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Category: Elementary Schools

Published on

DATE:  
November 6, 2025

TO:  
All School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:  
FREE Mental Health Education for Parents and Caregivers

Jordan District has partnered with the Cook Center for Human Connection to provide ongoing mental health education for parents and caregivers. This collaboration offers FREE access to live, virtual educational sessions covering various topics. Please share the following resources with your school community:

  • A calendar for November’s Mental Health Series sessions is attached. Sessions are offered in both English and Spanish. Previously recorded seminars can be accessed through a comprehensive library of sessions and resources for each topic. You can access the library of recorded sessions at any time by visiting this site: https://parentguidance.org/mhsindex. 
  • Ask a Therapist live virtual event. This is an anonymous opportunity to ask questions from a licensed family therapist about your child’s mental health. It is a live event on November 11th at 6 pm with access to the recording afterward. Registration Link
  • Included in the mental health series is a "Watch Together Series" to highlight for families. While the Mental Health Series is designed for parents, these “Watch Together” events are for the whole family, especially teens and young adults. In this series, each month, you'll meet a new animated character facing real challenges that teens and young adults experience. Together, you and your family can watch their story and learn how to start meaningful conversations at home.
    • November Event: Together, teens and parents will watch the animated story about Kyle. Kyle is a teen masking the pain of bullying, withdrawal, and alcohol use. His story helps families understand the hidden emotional impact of bullying and the importance of asking direct, compassionate questions like, “Have you thought about taking your life?” In this interactive session, parents and teens will learn about warning signs of emotional distress and how to create space for honest conversation and connection.
    • Wednesday, November 12th | 6 pm MT REGISTER NOW

Please share the attached flyers/resources with your school communities. Should you have any questions, please reach out to Angie Rasmussen at angie.rasmussen@jordandistrict.org.

Published on

TO:
Kindergarten Teachers and Instructional Coaches

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Michelle Lovell, Consultant, Elementary Language Arts

Kindergarten teachers and coaches are invited to attend “Sound Explorers for Kindergarten” on either Nov. 14 or Nov. 21 from 1:30 to 3:30 in the auditorium at the ASB building.

During this meeting, teachers will learn tips and tricks to help students with phonemic awareness and reading CVC (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant) words. Every teacher who attends will receive phonemic awareness games and supplies.

Teachers can register at pd.jordandistrict.org. Please see the flyer for additional details. 

 

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Scott Thomas, Administrator of Auxiliary Services
Brandon Conti, Risk Management Coordinator

Storing combustible materials is prohibited in boiler, mechanical, electrical equipment, and fire command rooms to reduce fire risk, as these areas contain potential ignition sources and crucial building systems.

Check out all the information in the document below.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Scott Thomas, Administrator of Auxiliary Services
Brandon Conti, Risk Management Coordinator

57% of fall victims were holding objects with one or both hands. Use a tool belt!

See the attached document for more ways to follow safe work practices when using a ladder.

Published on

TO:
Principals

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent

Principals, please personally invite your School Community Council chair to attend this important meeting with the Jordan District Board Members.

Dear School Community Council Chair,

On behalf of the Jordan School District Board of Education, we invite you to the upcoming Jordan Parent Advisory Committee (JPAC) meeting. Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2025 Time: 6:30–8:00 pm Location: Jordan Learning Center, 3706 W. 9800 S., South Jordan. (The Learning Center is located directly across the street from Elk Ridge Middle School.)

This important meeting will focus on two topics:

School Safety Update: Our School Safety Specialist, Matt Alvernaz, will present the latest updates on current safety protocols and be available to answer any questions.

ParentSquare Feedback: As time permits, we will gather your feedback on how it is working for parents.

Your insights and participation are very important to us. If you are unable to attend, please ensure another parent representative from your School Community Council attends in your place.

We look forward to a productive meeting and to seeing you there!

 

Published on

TO:
All Licensed Administrators

FROM:
Cabinet

All licensed administrators are invited to complete this form by November 14, 2025. This formal process of gaining your input will serve as a conversation starter with your Administrator of Schools about work assignments for the coming school year (2026-27) in Jordan District. Personal preference is one of many factors considered when determining administrative assignments. This does not take the place of the need to sign up for a formal Principal interview.

Published on

DATE:
October 29, 2025

TO:   
Principals
Assistant Principals
School Safety Specialists

FROM: 
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Matt Alvernaz, School Safety Coordinator

SUBJECT:  
USBE Communication to School Safety Specialists and State Requirements

USBE has begun sending communicating to School Safety Specialists about school safety, training opportunities, and safety specialist’s roles and expectations. If your school’s safety specialist has not received any communication from USBE please update your school’s information using this link: 2025-2026 School-Based Safety Specialists. Any updates made need to be communicated to Matt Alvernaz at Matt.alvernaz@jordandistrict.org ASAP.

Each designated safety specialist is required to annually complete a state Canvas course as well as attend ZOOM meetings throughout the year. The trainings are recorded and are available if the safety specialist or administrator are unable to attend. Attendance is encouraged whenever possible. Administrative controls for the Canvas course are handled by USBE and any issues with the course need to be addressed with USBE. Administrators over safety are not required to complete the Canvas course unless they are the designated School Safety Specialist. The USBE ZOOM trainings are open to all administrators.

The USBE ZOOM trainings for safety specialists are separate from the monthly ZOOM SRP trainings conducted on the first Wednesday of each month during the school year by Matt Alvernaz, the District Safety Coordinator. These training sessions are for school safety specialists and administrators over safety but other administrators or school staff may attend. These trainings are NOT recorded.

The next SRP ZOOM training (SHELTER) will be on November 5th from 3:00 to 3:30 with a second session beginning right after at 3:30 to 4:00. Please mark your calendars and plan accordingly. The ZOOM link will remain same each month.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the School Safety Coordinator, Matt Alvernaz, at Matt.alvernaz@jordandistrict.org or (801)567-8623.

Published on

DATE:    
October 29, 2025

TO:    
Principals
Assistant Principals
School Safety Specialists

FROM:   
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Matt Alvernaz, School Safety Coordinator

SUBJECT:   
Monthly Drill Preparation (SHELTER)

Our monthly drill preparation will be held on November 5th at 3:00 PM with a second session at 3:30 PM. This month we will be covering SHELTER. Each School Safety Specialist is expected to attend along with administrators assigned to oversee school safety. All other administrators are welcomed to attend as well. The meeting is also open to any staff who may be interested.

After each monthly training all school staff should be trained by the administrator over school safety and the School Safety Specialist. After being trained each month, teachers should educate their students on each safety drill. Additionally, schools should communicate with their patrons regarding Standard Response Protocol(s) (SRP) and the drill being conducted each month. Videos, handouts, and other resources can be found at the link(s) below.

Information regarding the SHELTER response protocol can be found in the Jordan School District Safety Manual on pages 20-24. We will discuss how to implement and execute the drill. This will be an opportunity to ask questions and share ideas amongst the schools.

We will be holding this meeting over ZOOM so please join using this link.

Published on

TO:
Administrators

FROM:
Jared Covili, Consultant in Teaching and Learning
Steven Harwood, Application Dev & Support Manager in Information Systems

Information Systems and Teaching & Learning are beginning the process of rostering classrooms for the new Google Class Tools (Classroom Management System). This will require creating a Google Classroom for each class and populating those classrooms using Clever. NOTE: We are NOT moving to Google Classroom in lieu of Canvas, rather Google Classroom is the most efficient method for rostering students into Google Class Tools. As a reminder, Class Tools is a possible replacement for GoGuardian or LanSchool. This tool allows teachers the ability to control student browsing, create a lockdown browser, and provide students with live captioning or translations.

What you need to know:
Each class in your school will have a Google Classroom created and rostered with students.
Teachers must accept this Google Classroom for it to be enabled for use.
Students will NOT be able to remove themselves from this Google Classroom
New students will automatically be added, and departing students will automatically be dropped from this Google Classroom.

Schools wanting training on Google Class Tools can contact Digital Teaching and Learning. For more information, click on the following article: Rostering with Clever

Published on

TO:
Principals

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Amanda Bollinger, Associate Administrator, Teaching & Learning
Amy Lloyd, K-12 Math Consultant, Teaching & Learning

Principals,

K–5 teachers who had not previously received training in the Open Up Math curriculum participated in their initial professional development session on October 29th. A follow-up half-day session is scheduled for November 10th to further enhance instructional practice.

This information has been communicated to teachers via email.

Training Details:
Day 2:
November 10th
8:30 - 11:30
ASB Auditorium

We look forward to learning together and continuing to build a strong mathematics community!

Published on

TO:
School Principals

FROM:
Michelle Love-Day, Director of Language & Culture Services

All administrators are invited to one Zoom session next week, November 6th at 9:00 or November 7th at 2:00, to learn about facilitating conversations with students related to discriminatory language. Administrators will receive access to Nearpods and other resources that can be used with students in one-on-one settings to help teach them the impact of discriminatory language.

Published on

DATE:   
Thursday, October 30, 2025

TO: 
Elementary School Administrators

FROM:  
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Assessment, 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: Parent-Teacher Relationships in China and the United States

Applicant: Anxu Chen, Brigham Young 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. 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 contact teachers directly with an invitation to participate in an online interview, which will last up to 60 minutes.

Thank you for your assistance.

Published on

DATE:   
Thursday, October 30, 2025

TO:  
All Elementary and Middle School Administrators

FROM:   
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Assessment, 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: Recommendations for Improving the Practice of Digital Learning at Jordan School District Utah

Applicant: Riley Peterson, Liberty 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. 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 project will involve teacher participation in a survey, interview and/or questionnaire.

Thank you for your assistance.

Published on

TO:
Elementary Administrators

FROM:
Megan Cox (Rose Creek)
Garett York (Southland)
Jessica Stowe (Bastian)
Ronna Hoffman (Oak Leaf)

Please submit questions to be discussed by JAESP committee and Cabinet by the first Tuesday of each month. You may submit concerns or questions using the Google Form below OR you may send items to be discussed directly to Megan Cox at Rose Creek, Garett York at Southland, Jessica Stowe at Bastian, Ronna Hoffman at Oak Leaf.

Google Form Link

All items will be discussed anonymously as we work to provide clarification and solutions to concerns of elementary administrators.

Notes of the discussions will be published on a Google Doc titled "JAESP Committee Notes 2025-26" which will be shared with Elementary Administrators.

Published on

DATE: 
October 3, 2025

TO:   
All Administrators
All Office Staff

FROM: 
Steffany Ellsworth, Manager - Information Systems

SUBJECT:  
2025 Utah Skyward User Conference

Happy fall, y’all! With fall, comes the annual Utah Skyward User Conference. This year, it’s even more exciting as we’ll be previewing Skyward’s new Qmlativ Finance and Student systems! Join us on Thursday, November 6th at Canyons School District in their Support Services Center. Please see the agenda for the address and session times.

This conference is a great opportunity to learn directly from Skyward experts, as sessions are taught by their staff. This year’s lineup includes several outstanding sessions focused on Qmlativ. Many sessions offer a side-by-side comparison of Qmlativ and our current finance and student system, SMS.

Our district will be live on Qmlativ Finance on May 4th, 2026 (see Qmlativ JAM for more info), so this conference is a chance to preview how the system looks, operates, and can make your daily work easier. You’ll also find Skyward student sessions that will demonstrate how to use both SMS and Qmlativ, giving you a chance to compare processes in both systems.

During these sessions there will be an opportunity to ask questions. However, if you have an issue that may be more timely to resolve, we ask that you contact our helpdesk for assistance.

We hope this year’s conference will inspire you with new insights, practical tips, and a deeper understanding of what’s possibly in Skyward. There is no need to register in advance. For questions about attending the conference, please feel free to call the help desk at extension 88737.

Published on

TO:
School Principals
District Employees
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator

In order to maintain a professional work atmosphere for students and staff members, respect staff time, and to avoid ethical and fraudulent conflicts of interest with vendors, building administrations are asked to abide by the following:

Vendors are not allowed into District schools/facilities to solicit business from employees during business hours. Building administrations may allow vendors to leave promotional materials (e.g. brochures, business cards, posters, etc.) with the front office and request these materials be placed in an area, such as the employee break room or bulletin board, so staff may view them and take one, if they so choose. Materials may not be placed in staff boxes. Vendors are not allowed to make sales pitches during faculty or staff meetings. Vendors are not to provide a snack, treat, or meal for employees in the break rooms while the vendor remains to solicit business. Building administrations may allow a vendor to leave a snack, treat, or meal along with promotional materials and a note indicating who brought the items and who employees should contact if more information is desired. Employees, including building and district leadership, should never feel like they are required to meet with vendors and hear their sales pitches.

Decision makers are advised to avoid gifts from vendors in order to guard against the appearance of misconduct. A vendor providing a gift or meal for the staff or large groups is a very nice gesture of thanks and support. A vendor providing a special, private gift or lunch to only the decision maker(s) can create an ethical conflict of interest that can influence decision making.
Vendors must follow the same protocol expected of all other visitors to District buildings by checking in at the front office and proceeding beyond the front office only after being invited to do so.

If an employee desires to meet with a vendor at a District location to discuss services the vendor may offer to them personally, the employee and vendor must meet outside of normal business hours for that building. For schools, this means no contact between one-half hour before school starts and one-half hour after school ends, including lunch time and prep time. These hours are considered work hours and must be respected by the employee and vendors.

The District’s finance system is not to be used to pay for employees’ personal business (e.g. mortgage payments, utility payments, insurance payments, donations to churches, credit card payments, etc.). Payroll deductions are not permitted for non-Jordan District purposes unless the funds are tax sheltered through a District-allowed plan (see #6 below). It is not appropriate for the District to engage in employee personal bill pay at taxpayer expense. Any payment arrangements made by employees with vendors should be done using the employees’ personal financial institution.

As a taxpayer funded subdivision of the State of Utah, Jordan School District participates in the Utah Retirement Systems (URS). While employees have the private option of authorizing financial advisers or others to manage their retirement funds, there are inherent risks associated with any investment strategy. Jordan School District and Utah Retirement Systems does not and has not endorsed, contracted out, authorized, advocated, recommended, sponsored, or vetted other entities, including 403b agents, to represent them in these matters. Instead, URS employs retirement advisors, with a URS email and phone number, who will meet with and advise JSD employees free of charge. URS is a nonprofit trust and their advisors never earn commissions. If you want help with URS questions, please contact URS and if you choose to go outside of URS, please compare commissions and fees.

As a taxpayer funded entity, Jordan School District, its departments and schools must only work with businesses that have first gone through the proper procurement process. Competing vendors are to be treated fairly without personal preference or bias.

Published on

TO:
Elementary Principals
Elementary Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
RaeAnna Kirk, Lead School Nurse

Principals, you may use the message below (and attached) to share the maturation materials with 5th Grade parents:

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Our 5th grade maturation program is held online. It is presented in an online video format presented by health care providers. While this is not a mandatory program, this is presented as an opportunity for you to watch the program together. Students are encouraged to talk to their trusted adults for questions or concerns that they may have. Our presentation can be found online at Elementary Health & Maturation.

Sincerely,

Published on

TO:
All Administrators
All Admin Assistants

FROM:
Jordan District Cabinet Members

We are excited to announce and provide a method for employees to pay their school meal balances remotely without going to the front office. Please see the attached instructions on how to set this up. Employees can also set up recurring payments and low balance notifications similar to parents.

Additionally, we want to remind employees that they should avoid having a negative balance on their meal account. Employees may not have a negative balance greater than $10.00.

Published on

DATE:     
October 16, 2025

TO:  
Elementary School Administrators
Middle School Administrators
High School Administrators

FROM:    
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Stacee Worthen, School Counselor Consultant

SUBJECT:  
November School Counselor Training and Professional Development

November School Counselor training and professional development opportunities.

(11/5) CSCP Counselor Collaborative Committee, District Office, Room 129

  • Only School Counselors appointed to this committee
  • 8:00 am - 11:30 am            

(11/6) BRISC Monthly Call, Zoom

  • All School Counselors (optional)
  • 10:00 am - 11:00 am

(11/7) CSCP BRISC Training - Day 1, ASB, Presentation Room, Entrance C

  • All New Counselors and Interns
  • 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

(11/10) CSCP BRISC Training - Day 2, ASB, Presentation Room, Entrance C

  • All New Counselors and Interns
  • 8:00 am - 12:00 pm

(11/11) Riverton Feeder Meeting

  • Riverton Feeder Counselors K-12
  • 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm

(11/14) CSCP NOV SEC PLC, JATC-South, Auditorium

  • Secondary School Counselors
  • 7:30 am - 9:00 am

(11/14) CSCP NOV ELEM PLC, JATC-South, Auditorium

  • Elementary School Counselors
  • 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm

(11/19) CSCP New Counselor Training, District Office, Room 129

  • All New Counselors and Interns
  • 8:00 am - 11:00 am

(11/20 - 11/21) Utah School Counselor Association Annual Conference, Davis Convention Center

  • All School Counselors (optional)
  • 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

(11/24) CSCP BRISC Training - Consult Call, Zoom 

  • All New Counselors and Interns
  • 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

(11/25) Copper Hills Feeder Meeting, District Office, Room 129

  • Copper Hills Feeder Counselors K-12
  • 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Please direct any questions to Stacee Worthen, School Counselor Consultant, at 801-567-8309.

Published on

DATE:   
Thursday, October 16, 2025

TO: 
Elementary School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:  
2025-26 Stakeholder Input Survey Preview and Administration Materials

Jordan School District will be administering its own student, parent, and faculty/staff stakeholder input survey this year. The student survey will be administered to all students in grades K-12. The survey window opens Monday, November 3, 2025, and closes Tuesday, November 25, 2025. Administrative assistants were asked to verify a list of licensed educators at their school location, which was due on Friday, October 10th. Those verified and updated lists have now been added to the Stakeholder Input Survey. If schools have hired licensed faculty since October 10, 2025, please contact Assessment, Research & Accountability as soon as possible so that we can update your school’s surveys before the survey window opens. We will not be able to update the surveys once they go live.

See the memo below for all the details.