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DATE: 
August 13, 2020

TO:  
Principals
Assistant Principals
Administrative Assistants
Secondary Attendance Secretaries

FROM: 
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Administrators of Schools
Travis Hamblin, Planning & Student Services
Sharon Jensen, Consultant, Student Support Services
Caleb Olson, Consultant, Planning & Enrollment

SUBJECT: 
Marking Attendance for Quarantining or Isolating Students


Until the resolution of the current pandemic, it is highly likely that students will be excluded due to quarantine or self-isolation from in-person participation in classroom instructional activities. Many of these students and their parents will desire continued access and participation in these instructional activities during their quarantine or self-isolation periods. It is imperative that students who temporarily cease in-person attendance but continue participation in instructional activities are appropriately marked in Skyward so that they are counted in attendance for average daily membership (ADM) totals.

Please read the complete memo below.

 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in compliance with the State of Utah Public Health Order, Jordan School District will require students to wear face coverings while at school.

Jordan School District recognizes that some students may have a medical condition, mental health condition, or disability that prevents wearing a face covering. In order to receive an exemption from the State’s face covering requirements, this form must be completed and returned to the school your child attends prior to your student attending school without a face covering.

Please have your primary care provider complete the Medical Certification by doing one of the following:

  1. Complete and sign the Medical Certification below.
  2. Attach an email or note from the primary care provider outlining the same information as indicated below to this completed form.

2020-2021 Student Face Mask Exemption Request

Mask - FAQs

Dear Parents,

Thank you for working with us as Jordan School District prepares to reopen schools with in-person and virtual online learning.

As we bring students, teachers and staff back into our schools and buildings, we want you to be aware the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has defined individuals who may be at higher risk for contracting COVID-19.

Everyone is at risk for getting COVID-19 if they are exposed to the virus. While students have been less affected by COVID-19 compared to adults, students with certain conditions may be at increased risk for severe illness. 

According to the CDC, children who are medically complex, who have serious genetic, neurologic, metabolic disorders, and with congenital (since birth) heart disease might be at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. 

Other at-risk factors or underlying medical conditions may include: 

  • Cancer 
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) 
  • Immunocompromised (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant 
  • Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 or higher)
  • Serious heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Type 2 diabetes 

Based on what we know now, people with the following health conditions might be at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19:

  • Asthma (moderate to severe)
  • Cerebrovascular disease (a disease which affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain)
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV/ • AIDS, use of corticosteroids, or use of other immune weakening medicines
  • High blood pressure or hypertension
  • Liver disease
  • Neurologic conditions such as dementia
  • Pregnancy
  • Pulmonary fibrosis (having damaged or scarred lung tissues)
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Thalassemia (a type of blood disorder)
  • Type 1 diabetes

If any of the above conditions listed above describe your child please indicate by logging into Skyward Family Access at https://skystu.jordan.k12.ut.us/ and completing the “Online Form”.

Skyward Screen Language
The Jordan School District and local health department will use this information to notify parents of at-risk students in the event of a positive Covid-19 diagnosis in your child’s class or school. 

After reading the information above, I would identify my student as “at-risk” for COVID-19. I understand that The Jordan School District and local health department will use this information to contact me in the event of a positive COVID-19 diagnosis in my child’s class or school. 

  • Yes, I identify my student as at-risk.

 

Last night, after negotiations with JESPA and JEA, the Board of Education voted to approve changes to leave policies for all benefit-eligible employees. Below is a brief summary of what those changes mean, as well as a description of federal leave options available through December 31, 2020.

Changes to Leave Policy

  • 6 weeks of maternity leave is available to all benefit-eligible employees.
  • 2 weeks of paternity leave is available to all benefit-eligible employees (to be taken in the first year of the child’s life).
  • Instead of receiving sick, family sick, and personal leave, employees will receive an equal amount of “annual leave” that can be used for any purpose.
  • Any annual leave days that are not used by July 1 each year will convert to sick leave.
  • All personal and sick leave accrued before July 1 remains available and unchanged.

Federal Leave Assistance through FFCRA

  • The Families First Coronavirus Response Act entitles employees to the following leave above and beyond what is offered through policy:
    • 80 hours of leave for employees who cannot work because of quarantine.
    • 80 hours of leave at ⅔ pay to care for an individual who has been quarantined.
    • 10 weeks of leave at ⅔ pay to provide child care for a child whose school or daycare has closed because of COVID-19.

Additional Information

  • A moratorium has been placed on all low-absence or no-absence incentives.
  • Teachers may be able to teach from home virtually during quarantine, avoiding the need to take leave.
  • Individuals must be employed for at least 30 days to qualify for federal leave.
  • The deadline for using vacation leave accrued during the 2019-20 school year has been extended to December 31, 2020.

Employees should review the documents at the links below and/or consult with the Human Resources department or their supervisor before making decisions about leave. 

Policies - Licensed

Policies - ESP

Reminder: This deadline of September 1, 2020 is approaching fast! We need your qualified people to apply. Please encourage them!

Do you know someone who should be an administrator? Have them apply by September 1, 2020.

See flyer for further information. Session 1 will be held on October 6, 2020 at the District Office.

 

To assist all users logging in jsd.instructure.com Canvas, a Google single sign-on authentication has been enabled. When navigating to jsd.instructure.com the landing page will have the option to login as a student, teacher, or parent. When logging in as a teacher or student you will use your JSD provided email username and password. With this change, a new site has been set up for all
https://digitallearning.jordandistrict.org/canvaslogin/ If you are already logged into your JSD email and navigate to jsd.instructure.com you will be automatically signed in. Additionally, as a Google user, you will be able to access jsd.instructure.com by clicking on the Google waffle icon and locating the Canvas icon.

DATE: 
Thursday, August 13, 2020

TO: 
High School Principals

FROM:  
Shelley Nordick, Ph.D., Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT: 
Fall ACT Voucher Release


High school test coordinators received the last round of ACT vouchers to be used for this fall’s national testing dates. Here is the information school administrators need to know about these vouchers:

  • They may only be used by students who were 11th graders during the 2019-20 school year that did not take the ACT with the rest of the district in March and who did not take advantage of the vouchers distributed in June.
  • Students must register for the ACT test at a national testing site. They may use the voucher as the form of payment.
  • Your test coordinators received the fall vouchers for your school on August 10th.
  • Test coordinators may send vouchers to eligible students along with the cover letter and supplemental instructions included with this memo.

Please contact Brooke Anderson or Ben Jameson in Evaluation, Research & Accountability with any questions.

Attached are all forms and documents distributed during the level meetings at the annual Administrative Leadership Conference held August 5, 2020

DATE: 
August 6, 2020

TO: 
Principals
All Special Education Staff

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

SUBJECT:     
Update Contact Information for Office of Special Education


Please be advised that all questions and concerns regarding Special Education are to be directed to Amanda Hamblin effective immediately. Amanda may be contacted via phone at 801-567-8176 or by email at amanda.hamblin@jordandistrict.org. You may also contact the teacher specialist assigned to your school with any questions. Please work with your teacher specialist for your materials requests as well as any equipment needs or requests. The current teacher specialist assignments are attached here for your reference.

DATE: 
July 1, 2020

TO:  
Principals
Special Education Teachers (Preschool and School-Age) Speech-Language Pathologists

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

SUBJECT:  
Extended Year Special Educator Stipends 2020-21


Please read the attached information and instructions carefully. There is a different procedure for submitting Extended Days for payment than previously used.

DATE:
August 5, 2020

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 2020-21 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.-12:00 p.m.:

  • September 9, 2020
  • October 14, 2020 (Viridian Center)
  • November 18, 2020
  • January 13, 2021
  • February 17, 2021
  • March 2020 (UELMA Conference)
  • April 14, 2021
  • May 19, 2021

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.

Classroom Grant applications will be accepted from August 1, 2020 to October 31, 2020 or until funding is depleted.  However, actual grant awards may be received up through Friday, November 20, 2020 – OR UNTIL FUNDING IS DEPLETED.  Both the application period and the funding period will end before November 20 if JEF funds have been exhausted by eligible projects. Bottom line: APPLY EARLY! Please see document below for more information.

2020-21 Classroom Grant Application Process:

Step 1    Go to donorschoose.org. Create a Donors Choose account and project. Use the criteria provided within the JEF Google Form to describe your project.

Step 2  Go to jordaneducationfoundation.org, and click on the Classroom Grants APPLY HERE link found on the front page.

Step 3    Provide the link to your Donors Choose project in Section 2 of the JEF Google Form. (This is how we’ll know which projects to fund).

Step 4    If your project does not meet Donors Choose requirements or is for materials/licenses that are not covered by Donors Choose, please complete the “APPLICATIONS NOT APPLICABLE TO DONORS CHOOSE” Section 3 of the JEF Google Form.

Step 5    Submit application to JEF

If you have any questions about the application or funding process,
please call Jordan Education Foundation at 801-567-8125.

Nutrition Services – Principal Start-up Reminders for the Cafeteria

  • Please remember that meals must also be available for ‘Electronic Learners’. These students will need to pick up meals from the cafeteria.
  • You have received a Friday Schedule Outline. Please note that in regards to student meals offered, breakfast will only be served at your school if you are ‘normally’ a breakfast serving site.
  • To better ensure student safety in the cafeteria, students will not enter lunch numbers (their student ID number) into keypads. Nutrition Services will provide elementary lunch clerks with all the supplies needed to make ‘meal’ cards for their schools. These cards will show the students name, Teacher, ID# (numerical), grade and the barcoded ID#. Clerks will scan the barcoded ID number into our meal counting system. Elementary school clerks will also be offered ‘binders’ with printouts, by class, of all students with their barcoded ID# next to their name. Clerks with the support of their site manager and principal can choose this ‘card less’ meal counting option.

Secondary students will be using their Student ID cards when receiving meals in the cafeteria. Cashiers will scan the barcode student ID into our meal counting system. Please be aware that students must have their student ID cards with them when they receive meals (electronic learners must also have their ID cards with them to receive meals). Please ensure that students have their ID cards the first day of school and remind them that they will need their ID cards with them when receiving meals in the cafeteria.

When enrolling new students, the Entry/Withdrawal screen in Skyward should be reviewed to ensure that August 17th is the official start date for the 2020-2021 school year. Students should be enrolled in courses with the official start date of August 17th, as well. After August 17th, students shall be enrolled using their actual start date.