Skip to content

Category: Elementary Info

Published on
Administrators:
As JSD continues to transition into the digital age, we are pleased to roll out the new process of reporting required emergency drills, which you conduct throughout the year.  This process will no longer require you to make multiple copies of the drill conducted, then send a copy to your AOS and the Risk Management Coordinator, as well as retaining a copy for your file.  Rather, this process will do all of that electronically when you hit the "submit" button once the form has been completed.  Steps for accessing and reporting emergency drills are provided for you.
Remember, you are required to conduct a fire drill within the first 10 days of the start of school, then again within the first 10 days after winter recess.  For questions, please contact Peggy Margetts at 801-567-8753 or atpeggy.margetts@jordandistrict.org.

Published on
  1. We will hold a beginning of year information meeting for your 17-hour Literacy Assistants. Please remind them they may attend whichever meeting best fits their schedule.
    July 28  -  9:00 a.m.  -  PDC 102
    September 1  -  9:00 a.m.  -  PDC 102
  1. JSAS will no longer be used to record Guided Reading Levels. Beginning in August, we will ask teachers to record GRLs in Skyward.  We will hold several trainings over the next couple of months to demonstrate the process and provide detailed instructions.  The process is very simple and will allow teachers and Administrators easier access and more report options than JSAS.  Please watch for more information coming soon.
  1. As a reminder, the ELA Pre/Post and Benchmark assessments are optional. Please remember if the Reading and/or Writing Pre/Post tests are not administered, teachers must use the Math Pre/Post assessment for their SLO.
  1. If you choose to use them, the 2016 – 2017 ELA Pretest (SLO) and Benchmarks are posted on the CBL website, along with several resource items. Teachers may use these materials to prepare before school starts.  The tests will be posted to Mastery Connect on July 26 and pushed out again for traditional teachers later in August.  In order for teachers to see the assessments (applies to Math, too) in MC, they must create a Language Arts tracker (and a Math tracker).  If their tracker is created after the test is pushed out, please have them contact one of the Literacy Specialists, or myself, to manually add the test to their tracker.
  1. Grade level specific literacy professional development will be held again this year. There will be three dates per grade level (October, February, and April).  The Curriculum Department will pay for substitutes (or time sheet off-track teachers) for 1 teacher per grade per school.  Once locations have been finalized and meetings entered into JPLS, you will receive a notice with all the pertinent details to share with teachers.  Please watch for more information coming soon.
  1. Thank you for encouraging teachers to attend our Summer Literacy Conference! The first day was a great success and teachers seemed to be very appreciative of the information shared in each class.  We will be repeating the Conference in its entirety on August 8 and again on August 9.  The program schedule is posted on the CBL website and registration through JPLS is still open.  Please feel free to send all who might be interested.

 

 

Published on

Principals:

Please share this information with your teachers. Because of changes to the law, SAGE scores may no longer be used as the SLO rating for teachers. Therefore, all classroom teachers will need to use SLOs. Preliminary guidelines are described below. Expect more details in the coming months.

Elementary teachers will have the option of using math or reading to measure student growth.  Teachers may select their SLO subject now and give the pre-test for only that subject. Teachers also have the option of giving both pre-tests and reporting the one with the highest rating. It is recommended that pre-tests be given within the first three weeks of school.

The process for reporting SLO ratings will be similar to last year; however, teachers will not be required to turn scores in to folders. Details and instructions for completing this process will be available at a later date. For now, please make sure that pre-test scores are recorded in Mastery Connect.

The 2016-2017 Secondary SLOs will be available to teachers throughout the year and can be administered by quarter, semester, or unit. Scores for both pre-test and post-test should be entered into Mastery Connect as soon as students have completed the tests.

Published on

The attached letters will be mailed to licensed employees who will begin the 2016-17 school year on step 1, 2 or 3. Employees on these steps qualify for additional supply money and additional hours for preparation at the start of the school year. The principal may use up to one half day (4 hours) in required meetings with these employees. Direct questions to your Administrator of Schools.

Published on

DATE:    
July 14, 2016

TO:
All Principals

FROM:
Administrators of Schools
Dr. Anthony Godfrey, Associate Superintendent of Schools
Travis Hamblin, Human Resources
Luann Leavitt, Consultant of Planning and Student Services

SUBJECT: 
Dates for 1st, 6th and 14th day counts

Following are the dates for the 1st,  6th and 14th day counts for the 2016-2017 school year.

  • 1st Day A, B, C Tracks - Tuesday, July 26, 2016
  • 6th Day A, B, C Tracks - Tuesday, August 2, 2016
  • 1st Day A, B, C, D Tracks - Monday, August 15, 2016
  • 14th Day A, B, C, D Tracks - Monday, September 12, 2016
  • 1st Day Traditional (high schools) - Monday, August 22, 2016
  • 14th Day Traditional (high schools) - Monday, September 12, 2016
  • 1st Day Traditional (ES & MS) - Tuesday, August 23, 2016
  • 14th Day Traditional (all schools) - Monday, September 12, 2016

Staffing will also be reviewed on the following dates:

  • Monday, October 3, 2016
  • Tuesday, January 3, 2017

The official October 1 revised count is taken from Skyward and verified by the Utah State Board of Education.

Published on

DATE:  
July 7, 2016

TO:  
Principals

FROM:  
Administrators of Schools
Laura Finlinson, Administrator of Curriculum and Staff Development
Clyde Mason, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT:  
Parental Exclusions – Procedures Reminder

A link to the parental exclusion (opt-out) form for state assessments has been posted on the Evaluation, Research and Accountability Department’s webpage:  http://assessments.jordandistrict.org/ .  An additional link to the parental exclusion (opt-out) form can be found on the Jordan School District’s webpage in the “General Information” section under the “Parents and Students” tab.  The General Information link is titled “Parental Exclusion (Opt-Out)”.  http://jordandistrict.org/parents-students/generalinfo/.

Parents or guardians who choose to not have their student participate in one or more state-mandated assessments can download the 2016-17 Parental Exclusion from State Assessments form from either of the above links, complete and sign the form, and return the completed form to the school principal.  The completed form needs to be submitted to the principal before the date scheduled for the state-mandated assessment(s).

A parent’s use of the 2016-17 Parental Exclusion from State Assessments form is not mandatory.  If a parent or guardian chooses to not complete, sign and submit the form, or if the parent/guardian submits a different opt-out document, the principal should contact the parent or guardian to determine which 2016-17 state-mandated assessment(s) the parent does not want their student to participate in.  The principal should then mark the assessment(s) on a 2016-17 Parental Exclusion from State Assessments form.  The principal should make a notation on the form of their conversation with the parent and indicate that the parent chose to not complete and/or sign the 2016-17 Parental Exclusion from State Assessments form.  The principal should attach any applicable documents or email communications from the parent to the 2016-17 Parental Exclusion from State Assessments form and maintain a folder of the completed forms and documents.

Finally, principals need to provide a copy of the completed 2016-17 Parental Exclusion from State Assessments form to the school’s testing coordinator.  The testing coordinator should be directed to 1) make necessary changes in the SAGE TIDE system and 2) inform the Evaluation, Research, and Accountability Department, using the established Google Docs procedure, that the student is being opted out of the specified state-mandated assessment(s).  If the testing coordinator needs help with this Google Docs procedure, she/he can reference the two videos posted on the Evaluation, Research, and Accountability Department’s webpage under the “Testing Coordinators” tab:  http://assessments.jordandistrict.org/testing-coordinators/.

Questions regarding the above should be directed to Brooke Anderson at brooke.anderson@jordandistrict.org or 801-567-8393.

Published on

DATE:
July 6, 2016

TO:
All Principals
Elementary Head Secretaries
Registrars
Attendance Secretaries

FROM:
Administrators of Schools
Dr. Anthony Godfrey, Associate Superintendent of Schools
Luann Leavitt, Consultant of Planning and Student Services

SUBJECT:
Enrollment 2016-17

This memo is a reminder of the issues you may face when enrolling students for the upcoming school year.  This should help when assisting patrons in enrollment.

Kindergarten:  The student must be at least 5 years of age on or before September 1, 2016 to enroll in Kindergarten.  Utah State Law 53A-3-402 which states: (6) Except as provided in Section 53A-1-1001, a board may enroll children in school who are at least five years of age before September 2 of the year in which admission is sought.  Active military children are an exception.  Contact Planning & Student Services with questions.

Legal Guardians:  Please make sure the child is enrolling with their Legal Guardian.  Check the birth certificate and Identification to make sure the enrolling adult belongs to the enrolling child.  If they are not their legal guardian, either a Durable Power of Attorney needs to accompany the paperwork or legal guardianship through the courts.  Contact Planning & Student Services with these questions at 801-567-8251.

Custodial Parents:  Please make sure you obtain legal documentation (signed by a judge) in divorce situations when necessary.  The Court orders parents’ behavior in their enrollment decisions, not schools.  If you have questions or need help interpreting court documents, contact Luann in Planning & Student Services at 801-567-8251 for assistance.

Foreign Exchange:  Students coming from other countries without a legal guardian need to be referred to the Planning & Student Services Department for enrollment.  Contact Shelly at 801-567-8183.

Please be consistent in your enrollment process with all students.  Ask questions to determine individual situations, show patience and understanding and contact Planning & Student Services for any issues you may need help in resolving.  We know this is a busy time for you and we are here ready to help with individual situations.  Thank you.

Published on

Thank you to all administrators who attended the Enrollment and FTE Training held on June 14th and 15th at the District Office.

See document below for a summary of the 10 Key Points discussed in the training.

As a reminder, there will be one more training held on July 11th @ 10:30am in room 129 at the District Office.

Published on

Elementary Year-Round Principals:

Each year, the Tanner's Children’s Dance Theatre (250-300 dancers, ages 8-18) is able to offer free POPS matinee and community performances at Capitol Theatre (3 shows), the Val A. Browning Center at Weber State University (2 shows) and Sandy Amphitheatre (2 shows for students and families to enjoy, one at 10:00 AM and another at 8:00 PM). We’d like to invite the elementary students in the Year-Round Schools to come to the Sandy show on Tuesday, June 21st at 10:00 a.m. 
 
Please refer to the attached flyer.

Published on

JSD Administrators:

Congratulations to Steven Peart and Duane Devey!

Steve Peart was recently selected as the new Director of Custodial & Energy Services replacing Duane Devey who is retiring at the end of July 2016, following 41 years of dedicated service in the Jordan School District.  Duane will be missed.

Published on

Principals:

The following are updated guidelines received from the State Office.

  • Schools may spend no more than $2 per awarded student in an academic year from School LAND Trust funds for incentives.  This applies to incentives in behavioral goals.  This applies to incentives in already approved plans for 2016-2017.
  • All classroom assistants, computer lab assistants, trackers, etc. must spend at least 75% of his/her time in direct instruction of students.

Please ensure that these guidelines are being followed for your 2016-17 plans.

Published on

DATE: 
May 25, 2016

TO:
Principals
All Special Educators and Related Service Providers

FROM: 
Laura Finlinson, Administrator of Curriculum/Staff Development & Special Programs
Lisa Robinson, Director of Special Education
Julie Brown, Program Specialist-Special Education

SUBJECT: 
Information Regarding Beginning of the 2016-17 School Year

As the Special Education Department reflects on the 2015-16 school year, we would like to send out our heartfelt appreciation for the hard work and dedicated service you have provided to students in Jordan School District. Each week we celebrate the amazing acts of teamwork, kindness, extra mile actions, and support that you provide to students, their families, and your colleagues. Your efforts are recognized and celebrated at all levels.

In looking towards the upcoming school year, there are several items that we wanted to make you aware of prior to the start of the new school year. We will provide a general description below and send out detailed information closer to the start of the new school year.

Upcoming:

  • Opening Professional Development – This year’s opening information will be provided in a variety of learning opportunities, including online, and small group targeted content trainings. We recognize that preparation time, prior to school starting, is limited and valuable. Therefore, we will not be convening a whole group opening training during the 3 preparation days for the 2016-17 school year.
  • Extended Year for Special Education Teacher Stipends – This year the legislature has extended the stipend options for qualifying Special Education teachers, Special Education Preschool teachers, and Speech-Language Pathologists to include 6 days. The details and timesheets will be sent to your school, but we wanted to inform you of the option to use these 6 extended days to complete IEP related duties the two weeks prior to or following your contract days beginning July 1, 2016. Year-round off-contract options are also available.
  • Woodcock-Johnson IV Training – Jordan School District has purchased the Woodcock Johnson IV Tests of Achievement to replace the Woodcock Johnson III, which will no longer be on the approved list for achievement testing for the 2016-17 school year. To facilitate the training of all special education teachers to administer this assessment, we have scheduled a variety of training opportunities on the JPLS website. A detailed flyer with registration information will be heading your way.
  • Compliance Reviews – Compliance updates and reminder information will be provided in an online format for you to complete during contract time at your convenience.
  • On-going Professional Development – There are many continuing and additional opportunities, available for targeted groups of staff, to participate in on-going professional development, that will begin either in the summer months or shortly after school starts in the fall. Please watch for additional information and registration information. Some examples are:
    1. Math Training for special education and general education math co-teaching teams
    2. Math content and instructional support for elementary resource teachers
    3. Revised eligibility for Specific Learning Disability (SLD) for secondary students
    4. Positive Behavior Supports and new Least Restrictive Behavioral Interventions (LRBI) Guidance
    5. IEP planning, development, and compliance support training for teams
    6. Essential Elements core curriculum alignment PLC’s

Once again, thank you for all you do, enjoy your summer, and we are looking forward to another fantastic year.

Published on

DATE:
May 27, 2016

TO:
Principals

FROM:
Laura Finlinson, Administrator of Curriculum and Staff Development
Clyde Mason, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT:
Research Project - Parent Breakfast Survey

The Research Review Committee has reviewed a research project in which your school has been asked to participate.

Project Title: “Parent Breakfast Survey”

Applicant: Lori Anderson, PhD, EHES

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 and to obtain your permission to conduct the study at your school. If you have questions or concerns relating to participation, please contact Clyde Mason at 567-8243.

Thank you for your assistance.

Published on

DATE:
June 1, 2016

TO: 
All Principals

FROM: 
Administrators of Schools
Ron Bird, Director, Information Systems
Mark Sowa, Curriculum Technology Consultant

SUBJECT: 
FIRE DANGER - Apple MacBook Aftermarket Battery

See attached memo with picture.

 

Published on

DATE: 
May 24, 2016

TO:   
All Principals                 

FROM:
Scott Thomas, Administrator, Auxiliary Services
Herb Jensen, Director, Transportation
Sula Bearden, Coordinator, Transportation
Kittisack Soumpholphakdy, Transportation Activity Specialist                       

SUBJECT:
Moratorium Field/Activity Trip Dates and Times

See attached memo.

Published on
Reminder: During the summer months we will still be running Surplus Reallocation and Auctions.  Please check PublicSurplus.com weekly to see if there are any items you may need at your schools.  Also please keep sending in all your surplus paperwork as you get it so that we can continue to schedule pick ups as they are needed.
If you have any questions, please contact Kris Wishart (801) 567-8709 or Corie Fuller (801) 567-8717.