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DATE:
May 24, 2021

TO: 
Middle and High School Principals and Administrative Assistants

FROM:  
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Dan Ellis, Director of Accounting, Budgets, and Audits
Jason Mott, Accountant/Internal Auditor

SUBJECT: 
Fee Waivers


In previous years, the accounting department sent a memorandum to each secondary school in May reporting an amount due to the district equal to the textbook portion of your registration fees collected reduced by student fees waived. Because school checkbooks were moved to the district this year and all school accounting is now recorded in Skyward Finance, the accounting department will no longer be sending that memorandum and will record these transfers for you.

The accounting department has already moved the textbook portion of registration revenue from the activity account (program 2160) to a District level account. This amount was determined by multiplying the textbook fee by the October 1 enrollment count.

In order to account for fee waivers correctly and report to the State in a timely manner, we ask that all fee waiver payments be applied in Skyward no later than Tuesday June 8, 2021. After you have finalized all fee waivers, we will clear out account 21 L xxx 0000 9513 888, where fee waiver payments have aggregated throughout the year and move them to a district expense account.

Thank you.

In an effort to keep you informed about changes in current technology support, Information Systems is announcing the following:

  • Information Systems is now able to support the new Apple operating system, OS 11, also called Big Sur, for devices that are capable of running it. Upgrading to this new operating system will need to be a technician assisted process. To determine if your computer is capable of accepting this upgrade, and to begin the process where applicable, please contact your building computer technician.
  • The newest generation of Apple computers using the M1 chip are now supported. Please see your building computer technician for further assistance with getting these devices deployed.
  • Information Systems is changing the district's antivirus from Sophos to Trend Micro. If you have any questions about this change, please consult your building computer technician.

Each school may spend up to $300 for summer school supplies from ESSER II funds. This is a per school allocation and not a per teacher allocation. The $300 summer school allocation from the ESSER II funds must have expenses coded directly to the 7215 program number. All purchases must have original documentation (scans if submitting an echeck in the Skyward system) attached for auditing purposes. Include a clear description of items purchased on the check request or on the p-card so purchases are easily identifiable. Include in the description that the supplies are being used for summer school. Purchases can include supplies and materials directly tied to summer school. Purchases cannot include food, incentives, toys, or clothing.

DATE:
May 19, 2021

TO:
Elementary, Middle, High Schools Administrators

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

SUBJECT:
“NEW Behavioral and Mental Health Crisis Resource”


The Utah Department of Human Services has recently created the Stabilization and Mobile Response Team. This is meant to be an alternative to the Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (MCOT). This resource is available for children and families from 7am-11pm. This resource can be reached by calling 1-833-SAFE-FAM (1-833-723-3326). This resource is meant for any parent or caregiver that is experiencing any of the following challenges with a child: threatens to inflict harm on self or others, is verbally or physically aggressive, uses substances, destroys or steals property, has difficulty in school, often runs away, bullies or is bullied, demonstrates severe changes in mood, experiences depression or anxiety, is withdrawn from friends and peers.

Here is a brief description of how this team will assist with these challenges.

Mobile Response Services

Provided to you in your home or at school to ease an immediate challenge and provide support.

  • Minimize the impact of the challenge on you and your family
  • Create safety plans
  • Connect you and your family to other helpful resources

Stabilization Services

Short-term services may be provided in addition to mobile response to help ensure your family’s long-term success.

  • Teach skills to improve family functioning
  • Create plans that prepare you for and prevent future challenges
  • Prevent the need for out-of-home services
  • Equip you with ongoing resources and support

For more information visit their website and review the attached flyer.

DATE:    
May 20, 2021

TO: 
High School Administrators
High School Athletic Directors
High School Sport/Activity Coaching or Directing Staff

FROM: 
Brad Sorensen, Administrator of Schools
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Caleb Olson, Consultant, Planning & Enrollment

SUBJECT: 
Participation of Non-Boundary Charter School Students on School Teams/Groups


Utah Code 53G-6-704 and USBE Board Rule R277-494-3 allow a charter or online school student to participate in an extracurricular activity not offered by the student’s charter or online school, provided certain eligibility requirements are met. Most importantly, the student must be “eligible for extracurricular activities at a public school consistent with eligibility standards as applied to full-time students of the public school.” (see UCA 53G-6-704(4))

School administrators (or, by delegation, athletic directors or coaching and directing staff) must ensure that students who try out for a sports team or group are eligible for participation by being an enrolled student of the school. Charter school students are eligible by participation either by residence in the boundaries of the high school or through having been granted an out-of-boundary permit following all established District procedures for granting permits. While building administrators have significant discretion in policy and Utah law in granting permits, Utah Code 53G-6-403(3)(a) specifically prohibits using “athletic or other extracurricular ability” as grounds for awarding a permit. Boundary residency or an out-of-boundary permit qualify a student for tryout and team/group participation; qualifying for or being offered a spot on a team/group alone DOES NOT QUALIFY the student for an out-of-boundary permit.

DATE:  
May 19, 2021

TO: 
Secondary Principals
Secondary School Counselors

FROM: 
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Planning & Student Services
Stacee Worthen, Secondary Counselor Consultant

SUBJECT:   
2021-2022 Comprehensive School Counseling Program (CSCP) Calendar


Please see document below for dates, locations, and times.

Health Special Risk, Inc. is offering two options for supplemental accident insurance, at-school coverage and 24-hour coverage. See attached flyer (English and Spanish) for additional information. Please consider including the information in  your school packets.

Schools have the option of having teachers track their summer school work time in True Time rather than on timesheets. If you would like to do this, please send a list of your teachers to Keelee Leuluai and note that the list is for summer school. Instructions for using True Time can be found here.

It is expected that all ESP employees will use True Time to track their work for summer school. Please send a list of ESP employees participating in summer school to Keelee Leuluai.

Dear Educators,

We would like to share a new professional learning opportunity with you called Utah Microcredentials. This resource is supported and funded by the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) and is available to all educators in Utah’s public education system, including teachers, instructional coaches, paraprofessionals, counselors, related service providers, administrators, and other educators.

Microcredentials acknowledge all the different types of professional learning that educators do, both formal, traditional courses and independent, self-directed learning. Realizing that educators are continually honing their craft, Utah Microcredentials provides a way to recognize that learning. Microcredentials represent instructional skills and concepts. A microcredential is competency-based recognition that the holder has demonstrated effective and consistent use of the target skill or concept as a part of their practice. Microcredentials are not earned through seat time, assignments, or tests. They are earned by submitting the required evidence for a specific microcredential on the target skill or concept.

Each Utah Microcredential is worth a 0.5 USBE credit, which may be used for relicensing and for salary changes in certain districts/charters. The cost for each is $20. Earning microcredentials is also a way to demonstrate leadership. Posting earned microcredentials on your webpage, social media, and even outside your door is an invitation to share your skills with others. For more information, you can use these resources:

  • A narrated video that provides an overview of microcredentials,
  • The UEN website for Utah’s Microcredentials,
  • A one-pager of the most frequently asked questions about microcredentials.

You can start earning Utah Microcredentials on MIDAS. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to supporting learning for our Utah students.

DATE:   
April 30, 2021

TO: 
High School Principals
Assistant Principals Responsible for Driver Education

FROM:   
Brad Sorensen, Administrator of Schools

SUBJECT:   
Reduction of .125 FTE Preparation Period for Driver Education


Beginning the 2022-23 school year, the previously allocated .125 FTE for a Driver Education preparation period will no longer be allocated. It has been funded through the Driver Education budget which has its own budgeting system that should sustain its program costs and has not been able to do so for the last several years.  The overall budget balance continues to decrease at a rapid rate.

Schools will be able to choose if they would like to continue to make additional preparation time available for their Driver Education program. If it is decided at the school level to do so, the funding will need to be through the school’s regular allocated funding sources. As a reminder, the district does provide the high school sixteen $500 department chair stipends that can be used for your Driver Education chairperson.

Because we value the opportunity for students to participate in this program during their regular school day schedule as well as doing everything we can to maintain our current pay schedule for the employees involved in the program, it was determined that discontinuing the .125 would be the best way to move forward and balance our budget while continuing to monitor the following factors:

  • Continued efforts to supplement the instructional class periods during the school day where students are taught Driver Education outside of our budget
  • Maintaining the current pay structure (80% of lane salary up to $36.50 per hour) for all driver education instructors helping with behind-the-wheel instruction
  • Continue funding our full-time mechanic that helps maintain our vehicle fleet
  • Maintaining the current fee schedule ($140/$160) for students who participate
  • Continue to monitor expenditures versus revenues
  • Vehicles/Repairs/Supplies/Conference registrations/GPS Software/Gas/etc.

Davis School District is hosting their Intermountain AP Summer Institute in an online format. This could be an option to offer your faculty quality professional development approved by the College Board at a significant cost savings compared to the typical on-site offerings.

Please see the following information for the Intermountain AP Summer Institute This local institute for 4 days of instruction from some of the best College Board consultants.  The institute will be held online from Tuesday, July 6 to Friday, July 9 and the cost is only $500.  Two hours of graduate credit is available for only $30.

There are also additional institutes available Please see the following link for more details on institutes https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/professional-development/workshops-summer-institutes/about-summer-institutes

DATE: 
May 3, 2021

TO: 
School Psychologists, Elementary Counselors, and School Social Workers

FROM:    
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Fulvia Franco, Program Specialist – Guidance

SUBJECT:   
May School Psychologist, Elementary Counselor, and School Social Workers Meeting


A virtual meeting for school psychologists, elementary counselors, and school social workers has been scheduled for Friday, May 14, 2021, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Melissa Heath, Ph.D. will provide us with a presentation on Strengthening Youth with Supportive Stories and Metaphors, and Ben Springer, Ph.D., BCBA-D will provide us with the following presentation: Happy Kids Don’t Punch You in the Face.

Part-time Staff:  I would appreciate it if you could adjust your schedules in order to attend this meeting.

cc:
Principals

Attention Secondary Schools:

We have excess corrugated plastic in 4' x 8' sheets that we are collecting from the elementary schools. These would be great to use by clubs, organizations, teams, theater groups, etc. to make signs. Corrugated plastic can be scored and cut on one side and then folded to make 3-dimensional barriers. They are most familiar as yard signs for student activities recognition or political advertising. If you are interested, please contact Kris Wishart in Purchasing with quantities you would be interested in. Otherwise we will surplus to the public and sell them.

Attached is a photo of what we have available.

Regards,
Central Warehouse

 

Multiple Federal agencies are investigating numerous fraud schemes targeting the unemployment insurance (UI) programs across the United States.  Fraudsters, some of which are transnational criminal organizations, are using the stolen identities of U.S. citizens to open accounts and file fraudulent claims for benefits, exploiting the unprecedented expansion of the benefits provided in response to economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Many victims of this crime have no knowledge that criminals have applied for UI benefits in their name.  You may only discover that you were a victim of this crime upon seeing the following red flags:

  1. You are told by a current or former employer that a UI claim has been submitted with your information;
  2. You did not apply for UI benefits, but you receive a determination letter from your state or another state regarding a UI claim filed under your name;
  3. You receive a notification that you failed the security verification process for your UI claim;
  4. You file a lawful UI claim and you receive a notice that your claim was rejected because the state has already received a claim under your name.

The District Human Resource department is taking immediate steps to address suspected fraudulent claims.  These include:

  • Contacting current employees to verify if the employee filed a UI claim.
  • Immediately notifying the state agency of confirmed fraud claims.
  • Providing impacted employees steps to follow to report fraud.

For more information or if you believe you may be impacted, please visit the following websites for information on reporting fraud and protecting your credit.

Utah Attorney General (https://www.identitytheft.gov/UnemploymentInsurance)

“Unemployment Insurance Fraud Consumer Protection Guide” (https://www.oig.dol.gov/public/Unemployment%20Insurance%20Fraud%20Consumer%20Protection%20Guide,%20Final.pdf)

Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Labor (https://www.oig.dol.gov/public/media/DOL-OIG%20UI%20Fraud%20Alert.pdf)

DATE:  
April 27, 2021

TO:     
Secondary Principals
Secondary Media Specialists

FROM:
Administrators of Schools
Dr. Shelley Nordick, Administrator, Curriculum/Staff Development
Norman Emerson, Instructional Support Services/Fine Arts Consultant

SUBJECT:    
Networking Meetings for Secondary Media Specialists


In order to prepare and train secondary library media specialists to effectively provide services to their schools and to build consistency across the District’s library programs, several networking meetings have been scheduled for the 2021-22 school year. The participation of your media specialists in these meetings is appreciated.

The meetings will be held on the following dates from 8:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.:

  • September 8, 2021
  • October 13, 2021 (Viridian Center)
  • November 17, 2021
  • January 12, 2022
  • February 23, 2022
  • March 2020 (UELMA Conference)
  • April 13, 2022
  • May 18, 2022

Please share this information with your school’s teacher-librarian.

Please feel free to contact Norman Emerson (801-567-8364) if further information is needed. Thank you for your continued support of the library media programs in Jordan District.

Administrators & Program Directors:

As we are beginning to make plans for the 2021-22 school year, we wanted 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 3 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 801-567-8186 or lisa.lestarge@jordandistrict.org.

Performance evaluations for part-time ESP employees for the 2020-21 school year are optional. However, the evaluation documents you provide can be crucial in justifying employee terminations and potential unemployment claims.

Please review the included evaluation description memo and the evaluation form for instructions. Please contact Brent Burge at 88224 if you have any questions.