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Schools have the option of having teachers track their summer school work time in True Time rather than on timesheets. If you would like to do this, please send a list of your teachers to Keelee Leuluai and note that the list is for summer school. Instructions for using True Time can be found here.

It is expected that all ESP employees will use True Time to track their work for summer school. Please send a list of ESP employees participating in summer school to Keelee Leuluai.

DATE:
Thursday, May 13, 2021

TO:  
Elementary School Administrators
Middle School Administrators

FROM: 
Shelley Nordick, Ph.D., Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT: 
RISE Reporting Features and Functions


Accessing the reporting feature on the RISE Portal will allow you to view RISE proficiency in real time as well as access student level raw data. Please follow the step-by-step instructions on the documents below to access both reporting features.

Arts Are Core: Building Community Online Conference Register Now!

Arts Are Core presents an online conference experience with hands-on arts integration workshops in visual art, dance, music, drama, and poetry. Participate in teacher-created workshops and engaging presentations centered around our conference theme, Building Community. Participants will chat with presenters and fellow educators throughout the conference, walking away with enriched lesson plans connected to core curriculum, including downloadable resources to start the coming school year with creativity and energy!

Keynote Presenter: Glenis Redmond, Award-Winning Poet and Kennedy Center Teaching Artist

  • 8:30AM-2:30PM, August 4th, Online Conference presented by the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Endowed Program for Elementary Arts Education at Utah State University
  • Network with fellow educators, live Q&A with presenters, post-conference access to all recorded sessions, handouts, and resources
  • For a detailed schedule, presenter list, workshop descriptions, and additional conference information see the Arts Are Core: Building Community website
  • Join our conference Facebook Group to chat with other conference attendees

 Registration Costs:

  • $25.00 for Educators
  • $10.00 for University Students

 Re-licensure points, CEU credit, and SUU academic credit available!

For more info visit the Conference WebsiteArts Are Core 2021: Building Community and see the attached flyer. Don’t forget to check us out on Facebook and Instagram!

Dear Educators,

We would like to share a new professional learning opportunity with you called Utah Microcredentials. This resource is supported and funded by the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) and is available to all educators in Utah’s public education system, including teachers, instructional coaches, paraprofessionals, counselors, related service providers, administrators, and other educators.

Microcredentials acknowledge all the different types of professional learning that educators do, both formal, traditional courses and independent, self-directed learning. Realizing that educators are continually honing their craft, Utah Microcredentials provides a way to recognize that learning. Microcredentials represent instructional skills and concepts. A microcredential is competency-based recognition that the holder has demonstrated effective and consistent use of the target skill or concept as a part of their practice. Microcredentials are not earned through seat time, assignments, or tests. They are earned by submitting the required evidence for a specific microcredential on the target skill or concept.

Each Utah Microcredential is worth a 0.5 USBE credit, which may be used for relicensing and for salary changes in certain districts/charters. The cost for each is $20. Earning microcredentials is also a way to demonstrate leadership. Posting earned microcredentials on your webpage, social media, and even outside your door is an invitation to share your skills with others. For more information, you can use these resources:

  • A narrated video that provides an overview of microcredentials,
  • The UEN website for Utah’s Microcredentials,
  • A one-pager of the most frequently asked questions about microcredentials.

You can start earning Utah Microcredentials on MIDAS. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to supporting learning for our Utah students.

DATE: 
May 3, 2021

TO: 
School Psychologists, Elementary Counselors, and School Social Workers

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

SUBJECT:   
May School Psychologist, Elementary Counselor, and School Social Workers Meeting


A virtual meeting for school psychologists, elementary counselors, and school social workers has been scheduled for Friday, May 14, 2021, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Melissa Heath, Ph.D. will provide us with a presentation on Strengthening Youth with Supportive Stories and Metaphors, and Ben Springer, Ph.D., BCBA-D will provide us with the following presentation: Happy Kids Don’t Punch You in the Face.

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

cc:
Principals

Multiple Federal agencies are investigating numerous fraud schemes targeting the unemployment insurance (UI) programs across the United States.  Fraudsters, some of which are transnational criminal organizations, are using the stolen identities of U.S. citizens to open accounts and file fraudulent claims for benefits, exploiting the unprecedented expansion of the benefits provided in response to economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Many victims of this crime have no knowledge that criminals have applied for UI benefits in their name.  You may only discover that you were a victim of this crime upon seeing the following red flags:

  1. You are told by a current or former employer that a UI claim has been submitted with your information;
  2. You did not apply for UI benefits, but you receive a determination letter from your state or another state regarding a UI claim filed under your name;
  3. You receive a notification that you failed the security verification process for your UI claim;
  4. You file a lawful UI claim and you receive a notice that your claim was rejected because the state has already received a claim under your name.

The District Human Resource department is taking immediate steps to address suspected fraudulent claims.  These include:

  • Contacting current employees to verify if the employee filed a UI claim.
  • Immediately notifying the state agency of confirmed fraud claims.
  • Providing impacted employees steps to follow to report fraud.

For more information or if you believe you may be impacted, please visit the following websites for information on reporting fraud and protecting your credit.

Utah Attorney General (https://www.identitytheft.gov/UnemploymentInsurance)

“Unemployment Insurance Fraud Consumer Protection Guide” (https://www.oig.dol.gov/public/Unemployment%20Insurance%20Fraud%20Consumer%20Protection%20Guide,%20Final.pdf)

Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Labor (https://www.oig.dol.gov/public/media/DOL-OIG%20UI%20Fraud%20Alert.pdf)

DATE:  
April 27, 2021

TO: 
Elementary Principals
Elementary Media Assistants

FROM:  
Administrators of Schools
Dr. Shelley Nordick, Administrator, Curriculum/Staff Development
Norman Emerson, Instructional Support Services/Fine Arts     Consultant

SUBJECT: 
Quarterly Training Meetings for Elementary Media Assistants


In order to prepare and train elementary library media assistants to effectively provide services to elementary schools and to build consistency across elementary library programs, several training meetings have been scheduled for the 2021-22 school year. The participation of both of your library assistants in these meetings is appreciated and expected. The meetings are to be included in the assistants' allotted 17 hours. With the exception of August 17, 2021, the meetings have been scheduled on Fridays.

The meetings will be held at the venues shown below from 9:30-11:30 a.m.:

  • August 17, 2021 - JATC South
  • October 8, 2021 - JATC South
  • January 14, 2022 - Viridian Event Center
  • April 8, 2022 - JATC South

Please share this information with your school’s elementary media assistants.

Please feel free to contact Norman Emerson (801-567-8364) if further information is needed. Thank you for your continued support of the library media program in Jordan District.

We appreciate the efforts you’ve made to create your schedule for summer school. Hopefully you’ve completed several other steps on your summer school planning list. Reach out if you have questions or need resources.

Please review the following informational items regarding summer school

  • SUMMER SCHOOL MATERIALS
    • Summer School Supplies – Because this is a federal grant that will be audited, we need to be very detailed in regards to all orders. If you purchase supplies, please code all charges directly to the ESSER II program budget. (Contact Noreen Samowitz for budget information.) Schools can use up to $300 for supplies.
    • Building Fact Fluency Kits – Purchasing information has been emailed to school admin assistants from Melissa Garber.
    • SORing to Summer School Success Student Practice Books – The student practice books can be ordered through the ISC for teachers who have received the Really Great Reading training. Email your school order (number of practice books) to isc@jordandistrict.org. The student practice books will be copied and sent to your school.
  • TEACHER COMPENSATION
    • Training and Preparation – Participating teachers can be paid for 1 day (8 hours) of preparation. Training is included as part of the 8 hours.
      • SORing to Summer School Success webinar. (3 hours online)
      • Building Fact Fluency Kit training. Register in JPLS. (2 hours)
        • May 19 4:00 – 6:00 (Via ZOOM)
        • May 21 8:30 – 10:30 (Via ZOOM)
        • May 21 2:00 – 4:00 (Via ZOOM)
    • Recruiting – Teachers can be paid for 1 day (8 hours) to identify students for participation in summer school and for recruiting students.
    • Timesheets -- Schools are responsible for recording, tracking, and submitting timesheets. Have teachers fill out a timesheet with descriptions such as: Summer School Prep; Summer School Recruiting; Summer School Instruction, etc. Please code Summer School timesheets to the ESSER II program budget. (Contact Noreen Samowitz for budget information.)
  • CROSSING GUARDS AND TRANSPORTATION
    • Crossing guards will not be available for summer school. Please plan accordingly.
    • Information regarding buses should be available within 2 weeks.

Administrators & Program Directors:

As we are beginning to make plans for the 2021-22 school year, we wanted 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 3 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 801-567-8186 or lisa.lestarge@jordandistrict.org.

Performance evaluations for part-time ESP employees for the 2020-21 school year are optional. However, the evaluation documents you provide can be crucial in justifying employee terminations and potential unemployment claims.

Please review the included evaluation description memo and the evaluation form for instructions. Please contact Brent Burge at 88224 if you have any questions.

All ESP employees are considered non-exempt and are eligible for overtime and/or comp time if they work over 40 hours in any work week. Please view the included memo which summarizes the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in regards to overtime and comp time. Also included are the procedures for accumulating, tracking and using accrued comp time.

If you have any questions, please contact Brent Burge at 88224.

FRAUD ALERT. We've received reports of individuals reproducing and presenting these mask exemption cards with the state of Utah seal on them to businesses and schools. These are FAKE. The state of Utah, UDOH, and local health departments do NOT provide mask exemption cards. Mask exemptions and how to obtain them are outlined in the public health orders here: https://bit.ly/3dUxOKY and here (schools): https://bit.ly/3g9oFRA.

Many people are aware that computer hardware gets old and becomes unusable in a secure environment. What is not so well known is that computer software also gets out of date, resulting in vulnerability to malicious attacks. These vulnerabilities affect not only the software, but also all data on the machine, and even the network it is connected to. Through monitoring equipment in Information Systems, we see thousands of these attacks occurring on a daily basis.

To keep our district's data and systems secure, Information Systems has performed a district-wide audit for installations of one of the most frequently attacked pieces of software - Microsoft Office. All schools have versions of this software that are out of date and vulnerable to attack. Some schools have only a few licenses that are out-of-date, while other schools have hundreds.

We are informing you of this dilemma now so that you can plan to allocate an appropriate amount of your technology funds to replace older, unsupported licenses of Microsoft Office, and keep your data and machines secure. To find out how many licenses you will need to replace, contact your building computer technician. Microsoft Office for Education licenses currently cost $46.05 each. Please purchase the number of licenses necessary, then let your tech know that they have been purchased. The tech will thereafter update the associated software. To ensure licensing compliance, techs have been instructed to upgrade licenses only after being shown proof of purchase.

Alternatively, if you would prefer to save money, there are free alternatives to Microsoft Office, most notably Google Docs. As with many free offerings, there are advantages and limitations to the use of Google Docs. Nevertheless, it is an alternative that many educators use, and it is free of charge. It is important to realize that even if you choose to use Google Docs, older unsupported versions of Microsoft Office cannot remain installed on machines. In this situation, techs will remove those outdated licenses, and users will be free to use Google docs without purchase or further installation.

Thank you for your concern and cooperation in maintaining the security of our collective computing environment, and the very sensitive data it contains.

Mark Sowa, Instructional Technology Manager

The Emergency Broadband Benefit is an FCC program to help households struggling to pay for internet service during the pandemic. This new benefit will connect eligible households to jobs, critical healthcare services, and virtual classrooms.

About the Emergency Broadband Benefit

Emergency Broadband BenegitThe Emergency Broadband Benefit will provide a discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute $10-$50 toward the purchase price.

The Emergency Broadband Benefit is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.
Who Is Eligible for the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program?
A household is eligible if one member of the household meets at least one of the criteria below:

  • Qualifies for the Lifeline program;
  • Receives benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision, or did so in the 2019-2020 school year;
  • Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year;
  • Experienced a substantial loss of income since February 29, 2020 and the household had a total income in 2020 below $99,000 for single filers and $198,000 for joint filers; or
  • Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating providers' existing low-income or COVID-19 program.

When Can Families Sign Up for the Benefit?
The program has been authorized by the FCC, but the start date has not yet been established. The FCC is working to make the benefit available as quickly as possible.

Check out the Broadband Benefit Consumer FAQ for more information about the benefit and please continue to check this page for program updates.

Schools are encouraged to DROP, COVER and HOLD during the statewide earthquake drill on Thursday, April 15, 2021, at 10:15 a.m., or on another date that may be more convenient.

Over 670,000 citizens, businesses and schools have already registered to participate in the drill on 4/15/21 (registration not required): https://www.shakeout.org/utah/register/

Considerations:

More Information:

  • The Great Utah Shakeout Website, link: https://www.shakeout.org/utah/
  • Contact the District Emergency Operations Manager Lance Everill, 801-567-8623, lance.everill@jordandistrict.org