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Category: Elementary Schools

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The deadline for sending DIBELS parent letters home is February 12, 2016.  Attached are the updated letters (English & Spanish) for the Mid-year benchmark.  Letters are to be sent home for every first, second, and third grade student.  Letters do not go home for kindergarten students.

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DATE:  
February 2, 2016

TO:
Self-contained Support Class (Cluster) School Principals
Self-contained Support Class (Cluster) Teachers

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

SUBJECT: 
Projected Self-Contained Support Class (Cluster) Staffing Needs Survey for 2016-17

You will receive a tentative class list from Susan Sudbury for 2016-17. Enclosed is a Self-Contained Support Class (Cluster) Staffing Needs Survey and a Critical Need Justification Survey for next year.  Please note that the class list you received is current as of this date; however, the numbers of students assigned to your classroom(s) could change over the next few months and over the summer.

Please remember that we must continue to provide a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) for all of our students. Therefore, we ask special education teams to work with the special education department to explore creative and conservative ways to serve the students in our special education programs.

Outlined below are directions for completing the projected staffing request:

  • Please check your current 2015-16 staff allocation for accuracy.
  • Self-contained Support Class (Cluster) assistants will be allocated using the following guidelines (pending any State & Federal budget allocations that might require changes).

1)    Self-contained Support Class (Cluster) classrooms will be staffed to provide basic full-day coverage (either two 17-hour or one 35-hour assistant in designated settings). This allocation is assigned by the Special Education Department. The decision will be based on program type, student needs, budget availability and financial constraints.

2)    Additional staffing needs will be considered only if the class has a significant critical need that cannot be addressed in another manner. If there is a significant critical need, school teams must complete/submit the attached Critical Need Justification Survey. This form should objectively describe the specific circumstances and/or student(s) that require the requested CN staffing. Please be creative and conservative as you look at your program needs and available resources.

  • Contact our Placement Specialist, Susan Sudbury, at (801) 567-8355 if you have questions about the number of students assigned to your class for next year. We understand that the number of students assigned to the self-contained support classes could change over the next few months; however, we ask that you count only those students who are confirmed as of this date.  Teachers may revise their staffing needs survey should circumstances change by the end of the year. Please note that classroom numbers will be verified at the start of the 2016-17 school year to account for any changes that occur over the summer.

Note that all additional assistant positions are re-evaluated and re-allocated based upon available funds, caseload data and critical needs. DO NOT assume that you will have the same number of assistants allocated to your school each year.

We have also enclosed a current SCRAM printout. Please review and submit updated SCRAM information to Lisa Robinson at the District Office by Friday, February 12, 2016 for Traditional programs and Friday, February 19, 2016 for Year-Round programs. Even if you do not have any changes, please sign the SCRAM printout (as a team) and return it by the due date.

We appreciate how hard you work to meet all of your students’ needs. Please know that we will do our best to support and facilitate your needs. Your efforts to complete this information accurately will assist us in making fair and objective staffing allocations for next school year.

Return ALL completed staffing information to Lisa Robinson at the District Office by Friday,  February 26, 2016:

Projected Self-contained Support Class (Cluster) Staffing Needs Survey 2016-17

Critical Need Staffing Justification – submit only if there is a significant critical need

 

PLEASE CONTACT THE TEACHER SPECIALIST ASSIGNED TO YOUR SCHOOL

Debbie Nigbur             (801) 567-8329                                   Robin Silatolu    (801) 567-8068

Patricia Matthews      (801) 567-8356                                   Teri Griffiths      (801) 567-8024

Lindsey Baxter            (801) 567-8373

 

THANK YOU FOR WORKING SO HARD ALL DAY, EVERY DAY!
YOU ARE ROCKSTARS!!!

Published on

DATE:
January 29, 2016

TO:
Principals
Special Education Team Leaders

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

SUBJECT:
TC-40D Tax Form for a Dependent with a Disability

See attached memo and tax form.

 

Published on

DATE:     
January 27, 2016

TO: 
Elementary Principals

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

SUBJECT:
Research Project

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

Project Title:                   “Utah Elementary School Principals’ Preparation as Technology Leaders”

Applicant:                        Nathan Esplin

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 participate in this study.  If you have questions or concerns relating to participation, please contact Clyde Mason at 567-8243.

Thank you for your assistance.

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Elementary Principals:

The Sorenson Legacy Foundation has provided funding through USOE for LEAs to apply for small grants to purchase arts materials and/or supplies for grades K-6.  You will find the grant application attached. Please note these important points as you complete your application:

  • Grants are for materials and/or supplies for implementation of arts programs in grades K-6 in music, visual art, drama, dance or media arts.
  • Grant amounts are determined by the number of K-6 students in the LEA according to the chart at the top of the application.
  • Grants will be processed as they are received. Available funds may not cover all requests, so early application is encouraged.
  • The application is a fillable form.  You should save the form to your computer, complete the application, save again and then email to:

cathy.jensen@schools.utah.gov

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Elementary Principals (5th-Grade):

The production of the CDs provided by the Utah Symphony for 5th-grade teachers to prepare their students to hear the symphony at Abravanel Hall had issues and are blank.  Please let your teacher know that all materials may be accessed on the symphony's website at:  http://usuoeducation.org/index.php/for-teachers/teacher-materials .  The 5th-grade materials are at the top of the page.
They are very sorry for this problem and hope that this access to the materials through their website will help you prepare students for their visit to the symphony.

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All Principals (K-12):

Please share the flyer, Workshops Presentations for Teachers and Students with all of your teachers.   This is put on by SHIFT, a program of the Utah Film Center that offers educators high-quality professional development on the filmmaking process (digital storytelling) and how to integrate it into the core areas.
Workshops and instructional materials provide comprehensive, standards-linked lesson plans to guide educators on how to produce documentaries, public service announcements (PSAs), instructional videos, personal narratives, and other short film projects with their students.  There is a strong emphasis on writing.
*There is a FREE 2-day workshop on Filmmaking in the Classroom on Feb. 19 & 20 at Thanksgiving Point.  You may find registration information in the attached flyer. 

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Elementary Principals:

Teachers should complete the mid-year Intervention Report (in Google Drive) by February 19.  Using information from these reports, Administrators can complete the mid-year Literacy Growth Report (in Google Drive) by February 26 (Traditional) or March 4 (Year Round).  Contact Becky Gerber if you have questions.

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Winter Messaging Toolkit

Stay the Course: Support Attendance in the Winter Months.

Click Here for Online Helps and Ideas:  http://www.attendanceworks.org/tools/for-public-messaging/winter-messaging/

During the winter months, the bad weather and common illnesses that keep kids from getting to school can boost absenteeism. That is why during the winter months it is even more important to remind parents about the value of school attendance. Just missing two days each month, even if they are excused, can make it hard for children, starting in the early grades, to keep up with the learning in the classroom.