify their supervisor in writing that they are ill.
  • Applying for the Critical Days “lottery” during the appropriate time window and being randomly selected as one of the  imited number of employees allowed. Employees are only eligible for this exemption once per contract year. More information about this “lottery” request process can be found in JEM and at https://employment.jordandistrict.org/annualleave.

What if the reason I’m using annual/personal leave on a Critical Day is an exception in policy as listed above?
The specific reason and exception in the policy must be added in the Skyward time off description

Will I still be docked if my supervisor gives me permission and approves my time off request?
Yes, unless the reason and above listed exception is applicable and entered in the time off description

How do I know when Critical Days are?
Information regarding the use of annual/personal leave on Critical Days is posted on the Human Resource Department’s website at https://employment.jordandistrict.org/annualleave, and is sent in JEM. The Payroll Department also posts these Critical Days on their website at https://payroll.jordandistrict.org, and sends them in JEM during the applicable months.