Category: High School Info

DATE:
March 12, 2019

TO: 
Principals
Assistant Principals
Attendance Secretaries
Financial Secretaries

FROM: 
Administrator of Schools
Dr. Anthony Godfrey, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Planning & Student Services

SUBJECT:
Accepting and/or Denying Late Enrollment Permit Applications

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Permit applications submitted after the third (3^rd) Friday of February for the following school year or any permit for the current school year, must be approved based on the “adjusted capacity” of the school. The adjusted capacity is the total number of students who could be served in a school if each teacher were to have a class size based on the staffing ratio for each grade level (§53G-6-401).  Late enrollment permit acceptance is determined by the staffing ratio as follows:

• Elementary schools use the student-to-teacher ratio for each grade level to determine if there is space available.
• Secondary schools use the student-to-teacher ratio for each core class within each grade level to determine if space is available.

Schools must use the following standards for accepting and/or rejecting an application (§53G-6-403):

The standards for accepting or rejecting an application for enrollment may include:

1. For an elementary, the capacity of the grade level;
2. Not offering, or having capacity in, an elementary or secondary special education or other special program the student requires;
3. Maintenance of reduced class sizes (Title I, or school trust money used to reduce class sizes);
4. Willingness of prospective students to comply with district policies; and
5. Giving priority to intradistrict transfers over interdistrict transfers.

The standards for accepting or rejecting an application for enrollment may NOT include:

1. Previous academic achievement;
2. Athletic or other extracurricular ability;
3. The fact that the student requires special education services for which space is available;
4. Proficiency in the English language; or
5. Previous disciplinary proceedings, except as follows:
   1. There has been a serious infraction of the law of school rules;
   2. The student has been guilty of chronic misbehavior which would, if it were to continue after the student was admitted:
      1. Endanger persons or property;
      2. Cause serious disruptions in the school; or
      3. Place unreasonable burdens on school staff.

Using the waitlist in PowerSchool and the standards listed above, permit applications are granted (seated) by the school on a first-come, first-served basis for the entire school year.

Please contact Travis at 88251 (801.567.8251) should you have any questions.

DATE:  
March 14, 2019

TO:  
All Jordan School District Principals (with bus route students)

FROM: 
Scott Thomas, Administrator of Auxiliary Services
Herb Jensen, Director of Transportation
Kathy Jones, Transportation Trainer/Risk Coordinator

SUBJECT:  
State Required Bus Evacuations and School Bus Safety 2018-2019

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State required semi-annual school bus evacuations have been scheduled for this spring.  This applies to those students that ride the bus daily to and from school.

The evacuations will be conducted during the week of:

Monday, April 22, 2019 thru Friday, April 26, 2019

Your school’s regular bus driver will perform this evacuation as they drop your students off in the morning, one day during that week.  This procedure takes place at your school and is located in your normal bus drop off/pick up zone.  All professional school bus drivers that transport students are required to perform evacuation procedures in case of an emergency.  Bus evacuation will be through the rear door, side door, front door or a combination.  Students will then, under the direction and supervision of the bus driver, evacuate and meet in a safe place approximately 100 feet away from the bus.

Your assistance is welcome but not mandatory to complete this required evacuation drill quickly, safely and effectively.

We appreciate all you do to help us safely transport your students.

 

DATE: 
March 14, 2019

TO:   
Principals
2019 Graduating Interns

FROM: 
June LeMaster, Ph.D., Human Resource Administrator
Anthony Godfrey, Ed.D., Associate Superintendent

SUBJECT: 
Intern Graduations 2019

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It is a long-standing practice in Jordan School District to allow full time, in state partnership university teacher interns to take one (1) day leave to attend either their own university commencement or convocation, without penalty.  This year, this practice is expanded to allow all full time university interns including teacher interns, school psychologists and counselor interns, etc., the same privilege.  Interns attending both in state and out of state university commencement ceremonies are allowed one (1) day; therefore, some interns may need to choose between commencement and convocation.

If a substitute is needed for coverage, the intern is responsible for requesting a substitute through Frontline (formerly known as AESOP).  The absence reason entered should be “other” and in the blue “notes to administrator box”, the intern should add the following information “District excused 0050 - personal graduation”.  For additional assistance, please contact Juli Martin at 801-567-8219.

See dates for the in state 2019 University Commencement and Convocation Ceremonies on the attached memo.

 

 

DATE:
March 1, 2019

TO:
All Principals

FROM:
Administrator of Schools
Dr. Anthony Godfrey, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Planning and Student Services

SUBJECT:
Student Enrollment for February 2019

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Please see memo below.

DATE: 
Thursday, February 28, 2019

TO:   
All Principals

FROM: 
Dr. Anthony Godfrey, Associate Superintendent
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT:    
Research Project - Trauma-Informed Teaching: How Teachers Conceptualize and Operationalize Trauma Theory

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

Project Title:     Trauma-Informed Teaching: How Teachers Conceptualize and Operationalize Trauma Theory

Applicant:     Daniel Harnsberger, University of Utah

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 conduct the study at your school.  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 principals, or their designee, sending out an email to licensed faculty with a link for teachers to take a voluntary online survey.

Thank you for your assistance.

DATE:  
February 7, 2019

TO: 
School Psychologists, Elementary Counselors, and Social Workers

FROM:  
Dr. Anthony Godfrey, Associate Superintendent
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Fulvia Franco, Program Specialist – Guidance

SUBJECT: 
February Guidance Meeting

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A Guidance meeting has been scheduled for Friday, February 22 from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Jordan School District Auxiliary Services Building Auditorium (7905 South Redwood Road). Douglas Goldsmith, Ph.D., Psychologist in Independent Practice, will provide us with a presentation on “Parents Behaving Badly: Working with Children Experiencing Trauma and High Conflict Divorce.”

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

cc:
Principals

DATE: 
February 13, 2019

TO:  
Principals and Administrative Assistants

FROM:  
Administrators of Schools
Dr. Anthony Godfrey, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Planning and Student Services

SUBJECT: 
Residency Determinations

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Please see attached memo.

DATE:   
February 13, 2019

TO: 
Principals
Elementary Administrative Assistants
Secondary Registrars

FROM: 
Administrator of Schools
Dr. Anthony Godfrey, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Planning & Student Services

SUBJECT: 
Elementary, middle and high school non-transferred student files
Retention Schedule

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Schools will periodically have files of students who have attended Jordan School District in grades K-8 and never attend grades 9-12. In the event that a transcript was never created and the student’s cumulative folder was never requested, the student’s cumulative folder then becomes the record to retain permanently as required by law. These records are to be handled as follows:  (refer to page 51 in the Planning & Student Services Manual). 

Non-transferred Records (Dead Files):

Non-transferred student cumulative/permanent records of students in grades kindergarten through 8 shall be held in that school until the student’s grade level is advanced to the next school level. (i.e., 6^th grade records are sent to the feeder middle school and 9^th grade records are sent to the feeder high school each June). Once at the feeder high school the record shall be retained three (3) years after the student would have graduated. At the end of three years these records shall be transferred to the Planning & Student Services Department each year by June 30 and then sent to the State Records Center and retained for 17 years and then transferred to the State Archives permanently.

The following remain in the file:

1. • achievement test scores,
   • copies of report cards,
   • health records, and
   • pertinent information concerning the student 

Examples of these files may include:

• A student who attended Jordan School District in grades K-8 and never attended a public high school in the State of Utah grades 9-12.
• The death of a student – a certified copy of the cumulative folder should be retained and the family may be given the original if requested.

Please refer to UTREX to make sure the student has not attended a school within the State of Utah before sending the files to Planning & Student Services for retention. If they are active in another school within the State, contact that school and have them officially request the record. If you do not have a UTREX username/password, one may be requested from Information Systems at the principals written (e-mail) request.

Questions, please contact Student Services at 801-567-8183.

Thank you.

DATE:  
January 13, 2019

TO: 
Principals
Administrative Assistants
Registrars

FROM: 
Administrator of Schools
Dr. Anthony Godfrey, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Planning & Student Services

SUBJECT: 
New Student Grade Level Placement

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When a student enrolls in Jordan School District they should be placed according to their age (see the Age Chart found on page 19 of the Planning and Student Services Manual). This would include students that enroll from another state or country. Exceptions include:

• A military child who does not meet the deadline but has previously attended kindergarten or a higher grade as a resident in another state. (53G-4-402 and 53E-3-902)
• A student who was accelerated or retained in a previous school or district within the state of Utah. Jordan District will honor the acceleration or retention and continue to place the student in the next consecutive grade.
• A student who was home schooled should be placed based on the parents request. Examples include, but are not limited to:
  • The student attended a public school in the 7^th grade but was in home school for the 8^th The parent(s) or guardian(s) requests placement in the 8^th grade. The school would place the student according to the request.
  • The student attended public school in the 7^th grade but was in home school for the 8^th The parent(s) or guardian(s) states that the student completed both the 8^th and 9^th grade during the past school year, and requests placement in the 10^th grade. The school would place the student according to the request.
• A student who has never been in an educational setting should be placed according to their age.
• A student may be enrolled in the first grade even though the child did not meet the entry date for kindergarten the previous year, provided a full year of kindergarten was successfully completed in another state or private school (not daycare or preschool). The parent(s) or guardian(s) shall provide convincing evidence that the child has the academic, social and emotional skills necessary to succeed in first grade AND provide a statement from the previous school that verifies the student’s successful completion of the kindergarten curriculum.

Jordan School District does NOT enroll:

• Any student who has previously received a diploma.
• Any student who is not five (5) years of age before September 2^nd of the year they will be entering school (R277-419-2).

If the parent(s) or guardian(s) disagree with the student’s placement they may request acceleration or retention testing. Acceleration and/or retention testing is conducted to determine academic ability (see Grade Accelerations and/or Retentions on page 17 of the Planning and Student Services Manual).

Please contact Planning and Student Services (801.567.8183) with any questions you may have.

DATE:
February 1, 2019

TO:
All Principals

FROM:
Administrator of Schools
Dr. Anthony Godfrey, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Planning and Student Services

SUBJECT:
Student Enrollment for January 2019

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Please see memo below.

DATE: 
Thursday, January 31, 2019

TO:
All Principals

FROM:  
Dr. Anthony Godfrey, Associate Superintendent
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT:  
Research Project

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

Project Title:     Educating Schools on Congenital Heart Disease

Applicant:     Katie Barton, University of Utah

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 conduct the study at your school.  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 the administration of a 10-minute survey to teachers, administrators and specialists on a voluntary basis.

Thank you for your assistance.