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DATE:  
11/5/2024

TO:  
Principals
Special Education Teachers (Resource & Cluster)

FROM: 
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education

SUBJECT:  
Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) Testing Checklist


Attached is the DLM checklist for all special education teachers who are administering the DLM assessment to any of their students for the 2024-25 school year. You are required to complete and return the checklist to Jen Birrell for all Elementary teachers and Mikaylee Krebs for all Secondary teachers at the District Office by Friday, December 20, 2024. This form is also available online at specialed.jordandistrict.org/staff/forms on the Special Education website.

Please direct any questions or concerns to Jen Birrell for Elementary Teachers and Mikaylee Krebs for Secondary teachers.

Jen Birrell: 801-567-8905 or jennifer.birrell@jordandistrict.org

Mikaylee Krebs: 801-567-8356 or mikaylee.krebs@jordandistrict.org

 

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Jordan School District Cabinet Members


All licensed administrators are invited to complete the following questionnaire by November 15, 2024. 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 (2025-26) 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. Please use this link to access the form: 2024-25 Licensed Administrator Assignment Questionnaire.

TO:
Principals

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Brandee Bergum, Consultant in Teaching & Learning


To prepare for using the Star Reading assessment as our new district-wide reading screener, we are offering training for two educators from each school to become school-based guides on the assessment.

These guides will assist their ELA departments or grade-level teams in accessing, administering, and understanding the reports from the assessment. We will provide multiple virtual training sessions, starting with the first session on November 8, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. Additional sessions will be available before or after school in November and December. Educators will be compensated at their hourly rate for attending.

Please submit the names of your two educators or have them contact Brandee Bergum, x88152 or brandee.bergum@jordandistrict.org,  to receive the link for the November 8 training.

DATE:   
Thursday, October 17, 2024

TO: 
Middle School Administrators
High School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:   
2024-25 Stakeholder Input Survey Preview and Administration Materials


Please see the memo below for instructions of what needs to take place before the survey window opens on Friday, November 1, 2024.

DATE:  
October 10, 2024

TO:  
School-based Administrators

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

SUBJECT:  
Bullying Action Plans & Required Training


As per State requirements outlined in H.B. 84, Jordan District has created a “Bullying Action Plan” to support a caring, proactive response to bullying incidents.

Training on the Bullying Action Plan will occur through in-person, 2-hour sessions of each school-based administrator’s choosing. All school-based administrators are required to attend one training session.

All training will take place at JATC-South on the following days and times:

November 12
Session One: 8:30-10:30 – Register HERE
Session Two: 11:00-1:00 – Register HERE

November 20
Session One: 8:30-10:30 – Register HERE
Session Two: 1:00-3:00- Register HERE

December 3
Session One: 8:30-10:30 – Register HERE
Session Two: 1:00-3:00 – Register HERE

January 7
Session One: 8:30-10:30 – Register HERE
Session Two: 1:00-3:00 – Register HERE

Register for your session through Canvas at pd.jordandistrict.org

Note: Training for school mental health staff members who support bullying intervention will be arranged through Student Services at already scheduled training meetings.

 

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent


The following professional development days have been added to this year's calendar.

2024-25 School Year Calendar

Professional Development Day (No Students Attend)
Friday, November 8, 2024
Friday, March 14, 2025

All employees should work in the building on these days. As you are planning Professional Development in your schools and departments please plan as follows: Principal-Directed School Level Professional Development will be held in the morning hours and optional District-Level Professional Development may begin at 1:00 pm.

Please provide these dates to your employees.
If you have any questions please contact your Administrator of Schools.

DATE:
September 25, 2024

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 (LOCKDOWN)


Our monthly drill preparation will be held on October 2nd at 3:00 PM with a second session at 3:30 PM. This month we will be covering LOCKDOWN.  Each School Safety Specialist is expected to attend along with administrators assigned to oversee school safety.  All other administrators are welcome 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 LOCKDOWN response protocol can be found in the Jordan School District Safety Manual on pages 12-14.  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.

DATE:
September 19, 2024

TO:
All Administrators & Threat Assessment Teams

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

SUBJECT:
Reminder: Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) Workshop Dates


CSTAG training consists of two (2) training levels and both levels must be completed by all administrators and threat assessment team members. The CSTAG Level 2 workshop is for all who have completed the Level 1 training (the six (6) hour web-based training from Navigate360). This workshop will build upon your knowledge of threat assessment by providing practical application and implementation of the CSTAG process in your school.

The Level 2 workshop will:

  1. Review CSTAG level 1
  2. Focus on implementation and use of the threat assessment process
  3. Focus on sustainable ways to use CSTAG in your school
  4. Review and training on the decision tree
  5. Review the CSTAG forms and best practices for documentation
  6. Practice using real-world scenarios

If you have already completed level two (2), we are offering a new training opportunity, CSTAG level three (3)!

Here is a reminder of the remaining training offered for this school year:

**CSTAG Level 2**
Friday, December 6th, Virtual session (Zoom) only, (1-3pm)
Friday, February 28th, DO Room 129, (8am-10am)
Friday, May 2nd, DO Room 129, (1pm-3pm)

**CSTAG Level 3: Practical Use**
For those CSTAG team members who have completed levels 1 and 2 and would like a refresher and deeper dive into using threat assessment in your schools. Bring your questions so we can solve all your CSTAG problems!
Friday, October 18th, In-Person, DO Room 129 (8am-10am) (RESCHEDULED FROM Friday, September 20th)
Friday, December 6th, Virtual Session (Zoom) only, (8am-10am)
Friday, February 28th, DO Room 129, (1pm-3pm)
Friday, May 2nd, DO Room 129, (8am-10am)

Register for all sessions on Canvas (https://pd.jordandistrict.org/).

Should you have any questions please reach out to Angie Rasmussen at angie.rasmussen@jordandistrict.org

 

TO:
Administrators
Administrative Assistants

FROM:    
John Larsen, Business Administrator


The agenda for the optional Zoom training session for office and administrative staff of schools and District departments is attached. The October 10 session will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. via Zoom. This meeting is a refresher course that will go over any changes in district departments this year, and offer clarification on broad-based issues and general reminders.

If you would like to participate, please send an email to Lisa LeStarge at lisa.lestarge@jordandistrict.org. Attendees of each session will receive an email the day prior to the training with instructions for connecting to the Zoom meeting.

TO:
Administrators

FROM:    
John Larsen, Business Administrator


Training will be provided by the Business and Auxiliary Services Departments on October 8, 2024 from 8:00 a.m. to noon at the Auxiliary Services Building Presentation Room. This training opportunity is for school or department personnel including principals, assistant principals, administrative assistants, clerks, aides or others with responsibilities correlating with the Business or Auxiliary Services Departments. The draft agenda is attached.

If you would like to participate in this session, please send an email to Lisa LeStarge, at lisa.lestarge@jordandistrict.org. The total number of participants in this session will be capped at 60 (plus presenters). Attendees will be provided with a link to hand-outs provided by the presenters so they can be viewed during the training or downloaded for future use.

We hope you will take advantage of this training opportunity.

DATE:
Thursday, September 19, 2024

TO:
All School Administrators
All Administrative Assistants

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

SUBJECT:
2024-25 Stakeholder Input Survey – Preparation and Administration Details


The 2024-25 Stakeholder Input Survey will be administered to parents, school employees, and students in grades K-12 beginning Friday, November 1, 2024, and ending Tuesday, November 26, 2024. All parents, licensed educators, education support professionals, and students should be invited and encouraged to participate in the survey.

Survey respondents have the opportunity to take part in the survey for individual principals, assistant principals, classroom teachers, and licensed support staff (i.e., instructional coaches, counselors, school psychologists, speech-language pathologists, library media specialists, cluster leaders, etc.). Thus, we need to ensure that the survey contains an accurate list of each school’s licensed educators for whom respondents can take the survey.

Please see the attached memo for the table containing a unique link for each school that will direct viewers to a list of licensed staff that has been downloaded from Skyward. Administrative assistants are asked to verify the accuracy of that list, adding or deleting licensed educators as necessary. Staff verification lists need to be verified by Friday, October 4, 2024. This will allow enough time for Assessment, Research & Accountability to upload the staff lists into the survey. Once the survey begins, we will be unable to add or delete any staff, so it is essential that administrative assistants carefully verify the accuracy of these lists.

TO:
Administrators

FROM:  
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Amanda Bollinger, Associate Administrator, Teaching & Learning


Administrators, please share this information with your teachers.

Many of your teachers are pursuing a STEM endorsement (see our EIP website for a full list of endorsements). USBE WILL REIMBURSE THEM FOR THEIR COLLEGE CLASSES! This is called the STEM Endorsement Incentive Program (EIP) and it has been funded again for the 2024-25 school year. See the attached flyer and link to our EIP website for more information.

Applications for reimbursement are now being accepted for teachers who completed STEM courses after June 1, 2024. The next round of reimbursements applications is due September 27, 2024 for teachers who completed STEM courses in Summer 2024.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the content consultant. We would love to talk to you!

DATE:
September 10, 2024

TO:
All Administrators and Financial Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Dr. Anthony Godfrey, Superintendent of Schools
John Larsen, Business Administrator

SUBJECT:
Staff Appreciation Funds (formerly known as Staff Discretionary Funds)


A change has been made in Staff Appreciation Funds beginning this year. An additional allocation of up to $50 per staff member (both licensed and ESP) for snacks, meals, etc. in conjunction with Professional Development has been approved. Please see the attached memo for budgeting and other helpful information on utilizing these funds.

TO:
All Principals
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services


All McKinney Vento Aides are required to attend.

Monday, September 23, 2024
10:00 am - 11:30 am
Presentation Room, ASB, Entrance C

See attached flyer.

DATE:    
September 12, 2024

TO:  
Administrators
Administrative Assistants

FROM: 
June LeMaster, Administrator, Human Resources
Brent Burge, Human Resource Administrator, ESP

SUBJECT:
2024 FTE Audits


Once again, we request your assistance to review the 2024-25 FTE Audit report and make necessary changes as soon as possible.  This report will be distributed end of the day on September 16th. This report will include essential details such as faculty/staff verification, FTE, title, and budget code(s). Please read the important information below and refer to the “Instructions” sheet for guidance on completing the audit.

Important Deadlines and Actions:

  • DUE DATE: The FTE Audit Report must be completed and submitted to HR for processing by September 25, 2024.
  • Completion Indication: You must check the “yellow” box on the instructions sheet to complete the audit process.

Corrections and New Hires:

  • All corrections identified on the FTE Audit Report will be made by HR. You DO NOT need to submit change forms.
  • For new hires not listed in the report, please submit a hire sheet to HR through Frontline.

Optional HR Meeting:
If you are a new administrator and/or a veteran administrator and would like to meet with an HR Administrator/Specialist to review or assist you with your FTE audit, a scheduling link is available on the Instructions sheet in your audit documents. You may invite your Administrative Assistant and/or Assistant Principal to this meeting. Please review the audit thoroughly and come prepared with the necessary changes.

Thank you for your time and cooperation. If you have any questions, please contact:
Brittany Bauer - brittany.bauer@jordandistrict.org     x88214
Jane Olsen -  jane.olsen@jordandistrict.org      x88217
Brent Burge  - brent.burge@jordandistrict.org     x88224

DATE:
September 12, 2024

TO: 
All Principals
All Licensed Educators

FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Melanie Dawson, Program Administrator of Behavior

SUBJECT:
ETT: Cultivating Classroom Management Skills


Seats are limited and fill quickly, so learners need to register on Canvas Catalog as soon as possible. Search “ETT” or use the direct registration link.

Cohort Dates for Fall 2024: Oct. 2nd- Dec. 4th
Register by: Sept. 25th

This course is beneficial for: All general education and special education teachers
Also welcome: Specialists, interventionists, and mental health providers.

Topics include:
Antecedents, behavior basics, class-wide and individual interventions, increasing academic effectiveness, data-based decision making, students with unique needs, and personal wellness

Format:
This 7-week course will be offered online in an asynchronous format. Learners will engage with content and activities via Canvas. *Although pacing is flexible, participants must complete the first module within the first week or their spot will go to someone on the waitlist.

1 USBE credit and a $500 stipend is available to licensed employees who successfully complete the course.

Note for instructional coaches: You can request to be an observer in the course instead of registering as a learner. Please email Melanie Dawson or Katie Jarvis if you are interested. melanie.dawson@jordandistrict.org or katie.jarvis@jordandistrict.org

Please see attached for more information.

DATE:
September 12, 2024

TO:
All Principals
All Special Education Staff
School Psychologists
Elementary School Counselors

FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Melanie Dawson, Program Administrator of Behavior

SUBJECT:
ASPEN Training For Special Education Personnel 2024-2025


ASPEN training is required for all licensed special education teachers, SLPs, school psychologists, elementary school counselors, as well as all Education Support Professionals (ESPs) in SEB and Autism self-contained support classrooms who do not have a current Mandt certification. Staff members working in any other special education setting may choose to attend ASPEN at the discretion of their building administrator and at the cost of their school.

Please see the attached memo for more information and class schedules and links.

DATE:
September 12, 2024

TO:
All Principals
All Special Education Teachers

FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Brian King, Assistant Director of Special Education

SUBJECT:
Changes to Assistive Technology Referrals and New Resource Guide


The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology, and Office of Special Education recently issued a memorandum that highlights the importance of the provision of assistive technology (AT) for students with disabilities. This communication emphasized that it is critical that IEP teams understand how to consider, procure, implement, and evaluate AT services for children with disabilities.

In response to this memorandum, the Jordan Utah Assistive Technology Team (UATT) has created an Assistive Technology Consideration and Resource Guide that will provide a framework to assist IEP teams in the AT consideration process. This resource will also provide examples of AT tools that can be used to support various areas of academic skills and tasks.

Additionally, the Jordan UATT has updated the AT referral process. UATT referrals will now be submitted in a digital format (Google form). In the past, UATT utilized one form to refer students for AT assessments, and another form that allowed special educators with experience supporting assistive technology to request specific tools without an AT assessment. The new digital format collapses those two forms into a single smart form.

Both of these resources can be found on the Jordan UATT webpage on the JSD Special Education website. Questions and inquiries for assistance regarding the Assistive Technology Consideration and Resource Guide, Jordan UATT Referral process, or any other topics related to assistive technology can be directed to the JSD assistive technology specialist, Cheri Blue at Cheri.Blue@jordandistrict.org.

TO:
Principals

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Amanda Bollinger, Associate Administrator, Teaching & Learning
Tricia Rojas, Specialist, Health & PE


Principals, it is mandatory for all Health, P.E., and Driver Ed teachers as well as Sports Coaches to have a current CPR/First Aid Certification (every 2 years). Please, share this information with the applicable teachers at your school. Teachers may enroll in the next available course through the Canvas Catalog.

TO:
Principals

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Amanda Bollinger, Associate Administrator, Teaching & Learning
Tricia Rojas, Specialist, Health & PE


Principals, it is mandatory for all Health and/or 4th-grade teachers to complete the Botvin Life Skills training. Please share this information with the applicable teachers at your school. See the attached document for upcoming training opportunities and requirements for this curriculum.