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Category: High Schools

Published on

DATE:
August 27, 2026

TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals

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

SUBJECT:
Fire Drill Required Within the First 10 School Days

All schools are required to conduct a fire drill within the first 10 days of the school year. This provides a great opportunity to review plans, emergency response/Incident Command assignments, evacuation maps, outside rally locations, communications, and related supplies.

Please call the Jordan School District 24-hr. Alarm Response 801-567-8865 at least 30 minutes in advance of the drill, so the fire department is not dispatched.

Use the JSD Incident Command System Manual - Fire Action Plan as your drill guideline. Jordan School District Safety Manual

Should you have any questions or concerns please contact Matt Alvernaz the District Safety Coordinator at matt.alvernaz@jordandistrict.org or 801-567-8623.

 

Published on

DATE:
August 27, 2026

TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
School Safety Specialists 

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

SUBJECT:
Monthly Drill Preparation (SECURE)

Our monthly drill preparation will be held on September 2nd at 2:40 PM, 3:10 PM, and again at 3:40 PM. Each session will last about 20 minutes. This month we will be covering SECURE.  Each school safety specialist is expected to attend.  All other administrators are welcomed to attend as well. The meeting is also opened to any staff who may be interested as well. 

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 SECURE response protocol can be found in the Jordan School District Safety Manual on pages 8-11. 

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:
All Administrators & Program Directors

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Lisa LeStarge, Administrative Assistant

At we start the 2026-27 school year, we want 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 three 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 801-567-8120 or lisa.lestarge@jordandistrict.org.

Published on

DATE:
August 27, 2026

TO:   
All Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Buddy Alger, Director of Student Services
Sharon Jensen, Student Support Administrator
Student Services Student CARE Team

SUBJECT:
Prevention Stipend & Supply Funds now available for all schools

Administrators,

For the 2026-27 school year, funding for a school plan has been renewed through the State’s E-cigarette and Nicotine Prevention Fund. Please complete the attached plan through Google Forms to obtain access to these funds. 

As a reminder, these funds can only be used for the following purposes:

  • $1,000 of supply funds to administer your plan.  Accounting has set up your school’s account. PLEASE, DO NOT EXCEED $1,000 IN EXPENSES.
  • Stipends for individuals implementing your school’s plan in amounts below. Stipends will be paid out in November or March. Please submit the form by October 3, 2026, to have the stipends paid on the November paycheck, or please submit it by February 6, 2027, to have the stipends paid on the March paycheck:
    • You may choose one person to receive - $2,250.00
    • You may choose two people to receive - $1,125.00 each
    • You may choose three people to receive - $750.00 each

Published on

TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Buddy Alger, Director of Student Services

The Fall Panorama student feedback survey window previously scheduled to open on Monday, September 8, 2026, has been delayed to accommodate an update to the survey questions and subsequent online data dashboard. This update will include Portrait of a Graduate indicators.

The full survey will now open Monday, October 5, 2026 and will close on Friday, November 6, 2026. Student Services provides the opt-in list to Panorama the week prior to the window closing and at least one time midway through the survey window. Survey response rates may be accessed through your Panorama login and results are typically available the week following the last day of the survey window.

The winter survey window is January 22, 2027 - February 19, 2027
The Spring survey window is April 19, 2027 - May 11, 2027

Schools wanting additional Panorama training should reach out to Buddy Alger.

Published on

TO:
School Administrators

FROM:
Brad Sorensen, Administrator of Schools
Cody Curtis, Administrator of Schools
Odette Desmarais, Administrator of Schools
Meredith McPhail, Administrator of Schools
Becky Gerber, Administrator of Schools
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools

The Principal Meeting will be held in person at the Jordan Learning Center (JLC), located at 3706 W. 9800 S., South Jordan.

Beverage service will be available beginning at 7:30 a.m., and lunch will be provided.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Published on

TO:
Assistant Principals

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent

The September Assistant Principal meetings will be held on the following dates:

  • Thursday, September 3 | 8:00–11:00 a.m.
  • Tuesday, September 8 | 8:00–11:00 a.m.

Both meetings will be held in person at the Jordan Learning Center. All assistant principals and intern assistant principals are invited to attend. Beverage service will be available beginning at 7:30 a.m. each day.

As a reminder, you only need to attend one of the two sessions, as the same information will be presented at both meetings.

Please sign up for the session you plan to attend.

If you have any questions, please contact Shannel Hooper at 801-567-8204 (ext. 88204).

Published on

DATE:
 August 20, 2026

TO:
Teaching & Learning Consultants
Secondary & Elementary Assistant
Principals            

FROM:
 Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Buddy Alger, Director of Student Services
Sharon Jensen, Student Support Administrator

SUBJECT:
Safe School Hearing Committee 2026-2027

Your assignment: It's time to check the schedule and see when you're officially "on stage" with the Safe School Committee. Please take a look at the schedule below and mark your assigned day/days on your calendar. Thanks for helping us make thoughtful decisions that keep our schools and students safe and supported.

Published on

TO:
Elementary, Middle & High School Administration

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Brandon Larsen, Consultant, Performing & Fine Arts

We have established a centralized master calendar to provide a clear, comprehensive view of all major school and district events across Jordan School District.

Key Information & Updates:

  • Live Access: The live master calendar is now available here: CLICK HERE
  • Annual Calendar Rollover: To keep information accurate for long-term planning, updated dates for the upcoming academic year will be added to this calendar at the end of every school year.
  • Board Communication: Information regarding this calendar resource and its annual update cycle has also been shared with the Board of Education.

Please save or bookmark the link for easy reference when planning activities and reviewing district-wide schedules. If you have any questions or need to submit new dates, please reach out to Brandon Larsen, Performing & Fine Arts Consultant.

Published on

TO:
Directors, Administrators, Administrative Assistants

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
Mike Trimmell, Ed.D., Assistant Director Talent Development

 SUBJECT:
Crucial Policies Due September 15, 2026

As a reminder, crucial policies completion is due by September 15, 2026. 

Please log in to your Vector account https://jordansd-ut.safeschools.com/ and complete the assigned crucial policies by September 15, 2026.  

If you have questions regarding Crucial Policies, contact Mike Trimmell, Ed.D. in Human Resources:

Phone: 801-567-8462
Email: michael.trimmell@jordandistrict.org

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
Mike Trimmell, Ed.D., Assistant Director Talent Development

 SUBJECT:
Crucial Policies for New Hires

With recent updates with Qmulativ and Vector, we are working through crucial policies for new hires. The Vector course new hires are assigned is based on the new hire sheet submission date. 

New Hire Sheet Submission Date Before 8/10/26: Crucial policies were completed as part of onboarding. The only course that must be completed after onboarding is the “Child Abuse Mandatory Reporting” course in Vector. This single course will be assigned in Vector. 

New Hire Sheet Submission Date After 8/10/26: Crucial policies will be completed through Vector after onboarding. This is for every employee hired after 8/10/26 moving forward.    

Also, please note that due to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employees should be given time to complete crucial policies while on the clock. 

If you have questions regarding Crucial Policies, contact Mike Trimmell, Ed.D. in Human Resources:

Phone: 801-567-8462
Email: michael.trimmell@jordandistrict.org

Published on

TO:
Administrators & Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Dr. Mike Trimmel, Assistant Director of Talent Development

To access Vector reports. 

  1. Log in to your Vector account https://jordansd-ut.safeschools.com
  2. Navigate to the Reports tab on the left side of the screen.
  3. Click the links below for a tutorial on how to use Vector reports. Compliance by Employee Report: The Compliance by Employee report contains a variety of filter options, allowing you to customize the data that appears in the report. This report will provide you with a preview prior to exporting the data to excel.Completions by Employee: This report lists all completions, regardless of whether or not the assignment was mandatory.If you have questions regarding Crucial Policies, contact Mike Trimmell, Ed.D. in Human Resources:

    Phone: 801-567-8462
    Email: michael.trimmell@jordandistrict.org

Published on

TO:
Directors, Administrator & Administrative Assistants

FROM:
McKinley Withers, Administrator of Employee Experience & Wellness

SUBJECT:
Support & Planning for Pregnant Employees: “Expecting Jordan” Consultations

Dear Employees, 

Navigating maternity leave, insurance changes, and sub coverage shouldn’t feel overwhelming. “Expecting Jordan,” is an initiative led by the Employee Experience and Wellness Team. One-on-one consultation sessions are offered to help pregnant district employees through their leave and transition process. 

What we cover in our consultation:

  • FMLA & Leave Applications
  • Substitute Coverage 
  • Insurance & Dependent Coverage
  • District Childcare & Benefits
  • Lactation Accommodations and Mental Health Resources
  • Other wellness needs and resources

If you are currently expecting and planning your leave, please sign up for a 1-on-1 consultation time with Paige Wightman using our online form. 

Congratulations on your growing family!

Link to flyer: 

Published on

DATE:
August 20, 2026

TO:
All 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: Cooling Adequacy & Heat Preparedness in Utah Educational Infrastructure

Applicant: Stacia Ryder, 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. 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.

Thank you for your assistance.

Published on

TO:
Administrators

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

We want to provide you with one place to find the information to support the Language and Culture in your school. Here you will find:
1. Information on commgap
2. How to prepare for Title III compliance
3. Fall Family fair
4. Giraffe club, presentations and other school support.

 

Published on

DATE:
August 20, 2026 

TO:
Principals and Assistant Principals 

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Buddy Alger, Director of Student Services
Jodee Packer, Student CARE Specialist 

SUBJECT:
Wellness Centers

As we prepare to support students in Wellness Centers around the district, student services is here to help train and support new and returning wellness room coordinators. 

This session will cover foundational operational standards, student privacy laws, mandatory reporting procedures, and data collection practices designed to measure student impact. 

Training Details 

  • Date: August 28th 2006
  • Time: 2:00 pm
  • Location: District Office Training Room 129 (7387 S. Campus View Drive West Jordan, UT )
  • Target Audience: Wellness Center Coordinators
  • Agenda:
  1. FERPA & Student Data Privacy
    ○ Clear guidelines on maintaining student privacy compliance. 
  1. Mandatory Abuse & Neglect Reporting
    ○ Mandated reporter obligations, recognizing signs of child abuse/neglect, site-level reporting protocols, and documentation best practices. 
  1. Room & Environmental Standards
    ○ Physical safety, supervision protocols, creating a welcoming and trauma-informed space, and room capacity/sign-in procedures. 
  1. Data Collection & Best Practices
    ○ Tracking student visits, measuring outcomes, maintaining confidentiality in logbooks/software, and utilizing data to support school-wide wellness goals. 

Action Requested from Principals 

  • Confirm Attendance: Please ensure your Wellness Center staff are registered and scheduled to attend by clicking here.

For questions or additional details, please contact Jodee Packer 801-567-8193.

Published on

Date:
August 20, 2026

To:
All Administrators
All Registrars

From:
Steffany Ellsworth, Assistant Director - Information Systems
Steven Harwood, Assistant Director - Information Systems

Subject:
 Dropout Cohort Cleanup Report

In an effort to improve our graduation and dropout statistics at the State Board of Education, it is important that we correctly account for each student’s enrollment. Each school’s current dropout cohort cleanup report will be provided to registrars by Friday, August 21st. The report will come from JSD Information Systems through MoveIT. This is a report of students who are currently counted as dropouts for your school for the 2025-26 Cohort. Registrars review each record on this report to determine whether or not an existing dropout exit code can be changed (thus lowering your dropout rate).

Please connect with your registrars to ensure they are working to enter the corrected information and return the report in the same electronic format as was sent via MoveIT to Carrie Norris (carrie.norris@jordandistrict.org) in Information Systems by September 28, 2026. They should also send a cc copy to Stacee Worthen in Student Services and Brooke Anderson in Assessment, Research and Accountability.

Information Systems will be providing training for registrars on September 15th at the Attendance/Registrar Admin Assistant meeting. This training will provide registrars with the information and tools needed to review the dropout cohort report and make changes as necessary. If your registrar is new to this report, or just needs a refresher, please ask them to attend this training. 

Feel free to contact the Information Systems Help Desk at (801) 567-8737 with any questions as you work through this process. The UTREx system is a great help in locating students. If your registrar doesn’t have access to UTREx, principals may request access for them by emailing a request to ishelpdesk@jordandistrict.org.

Published on

TO:
Principals
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Brad Sorensen, Administrator of Schools
Cody Curtis, Administrator of Schools
Odette Desmarais, Administrator of Schools
Meredith McPhail, Administrator of Schools
Becky Gerber, Administrator of Schools
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools

The following information is being provided for your awareness and to share with staff members as needed. While we are still finalizing some aspects of this rollout, please feel free to begin moving forward with these guidelines as you consider the needs of your students and programs. Lunchroom managers are already in compliance with food served in cafeterias.

Please make note of the exceptions to State Code included on the attached flyer. We've also included a template that you may share with teachers who would like to request permission from parents to provide food in the classroom. Principals should approve any permission slips as well as any personalized information about food usage in the classroom that is sent home by teachers. If your teachers have already incorporated this permission into their disclosures, there is no need to change their process at this time.

If you have further questions, please contact your AOS.

Published on

DATE:
August 20, 2026    

TO:
All Administrators    

FROM:
Ian Roberts, Director of Facility Services   

SUBJECT:
2026-2027 Facility Services Contact Updates 

Facility Services has a number of updates to personnel for the 2026 – 2027 school year. You  will find the updated contact information and area responsibilities within the facilities department below. Refer to Facility Services web page for any additional information. Please  share these updates with your administrative assistants and custodians.

 

 

Published on

TO:
Administrators and Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Sarah Palmer, Director of Payroll

Annual Leave During the Contract Days Before School Starts
All Licensed Employees

8/10/26-8/17/26
Licensed employees may not use annual/personal leave during the contract days before school starts. However, they may, through correlation with the principal, arrange to exchange one of these days for another non-contract day.

Annual or Personal Leave During the First Five Days of School
All Licensed and ESP Employees

8/19/26-8/25/26 Elementary Schools
8/18/26-8/24/26 Secondary Schools
8/18/26-8/24/26 District Offices Auxiliary Services

DP335NEG-Annual Leave-Licensed
DP335B-Annual Leave-Education Support Professionals

Per District policy, annual or personal leave days may not be used during the first five days of school, unless the leave reason is listed in policy as an exception. If any of the exceptions do apply, you must provide both the leave reason and the policy exception in the time off description. If the leave reason does not meet the policy exceptions, Licensed employees will be docked $170 and ESP employees will be docked 40% of their daily rate.