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Category: Elementary Schools

Published on

DATE: 
August 12, 2024

TO:   
Principals
Assistant Principals

FROM: 
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Michelle Reyes, Truancy Prevention Specialist

SUBJECT:   
Free Attendance Campaign Banners, Stickers and Back to School Attendance Resources

Back to school is the ideal time to convey the right message about attendance to families, students, and the community. Attendance messaging aids in building the habit and culture of attendance by helping everyone understand why going to school every day is important. The Student Services Department has developed materials for your use to promote attendance in a positive way this school year using the campaign slogan: Be Present, Be Powerful.

Banners, posters, stickers, tracking calendars, and attendance pledge templates are available in English and Spanish here. Back to School Night is a great opportunity to share positive messages with families about attendance.

Student Services has ordered 24, 4’ X 8’, outdoor mesh banners and 2,000 vinyl stickers that are immediately available, free of charge to interested schools. Due to limited supplies, they will be first come, first served using this google sheet. Schools may request 1 banner and up to 100 stickers each until supplies are gone. If you miss the sign up or would like to order more, you can find links to order your own banners and stickers for a very reasonable price on the bottom of the google order sheet.

September is National Attendance Awareness Month. Watch for more information/ideas in an upcoming JAM memo.

Should you have questions or need assistance with attendance, please contact Michelle Reyes @ michelle.reyes@jordandistrict.org or 801-567-8205.

Link for ordering Banners
Link for ordering Stickers

Published on

DATE:    
Thursday, August 15, 2024

TO:   
Elementary School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:   
Research Project

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

Project Title: Creating a Formal Mentoring Program for Veteran Teachers: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

Applicant: Amy Johnson, Grand Canyon University

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. Participation in the study is at your discretion. If you have questions or concerns relating to participation, please contact Ben Jameson at 801-567-8243.

The researcher will contacting veteran teachers to participate in interviews and focus groups outside of contract time.

Thank you for your assistance.

Published on

TO:
Administrators
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
June LeMaster, Administrator Human Resources
Rebecca Eastman, HR Generalist

Welcome to the 2024-2025 contract year! As an annual reminder, in accordance with DP326 NEG I. 1. and 2. and DP324 NEG I. 1. and 2., participation in the Employee-Funded Sick Leave Bank requires a contract employee to annually donate one day of accumulated annual leave into the Sick Leave Bank.  The Employee-Funded Sick Leave Bank is not intended to be used for in-and-out absences, elective medical procedures or other medical care that could be scheduled during non-contract time.

Each year, contract employees wishing to opt out of participation in the sick bank must annually complete the appropriate online form in Employee Access no later than September 1 for current employees and October 1 for first-year licensed employees, including administrators. This opt out request must be submitted annually.

Prior to completion of this form, it is strongly encouraged to review all District Leave Policies. See the Opt Out Tutorial below.

Published on

DATE:   
Thursday, August 15, 2024

TO:    
All School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:  
Research Project

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

Project Title: Assessing Administrators’ Perspectives of Trauma-Informed Care in Utah Schools

Applicant: Rebecca Winters and Meagan Coalwell

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.  Participation in the study is at your discretion.  If you have questions or concerns relating to participation, please contact Ben Jameson at 801-567-8243.

School administrators will be asked to complete a 15-minute questionnaire.

Thank you for your assistance.

 

Published on

DATE:    
Thursday, August 15, 2024

TO:    
Elementary School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:   
Research Project

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

Project Title: The Heart of the Matter: An Action Research Case Study on Co-creating Observation and Reflection Tools to Provide Effective and Meaningful Professional Development for Sixth Grade Mathematics

Applicant: Nicole Parker, Utah State University

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. Participation in the study is at your discretion. If you have questions or concerns relating to participation, please contact Ben Jameson at 801-567-8243.

The researcher wants to work with 6th grade math teachers, instructional coaches, and the T&L math department on this project.

Thank you for your assistance.

Published on

TO:
Administrators

FROM:
Steffany Ellsworth, Support Services Manager, Information Systems

Drumroll, please… Our district is using ParentSquare, the communication superhero your parents have been clamoring for! This tool is your new sidekick for connecting with families, sending a quick text, sharing epic student moments (think adorable pics), and rallying the troops through creative newsletters and posts. It’s already set up - so get ready to level up your parent engagement game, including texting parents in their preferred language!

How Do I Get There from Here?
Getting started is simple - Just visit ParentSquare.com/signin/, login using your Jordan District Google account and you’re officially connected to awesome classroom communication. ParentSquare works its magic on any device, so whether you’re a phone wiz, a laptop lover or tablet-trained, you’re good to go! Download the free mobile app for iOS or Android, or use ParentSquare from a web browser at ParentSquare.com/signin/.

What Can I Do with ParentSquare?
As a teacher, you have the ability to send both Posts and Direct Messages to your classroom’s families. Both options can be sent through email or text and can be translated to the parent’s preferred language. You can include calendar events to a post, allowing parents to quickly add events to their personal calendar, and even rsvp to your events. Parents can access messages via the ParentSquare app, however, those who do not register their account will still receive a text and email with your messages. Parents who do create an account can interact with your classroom by viewing photos, leaving comments on posts (only visible by you), messaging teachers, and managing their communication preferences.

Where Can I Learn More?
Transform yourself into a ParentSquare Pro! Access Teacher Training 101, self-paced modules, that can be completed in under 30 minutes. Be sure to select “Start Course.” After completing this course, you’ll be able to:

  • Login and navigate ParentSquare
  • Make changes to your notification settings and set office hours
  • Add events to the class calendar
  • Create posts and direct messages
  • Access support and training resources

In addition, you can click on the question mark in the upper right corner within ParentSquare to search comprehensive help articles, see what’s new, or connect with ParentSquare’s amazing support team. If you find that your account, classroom, or parent contact data is incorrect, please reach out to the Information Systems help desk at 801-567-8737.

Published on

TO:
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Mike Heaps, Director of Information Systems
Jeri Gamble, Customer Support in Information Systems

Lunch and Student Fee Web Payments Tutorial for Guardians

Parent instructions (in English and Spanish) on how to make online payments for lunch and student fees are available on the district website, jordandistrict.org.

It can be found by navigating to jordandistrict.org, then go to Parents & Students > Family Access > Lunch and Fee Payments.

Published on

TO:
All Principals
All Assistant Principals

FROM:
Becky Gerber, Administrator of Schools

Please share the attached flyer with the future school leaders in your building. Applications are due soon.

The BYU School Leadership Program invites educators to learn from current school, district, state, and university leaders about becoming a principal. The Academy is a great way to get a taste of school leadership and learn best practices for applying to principal preparation programs and future leadership positions. The district will cover the cost of your substitute teacher, and BYU will award a $1,000 scholarship to any participants who are accepted to and attend BYU’s Masters of School Leadership Program.

APPLY BY AUGUST 29, 2024 - APPLICATION LINK

Published on

DATE:   
August 8, 2024

TO: 
Building Administrators
Elementary Administrative Assistants
Secondary Attendance Secretaries
Secondary Registrars

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

SUBJECT: 
Zoom Meetings: Enrollment Q&A and Secondary Enrollment Release

There have been a number of similar questions from schools about enrollment, residency, and digital cumulative folders. Additionally, we have a new process ready in Skyward for secondary schools to enter and track enrollment changes/releases.

To facilitate answering questions on these issues and provide training to secondary registrars/attendance staff about the new enrollment change process, I have scheduled Zoom meetings at the following dates/times:

Friday, August 9, 9:30 AM
Friday, August 9, 3:30 PM
Monday, August 12, 1 PM

Additional dates may be added if needed. All meetings will begin with enrollment Q&A before ending with training on secondary enrollment releases.

All meetings will use the Zoom information below:

Zoom Link: https://uetn-org.zoom.us/j/2819257773?pwd=cTcvcVdGb1FhdVE2aExhcXNkdFc0UT09
Meeting ID: 281 925 7773
Passcode: 5dAycW

School staff may submit questions/issues/concerns in advance, if desired, by sending them to Caleb Olson via email.

Published on

DATE:  
August 5, 2024

TO: 
All Principals

FROM:    
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Brian King, Ph.D., Assistant Director of Special Education
Mike Trimmell, Ed.D., Special Education Administrator

SUBJECT: 
Mandatory DLM Training for Self-Contained Teachers

There will be two dates for the mandatory DLM training for all self-contained teachers. Teachers need only attend one of the two days. A link to sign up for the training will be sent to each self-contained teacher.

Option 1:
Date/Time: August 16 8:30 am - 11:30 am
Location: ASB Presentation Room (Room C-100)

Option 2:
Date/Time: August 30 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Location: ASB Presentation Room (Room C-100)

Please note that if teachers cannot attend the August 16th PD, they will need to get a substitute for August 30th. The Special Education Department will cover the costs of substitutes for licensed special education teachers who attend the August 30th training. Please use budget code 1292.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Bonnie Brennan, Director of Insurance Services

For information regarding legal liability protection for school district employees, please review the following:

Legal Liability Protection  for Public School Employees
You and your public school have broad liability coverage through the State Risk Management Fund, hereinafter the “Fund.” 

Lawsuits are defended by the Litigation Division of the Utah Attorney General’s Office.

FUND COVERAGE SUMMARY
You have coverage through the Fund if a civil claim or a civil lawsuit for damages is brought against you for acts or omissions occurring:

  • during the performance of your duties, 
  • within the scope of your employment, or 
  • under color of authority, 

You may have the following rights under the Governmental Immunity Act of Utah: 

  • to have any lawsuit defended by an attorney at no cost to you, and 
  • to have any settlement or judgment paid on your behalf.

SECURING COVERAGE
To secure these rights you must: 

  • Immediately notify your school of any claim or lawsuit not to exceed 60 days;
  • Immediately forward to your school all legal documents served on you;
  • Make a written request to your school for defense and indemnification within ten days after service of a lawsuit; and
  • Cooperate in the subsequent investigation and defense, including to make an offer of judgment if requested.

WHAT IS NOT COVERED?
Your rights to defense and payment of claims or judgments do not cover acts or omissions involving:

  • Fraud; 
  • Willful misconduct; 
  • Impairment due to your use of alcohol or drugs; or 
  • False testimony under oath.

Criminal and Occupational Defense Protection
The Fund does NOT provide an attorney or pay for attorneys’ fees incurred in defending a criminal case; or occupational licensing matter (i.e. Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission); nor does it cover or pay for any fines, fees, or any other costs assessed in a criminal case or occupational licensing matter.

However, as a public-school employee, you may have the right under Utah Code 52-6 to recover reasonable attorneys’ fees and court costs from your employing school if the indictment or information is quashed, dismissed or results in an acquittal, unless it is quashed or dismissed on motion of the prosecuting attorney. This statute applies if the criminal charges are filed against you for acts or omissions occurring during the performance of your duties, within the scope of your employment, or under color of authority,

Additional Insurance Options

Civil Liability Coverages Civil coverage not provided by Governmental Immunity Act Fund Criminal Defense Coverages
State Risk Fund

Coverage for employees is generally consistent with the Utah Governmental Immunity Act and the statutory limitations of liability. Primary coverage includes General Liability; Auto Liability; Employment Practices Liability; Errors & Omissions; Directors & Officers; and Faithful Performance, generally with limits of $10 Million per occurrence.

 N/A No criminal defense coverage.

For additional information about your rights please see the following: The Utah Governmental Immunity Act, Utah Code 63G-7; Reimbursement of Criminal Defense Costs, Utah Code 52-6; Your Risk Manager or Business Official; or The Utah State Division of Risk Management 4315 S 2700 W Taylorsville, Utah 84129 (801) 957-7170

If you have any questions, please contact Bonnie Brennan, Director of Insurance Services, 801-567-8285 or bonnie.brennan@jordandistrict.org

Published on

DATE:  
Thursday, August 8, 2024

TO: 
Elementary School Administrators

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

SUBJECT: 
ALO Acadience Reading Training Options for ESPs and Others

It is recommended that ESPs who will be assessing Acadience Reading measures (either progress monitoring in grades K-6 or benchmark testing in grades 4-6) be trained on test administration procedures on an annual basis.  There are both in-person and virtual training options.  Elementary school administrators are asked to pass this training information on to relevant ESP employees in their buildings as well as any others who may want more Acadience Reading assessment training.

Please see the attached memo for all of the dates and information.

Published on

DATE:      
Thursday, August 8, 2024

TO: 
Elementary School Administrators

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

SUBJECT: 
Student, Teacher, Administrator, and Other Accounts in ALO

Student Rostering:
Rostering of students in ALO will be automated and updated nightly. Rostering data will be extracted from Skyward, sent through the state’s UTReX system, and then uploaded into ALO. The process can take up to 72 hours for newly enrolled students. If students are missing from ALO, please contact Janice Sperry in Assessment, Research & Accountability who will investigate the issue. Students cannot be entered into the system manually.

Classroom Teacher Accounts:
All classroom teachers will be rostered in ALO through the state as a one-time upload. The upload was submitted to USBE as of August 5th. If classroom teachers have been added to Skyward after August 5th or if a teacher is hired during the school year, an account will need to be manually created in ALO. School administrators or their designee should fill out this form to request an account for newly hired teachers.

Classroom teachers should receive a welcome email from ALO on the second or third day of school asking them to set their password. Their username will be their work email address.

Accounts for Other Personnel:
School administrators are asked to fill out this form for other personnel who need ALO accounts. Examples of such personnel would be instructional coaches or classroom aides who will assist with progress monitoring or benchmark testing in grades 4-6. We will add these accounts manually after classroom teacher rostering has occurred. Please allow up to a week for accounts to be added as each person’s account must be created one at a time for all 42 elementary schools.

School Administrator Accounts:
Administrator accounts will be added to ALO manually once rostering for classroom teachers has occurred. There is no need to submit administrator names using the above form.

For questions about ALO, please contact Janice Sperry (janice.sperry@jordandistrict.org) or Ben Jameson (ben.jameson@jordandistrict.org) in Assessment, Research & Accountability.

 

Published on

DATE:   
August 5, 2024

TO:  
All Administrators

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

SUBJECT:  
2024-25 Employee Wellness Representatives

As a reminder, each school or department is invited to select an employee wellness representative! The Educator Wellness Representatives will support faculty/staff wellness efforts within your schools.

Action Items for administrators: If you haven’t already, please nominate your Educator Wellness Representative for the 24-25 school year!

Educator Wellness Representatives Duties include:

  • Will attend bi-annual in person training on 9/18/24 & 1/8/25
    • **Schools will need to cover the cost of the sub**
  • Promote wellness initiatives at the District and school level
  • Lead and support faculty/staff wellness efforts at your school throughout the year
  • Maintain a connection with District Wellness Specialists
  • Model educator wellness for the school community

Steps to having an educator wellness rep for your school or department:

  • Consider the following:
    1. Reps must be a licensed, non-administrative staff member. We highly recommend using a non-mental health team staff member. Also, we recommend they work with a leadership team or social committee at your school.
    2. Principals may work with their current reps to see if they’re interested in doing this important work again for the upcoming school year.
  • Principal nominates ONE educator wellness representative for each school using this form.
  • Support your wellness rep throughout the year as the work to enhance your school or department!

Published on

DATE:      
August 5, 2024

TO:  
All administrators

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

SUBJECT:
Beginning of Year SafeUT Reminders

Administrators,

As a reminder, SafeUT tips will continue to be sent through the Dashboard to all individuals assigned. If staff members would like to make any changes to their settings (such as text message notifications) or there are needed updates to your school’s dashboard, please inform Angie Rasmussen or McKinley Withers.

In addition, it is essential that ALL SafeUT tips are “closed” and that the SafeUT Dashboard for each school is up to date for the following reasons:

  • When the tip is not closed, the issue appears to not have been addressed or handled.
  • The legislature and USBE can review this data as part of funding decisions.
  • It allows SafeUT to improve how tips are distributed.

Here is a step-by-step information sheet that includes this process with images.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Angie Rasmussen at angie.rasmussen@jordandistrict.org

Published on

DATE:    
August 8, 2024

TO: 
School Administrators
Elementary Administrative Assistants
Secondary Attendance Secretaries
Secondary Registrars

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

SUBJECT:  
Third Party Information Release Opt-Out

Parents (and students over the age of 18) have the right to opt-out of the release of their student’s directory information to third parties. This right is communicated to parents annually in the FERPA, PPRA, and Directory Information notices in the online “Registration for Schools” process.

Please see the memo below for all the details.

Published on

TO:
Administrators
Directors

FROM:
June LeMaster, Administrator Human Resources
Jane Olsen, Recruiting, Licensing & Hiring in Human Resources

Reserve your Job Fair Table!

Please see the documents below for all of the information!

Published on

DATE: 
August 8, 2024

TO:
School Administrators
Elementary Administrative Assistants
Secondary Attendance Secretaries
Secondary Registrars

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

SUBJECT: 
New Student Grade Level Placement

Age-Appropriate Chart” in the online Planning & Enrollment Manual). This would include students that enroll from another state or country. Exceptions include:

  • A military child who does not meet the deadline but has previously attended kindergarten or a higher grade as a resident in another state. (53G-4-402 and 53E-3-902)
  • A student who was accelerated or retained in a previous school or district within the state of Utah. Jordan District will honor the acceleration or retention and continue to place the student in the next consecutive grade.
  • A student who was home schooled should be placed based on the parent’s request. Examples include, but are not limited to:
    • The student attended a public school in the 7th grade but was in home school for the 8th grade. The parent(s) or guardian(s) requests placement in the 8th grade. The school would place the student according to the request.
    • The student attended public school in the 7th grade but was in home school for the 8th grade. The parent(s) or guardian(s) states that the student completed both the 8th and 9th grade during the past school year, and requests placement in the 10th grade. The school would place the student according to the request.
  • A student who has never been in an educational setting should be placed according to their age.
  • A student may be enrolled in the first grade even though the child did not meet the entry date for kindergarten the previous year, provided a full year of kindergarten was successfully completed in another state or private school (not daycare or preschool). The parent(s) or guardian(s) shall provide convincing evidence that the child has the academic, social and emotional skills necessary to succeed in first grade AND provide a statement from the previous school that verifies the student’s successful completion of the kindergarten curriculum.

Jordan School District does NOT enroll:

  • Any student who has previously received a diploma.
  • Any student who is not five (5) years of age before September 2nd of the year they will be entering school (R277-419-2).

If the parent(s) or guardian(s) disagree with the student’s placement they may request acceleration or retention testing. Acceleration and/or retention testing is conducted to determine academic ability (see “Accelerations and Retentions” in the online Planning & Enrollment Manual).

Please contact Planning & Enrollment (801-567-8183) with any questions you may have.