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Category: Elementary Info

Published on

DATE: 
Thursday, August 31, 2023

TO:   
All School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:  
Record of August 15th Professional Learning Day Attendees

School administrators may access a Tableau dashboard that contains a record of all educators who signed in using the QR code for the August 15th 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 Evaluation, Research & Accountability.

Published on

DATE:     
September 1, 2023

TO:  
All School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:  
BARK Content Monitoring

Now that school is back in session, here is a review of our districtwide content monitoring system which runs through a software system called BARK. BARK monitors all student Google accounts across all JSD schools and levels. This is different from iboss and Lanschool and does not detect student internet searches. Here is a summary of the notification protocols and procedures for this school year.

  • BARK uses an AI to scan student Gmail messages, Google chats, Google documents, and Google slides, regardless of the device or IP address that is used. As long as the student is logged into and using their Jordan District Google account, the content can be monitored.
  • Notifications and alerts are categorized as non-severe, severe, and imminent.
  • The alerts are monitored primarily by Angie Rasmussen, JSD Student Safety and Wellness Some alerts will require additional investigation at that level to determine the context and to weed out false positives.
  • Notifications to schools will include administration, counseling, and other mental health teams. This allows for several adults to receive notifications in case they are somewhat time sensitive.
  • Notifications will come in an email from Angie unless it is urgent, then a phone call or text message will be communicated.
  • Notifications that are not considered emergencies or urgent will not be sent after 3pm on a school day to ensure that intervention is reasonable and timely for school personnel.
  • Content alerts are not monitored over the weekend or on days students don’t attend, but emergency alerts will still be sent when immediate intervention is needed.
  • We will continue to receive after hours imminent alerts and will continue to work with administrators when immediate intervention is required.
  • Should you have any questions please reach out to Angie Rasmussen at angie.rasmussen@jordandistrict.org.

Additional information that may be useful:

The Bark Community Partnership Program is LIVE . This program helps serve your PTA's in supporting your parent and family communities in an effort to better protect our children online (and in the real world). The program is optional and is free. It is easy to sign up. If you or your PTA are interested in this additional resource for parents about all things kids and technology, click here Sign-up Here

Published on

Thank you for your patience while the State of Utah updates their process to report student injuries. The attached will assist you in getting your UtahID set up and completing the Administration Form to get your access to REDCap. Once you log into the REDCap site you will "Add new record" and complete the necessary fields to report a student injury. There are very helpful video tutorials on the site for additional training.

Student Injury Report in REDCap

Step 1:
Create a UtahID at id.utah.gov. Instructions on how to create one and a short video tutorial can be found above, or on the UtahID Account Creation page. A verification email will be sent.

Please note that using the user's professional email address is the preferred method. If they opt to use a personal email account, a justification note is required from Project Owners stating the reasons for doing so.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) will be required for all new UtahID public user accounts. New users will have the option to have the MFA code sent by email or SMS text message. Please note, when a user first registers, the only option available will be email since that is the available method listed on the account until the user adds a mobile phone number to their profile in id.utah.gov.

Open the verification email and enter the code into the field provided on the UtahID creation webpage.

Finish setting up UtahID after numerical code is entered.

Send an email to: Vanonda Kern, Project Owner, studentinjury@utah.gov to let them know you have created a UtahID. The Project Owner will reply to your email to let you know you can move on. You will not be able to access REDCap to create an account until you are notified by the Project Owner.

Step 2:
Fill out the Administrative Form. The form will be received by the Project Owner and information from the form will be reviewed and entered in for REDCap approval.

Published on

DATE:
August 25, 2023

TO:
Elementary Principals

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Teaching and Learning Administrator
Norman R. Emerson, Fine Arts Consultant

SUBJECT:
Assemblies by Artistic Resources for Teachers and Students, Inc. (ARTS, Inc.)

ARTS, Inc., now in its sixty-fourth year of operation, was founded in 1959 and has provided performances in all forty-one school districts in Utah, reaching more than 250 schools each year with professional arts and education programming.  We welcome their artists in our schools again for the 2023-24  school year. 

Click this link to find:

  • The assembly schedule with the date and time the artists will be at your school.
  • The contact information for the performing group coming to your school.

The artists have been instructed to contact you at least two weeks prior to their assembly to verify starting times and specific needs for their performance.  If the date selected for the performing group to perform at your school does not work with your schedule, please contact them as soon as possible to reschedule.  The name and phone number of the contact person for each group have been provided.

If you have any questions, please contact Norman Emerson at 801-567-8364. 

Published on

DATE:   
August 24, 2023

TO: 
All School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:
Important updates to the Mental Health Access Program

Please note the following important updates regarding the Mental Health Access Program. In order to promote the sustainability of this program, given limited funds, it’s essential that all administrators review the following changes:

  1. There is no longer a "MHAP referral" form. This is now a "Request to Screen a Family for Community Mental Health Resources.” The new form is attached to this memo and can be found at wellness.jordandistrict.org. Rather than "referring" families, we want to shift our language to be "recommended for screening." This change will allow better allocation of our limited resources to the students and families who most need it. Our District’s clinical team has been trained on a screening process to support this change and make a decision regarding a family’s options.
    • What this means at the secondary level: if you are considering a family for community mental health services such as MHAP, please work with your school's assigned clinical support specialist to conduct a screening. Because funds are limited, your school’s clinician has been trained to tease out other community mental health options. It’s best that other staff members do not promise grant funds that may not be available or needed without consulting the clinical support specialist and following the screening process.
    • What this means at the elementary level: if you are considering a family for community mental health services such as MHAP, please fill out the attached form and email it to Kevin Mossel (kevin.mossel@jordandistrict.org). He will call, set up a meeting, and meet with the student and/or parent to screen and assess them for community resources and services. If MHAP is recommended at this screening, the clinical support specialist who conducted the screening will proceed with having the parent sign the MHAP consent form and help them access a provider that best fits their needs by authorizing and facilitating a referral. The clinical support specialist will then report back to you about what was recommended for the family.
  2. With limited funds it’s essential to manage expectations we may inadvertently be setting when communicating with parents or caregivers about their options. It’s best not to promise “free therapy” and instead use language such as "the District has a program where you can be screened for community mental health services and recommendations will be provided to help you and your student." Not every family may need financial help through MHAP and in some situation’s outpatient therapy may not be the best fit for a family’s needs.
  3. We are no longer offering students "8 sessions" or "$800 of MHAP funds.” Please do not say this to a parent as it will not be accurate. If you opt to explain MHAP to a parent, it would be more accurate to say “we have a resource in the community that might help pay for some initial mental health services and get your student started quickly.” Then, the extent of the referral can be explained after a family has been screened and the recommendation was made after a more thorough review of available options.

Since its inception in 2020, over 2000 MHAP referrals have been made. We acknowledge your vital role in supporting students as they work to improve their mental health. If you have questions or issues with these changes, please contact McKinley Withers, Travis Hamblin, or Kevin Mossel in Student Services.

 

Published on

DATE:    
August 24, 2023

TO: 
All School Administrators

FROM:   
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
McKinley Withers, Health and Wellness Consultant

SUBJECT:  
2023-2024 Clinical Support Specialist Calendar

Please be aware of the Clinical Support Specialist (CSS) meeting dates listed below. It is essential that school-based clinicians are allowed to prioritize these meetings to be current on best-practices relevant to their role.

CSS Team Trainings (1pm-3pm)

  • October 6, 2023
  • January 5, 2024
  • February 23, 2024
  • April 5, 2024

PLC Meetings (730am-830am)

Purpose of PLC’s: Case staffing and professional consultation

  • September 15, 2023
  • October 13, 2023
  • November 10,2023
  • December 8, 2023
  • January 19, 2024
  • March 8, 2024
  • April 19, 2024
  • May 10, 2024

Should you have any questions please reach out to McKinley Withers at mckinley.withers@jordandistrict.org

Published on

The Herriman Family Engagement Center is now open. Language & Culture Services is excited to have parents of ML and newcomer students come and get support.

English classes are offered on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5-8 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-11 a.m.

Please feel free to print these flyers and post them in your school.

Published on

We have been notified that the Vivi Lite has been sunset and is no longer available for purchase. As a result, Vivi is willing to upgrade any Vivi Lite purchased by our district to the Vivi Pro. Our current pricing is $399 for Vivi Lite and $499 for Vivi Pro. Retail price is $599. This pricing will expire on October 18, 2023. This means that if you purchase a Vivi Lite for $399 you will get the Vivi Pro at a price that has been discounted by $200! For additional information regarding Vivi, please reference the JAM dated November 3, 2022.

Published on

DATE:   
August 24, 2023

TO:     
Principals
Assistant Principals
Elementary Administrative Assistants
Secondary Attendance Secretaries

FROM: 
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Sharon Jensen, Consultant, Student Support Services
Caleb Olson, Enrollment Consultant, Planning & Enrollment

SUBJECT:  
Skyward Discipline Updates, August 2023

Please make note of the following changes when entering discipline in Skyward:

  1. Two new codes have been added to Skyward:
    • THG: Theft. State reported, requires an incident number. At present, this code will report to USBE as part of “ROB – Robbery”.
    • MIH: Minor Horseplay. Is not state reported. Added to be used as an “entry level” offense before “PAT – Physical Attack” or “FIG – Fighting / Mutual Combat”.

Please discard any current yellow discipline code cards. New cards will be provided to schools by the beginning of September.

  1. State-reported offense codes will display in Skyward with an “I#” at the beginning of their name/description. This is a reminder to administrators that this code, when used as an offense, requires an “Incident Number” in order for reporting to properly process. Because of how Skyward stores the name of each offense code, this change will show on entries made for previous years in addition to new entries.
  2. The code “TRC – Truancy Compulsory Ed” has been redefined in light of information provided by USBE. This code should be used for recording attendance interventions for truant students (meaning students missing half a school day or more without a valid excuse on a regular basis, NOT a student who misses one or more periods infrequently). Interventions logged with “TRC” may include attendance letters and 10-day drops. The “APV – Attendance Violation / Truancy” code should be used when logging students who “sluff” class or are absent from a small number of periods without a valid excuse.
  3. The action code “RPC – Restor Prac” has been added to allow schools to create action records for any type of restorative practice used with students.

Published on

DATE:
August 22, 2023

TO:
All Principals

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director, Student Services
Scott Festin, Planning Consultant, Planning & Enrollment
Caleb Olson, Enrollment Consultant, Planning & Enrollment

SUBJECT:
1st Day Enrollment vs. the Estimate for All Schools

Please see the memo below.

Published on

DATE: 
Thursday, August 24, 2023

TO: 
Elementary School Administrators

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

SUBJECT: 
Fall 2023 Testing Bulletin

See the memo and bulletin below.

Published on

Western Governors University doesn’t think educators should only be recognized during Teacher Appreciation Week. During the final weeks of last school year, WGU’s strategic partnerships manager, Melissa Jensen, demonstrated the online university’s lasting gratitude for the individuals shaping students’ lives in the Jordan School District.

See the flyer below for all the details!

Published on

Jordan School District has methods for reporting incidents and injuries.  The procedures have not changed, however, as we get ready to start a new school year it is a great time for a reminder/refresher on reporting.

It is imperative that significant incidents are reported as quickly as possible, within 24-hours or by the next business day.  All incidents, injuries and accidents need to be properly documented, to include photos, video when available and police reports when appropriate.  Our priorities are life safety, incident stabilization and property preservation.

911: Always call 911 for all life threatening and severe injuries, incidents, accidents, threats, thefts and vandalism.

JSD 24-hr. Alarm Response (801) 567-8865: It is important to call this number in order to notify key administrators and personnel to expedite support, maintenance and repairs, etc.

Alarm Response should always be called prior to conducting a fire drill and in the case of: power outages, floods, natural gas leaks, phone and utility disruption and alarm malfunctions.

Student and Staff Injuries/Accidents Reporting: Call 911 when necessary.  Notify JSD Insurance Services and/or Risk Management.  Student injuries must be reported using the Utah Department of Health online system.  Staff injuries need to be reported to the main office at your school or location and you must complete and submit the First Report of Injury form to Insurance.  Forms can be located HERE.

Asset Essentials Work Order Reporting: Incidents of damage, theft and vandalism should be entered/reported into the Asset Essentials Work Order system for documentation, to begin the repair process and assist with insurance claims.  For assistance with using Asset Essentials system, contact Facility Services at: (801) 567-8862.

Thank you,

Bonnie Brennan, Director of Insurance Services
Brandon Conti, Risk Management Coordinator

Published on

DATE: 
August 24, 2023

TO: 
Principals
Assistant Principals
Panorama Users

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

SUBJECT:  
**NEW** Panorama MTSS Referrals

A new feature for MTSS Student Support Referrals in Panorama releases on August 23, 2023. This new feature will allow teachers to refer students to MTSS teams/Administration for interventions. The feature also allows teachers and administrators to track the MTSS interventions.

A preview video can be seen here.

Feel free to share this link with your teachers. More guided information can be obtained in Panorama Academy as well.

Published on

On September 22, 2023 the Panorama Team will be in Jordan District to conduct in-person training for interested schools. This training will focus on both the Student Success and the Positive Behavior module integrates with Panorama’s Student Success. Multiple sessions will be offered. More information to come!!!

Published on

Attached are the special education budget allocations for Resource, Self-Contained Teachers and Speech-Language Pathologists for the 2023-24 school year. (Cluster Leaders do not receive a Special Education budget.) Remember that special education monies must be spent in ways that provide the most benefit to special education students with the goal to improve student achievement and performance. It will be up to you, your team, and your school principal/financial secretary to keep track of how much of your budget you have spent individually.

Please note equipment purchases, electronic games and/or any materials that are not instructional in nature must be pre-approved from the Special Education Department. Equipment purchases that are not pre-approved will not be reimbursed. Requests must include the approval from your teacher specialist.

When submitting requisitions, follow Skyward procedures and guidelines. Requisitions for the 2023-24 school year can be submitted anytime between July 1, 2023 and March 1, 2024. The final deadline for all purchasing requests, reimbursement requests, E-checks and P-Card purchases is March 1, 2024. This deadline will not be extended.

If you have questions regarding your Special Education budget, please call Amanda Hamblin at (801) 567-8177 or the Teacher Specialist assigned to your school.

Published on

We are excited to announce Google Single Sign-On for both students and teachers for the following products:

  • HMH ED (Growth Measure)
  • Think Central
  • iReady
  • Beanstack

Once students and teachers are logged into their Google account, they will be able to navigate to these products through the “waffle” - Google Apps button. (Just like they already do for Canva, Canvas, Yuja, etc.) This change is already in effect. 

Attached you will find login instructions. If teachers receive an error message when trying to login, please have them reach out to the Help Desk.