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Category: High Schools

Published on

DATE:      
April 6, 2023

TO: 
All Administrators

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

SUBJECT:  
You and your staff are invited to a Wellness Accelerator Event!

You and your staff are invited to a Wellness Accelerator Event at JATC South Auditorium on April 14th, from 1:30-3:30.

The 2023 Wellness Accelerator is an opportunity to learn from passionate educators like you. There will be a variety of topics covered through brief, prepared table-top discussions from educators around Jordan District on strategies for student and staff wellness. Participants should plan on walking away with practical ways to enhance wellness for yourself and others!

Who should attend? You! Jordan School District administrators, school leaders, and staff committed to SEL/wellness initiatives (substitutes can be provided upon request) are invited to attend.

Review the attached flyer and share with those that would benefit from attending.

Please contact McKinley Withers (mckinley.withers@jordandistrict.org) for additional information and questions.

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If you are a contracted employee and need to take Annual/Personal Leave before or after Memorial Day for any reason not listed in policy DP335NEG or DP335B, you must submit a request as follows:

How to Request
During the window, the employee must send the request through email. Please include your name, school, position, and the date you are requesting the leave. Requests left on voicemail or over the phone will NOT be accepted.

Licensed employees submit their request to licensedpersonalleave@jordandistrict.org

Education Support Professionals submit their request to classifiedpersonalleave@jordandistrict.org

The employee will receive an email confirmation within two working days after submitting the request. If the employee does not receive a confirmation email, then Human Resources has NOT received your request and your leave will not be approved.

Please note: Employees shall not be considered for paid annual leave the day before or after a school holiday more than once during any contract year.

School Holiday Date of Holiday Window
Memorial Day May 29, 2023 April 14 – April 24, 2023

Annual/Personal Leave Taken Before or After a Holiday 2022-2023

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A notification was sent in the Jordan Employee Memos on March 2, 2023 indicating the need to submit a request for the lottery to use Annual or Personal leave for the day before/after the April 24, 2023 Mid Spring non-contract day.

Due to the nature of this new leave day, employees WILL NOT be required to request the day before/after April 24, 2023 as part of the lottery process. Any employee requesting to use an Annual or Personal leave day before/after April 24, 2023 may do so without penalty.

Those who submitted a lottery request for April 24, 2023 will also be emailed individually. We apologize for any inconvenience this miscommunication may have caused.

2022-23 Personal Leave Before/After a Holiday - Updated

 

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Surplus of School Chromebooks and iPads:

Surplus Chromebooks and iPads, along with their associated charging cord, cases, etc., may be given (not sold) to students (not staff) if all of the following are done:

  • The Chromebook has either:
    1. Reached its end of life date; or
    2. Is estimated to have less than $50 value remaining
  • The iPad either:
    1. Cannot be managed remotely; or
    2. Is estimated to have less than $50 value remaining
  • The device is deemed surplus by the Principal in consultation with the School Tech
  • The School Tech wipes the device of all files before physical transfer takes place
  • The physical transfer to the student takes place at or after the end of the school year
  • The normal surplus form is completed and submitted to Purchasing, indicating the items were given to students

All other surplus technology items are to be sent to the surplus warehouse as normal.

Published on

DATE:  
Thursday, April 13, 2023

TO:   
All Middle and High School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:  
Utah Aspire Plus OnDemand Reports

School administrators are encouraged to pass the following information on to their 9th or 10th grade ELA, math, and science teachers. See the memo below.

Published on

DATE:
April 10, 2023

TO:
Principals
Elementary and Middle School Resource Team Leaders
High School Special Education Team Leaders

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

SUBJECT:
Special Education Resource Instructional Assistants for 2023-24
Special Education Support Class Instructional Assistants for 2023-24

This memo is designed to explain how special education instructional assistants can be requested and will be allocated to each schools’ special education program(s) for the 2023-24 school year. If you have any questions, please contact your assigned teacher specialist or program administrator. We want to make sure everyone has the support staff necessary to meet student’s individual IEP needs.

Please Submit all forms to your assigned teacher specialist by Thursday, April 20, 2023. You will receive a preliminary critical needs instructional assistant allocation by Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Additional Critical Needs may be requested after school starts or if the students in your class or program change significantly.

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The May Assistant Principal meetings will be held on May 4 (8:00-11:00am) and May 9 (8:00-11:00am). All meetings will be held in-person at the JATC-S. All assistant principals and intern assistant principals are invited. A beverage service will be provided, beginning at 7:30 am at each of the meetings. As a reminder you only need to attend one of the sessions offered per month. Both sessions will provide the same information. Please CLICK HERE and it will take you to the Google Doc to sign up for which day you would like to attend. If you have any questions please call Nadine Page at 801-567-8182 (x88182). Thank you!

Published on

DATE:   
April 5, 2023

TO:  
All Administrators and Administrative Assistants

FROM:  
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Sarah Palmer, Director of Payroll

SUBJECT:  
Substitute Bonus (extra pay) Charged to Budgets

 Each month, substitutes can receive a bonus (extra pay) based on the number of days they substitute for the District without cancelling a scheduled day. This bonus is intended to increase the wage rate for substitutes who work these extra days. As such, this bonus is charged proportionately to the budgets which paid for the base substitute wages during the month. Therefore, you may see a charge to your budgets for this extra pay for substitutes your budget paid for during the month if the substitute qualified for the bonus.

Published on

DATE:  
April 6, 2023

TO: 
Principals and Administrative Assistants

FROM:  
John Larsen, Business Administrator

SUBJECT:  
Legislative Supply Envelopes – Due May 1, 2023

We thought a few reminders might be helpful as you collect legislative envelopes.

1)   Carry-Over of Unused Supply Funds. Principal approval is required if a teacher would like to carry-over unused funds to the next school year. If approval is given, the principal should sign the envelope in the bottom right-hand box. The Guidelines state that “As a general rule, balances less than $50 should be carried over to the next year.” However, carry-over amounts are at the principal’s discretion. Also, if a teacher has an amount remaining at the end of the year of $5 or less, no return of the funds is needed.

A list of all teachers who have carry-over amounts should be kept so this information can be written on the teacher’s envelope for the 2023-24 school year and added to the amount of the current year funds. As a reminder, if a teacher with a carry-over amount transfers to a different school within the District and the principal allows the teacher to use the carry-over funds at the new school, please communicate this to the administrative assistant at the new school so they can record the information on the teacher’s envelope. If the principal does not approve the use of funds at the new school, the teacher will need to return the unused funds.

2)   Payroll Deductions. For teachers not approved to carry over unused funds, a payroll deduction will be needed. The request for a payroll deduction should be sent to Sarah Palmer, director of Payroll, and can be emailed to her at: sarah.palmer@jordandistrict.org. Please provide Sarah with the employee name(s), school location, amount of the deduction, and an explanation about the need for the deduction. Please provide this information by May 10 for the May 25 paycheck or by June 10 for the June 25 paycheck.

3)   Principal Use of Unused Supply Funds. Unused supply money that is returned to the District via payroll deduction or other means (check or cash) will be made available to the principal to use. After a payroll deduction is completed, the Payroll Department will provide the Accounting Department with the school location and amount and a journal entry will be done to transfer the funds to the school’s 2000 account.

4)   Teachers that Resign During the School Year. If a teacher resigns during the school year, please ask for the return of his/her legislative supply envelope before they leave. If there is a balance remaining of unspent funds, this money needs to be returned to the District via a payroll deduction made before the employee receives his/her final paycheck. If your school has a check-out procedure for teachers that resign, please add the return of the envelope to the procedures to insure the legislative envelope and unused funds are returned.

5)   Storing Legislative Envelopes. After collecting the envelopes on May 1, please keep them in a secure location at the school for a period of four years. The envelopes are subject to random audits by District auditors.

Thank you for your help with legislative supply money. If you have questions, please contact my administrative assistant, Lisa LeStarge, at 801-567-8120 or email: lisa.lestarge@jordandistrict.org.

ll/jl

Published on

DATE:    
April 6, 2023

TO:    
Jordan District Administrators, Directors

FROM:    
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Administrators of Schools

SUBJECT:   
Time Schedule for the Last Day of School

Please review the attached memo carefully for your school dismissal time, and convey this information to your students and parents.

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The 2023 Wellness Accelerator is an opportunity to learn from passionate educators like you. There will be a variety of topics covered through brief, prepared table-top discussions from educators around Jordan District on strategies for student and staff wellness. Plan on walking away with practical ways to enhance wellness for yourself and others!

See the flyer below for all the details.

Published on

DATE:      
April 6, 2023

TO:
All Administrators & Threat Assessment Teams

FROM: 
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
McKinley Withers, Health and Wellness
Angie Rasmussen, Student Safety & Wellness Specialist

SUBJECT:  
Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) Level 2 Workshop

CSTAG training consists of two (2) training levels and both levels must be completed by all administrator’s 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. If you have already completed level 2, you are welcome to attend this training as a refresher.

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.

An upcoming session for the level 2 workshop will be offered June 9, 2023. Select the link below to register for a session of CSTAG Level 2 training.

In-Person Training:
Friday, June 9th (In-Person)
JATC South Auditorium
10:00am-12:00pm Section # 117422

Please sign up using JPLS for the session you will be attending on JPLS
The course number is 101883.

If you are not certain about having completed the CSTAG Level 1 course or should you have any questions please reach out to Angie Rasmussen at angie.rasmussen@jordandistrict.org.

Published on

DELAYED - 2023- 24 Special Calendar Request Information – Licensed Only

Once approval is granted for the 2023-24 JORDAN SCHOOL DISTRICT Employee Calendars, the HR Department will provide Special Calendar request information to principals and licensed employees. Please continue to watch for information in JAM and JEM.

Published on

DATE: 
April 5, 2023

TO:  
Principals
Assistant Principals
Panorama Survey Coordinators

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

SUBJECT: 
Spring Panorama SEL Surveys

The 2023 Spring survey will open on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 (next Wednesday) and remain open until Friday, May 19, 2023. Data is a powerful tool for intervention, support, and change. The SEL survey data provides you with formative norm-referenced data that can assist you in providing direct interventions and guidance for students and your school culture.

The following information will assist you in administering the survey:

  • None of the questions will change from previous SEL Surveys
  • During the Survey window you will receive weekly reminders and links to tools and information from Panorama
  • You will be able to track response rates throughout the survey window
  • Results for the SEL survey will be compiled and released to you on May 26th.
  • Schools should communicate with parents/patrons and staff about the administration of the survey.
    • It is optional for parents and students and must never be a part of any academic grade or qualification for participation.
  • Beginning April 12 Student surveys will be available for students in grades 3-12 until Friday, May 19th. Students can access their surveys by visiting panoramaed.com/utahjordan and entering their student ID number as their access code.

To help ensure that you are set up to facilitate a smooth survey project at your school, please see the resources below.

  • Survey Coordinator Webinar Slides: See instructions for survey-taking, tips for increasing response rates, information about accessibility, and resources for proctors.
  • Communications Toolkit: See the materials for communicating with stakeholders about the Student SEL Survey. On this page, there are customizable decks to use for school or team presentations and mini vocabulary lessons for students before the survey.
  • Survey Content: Preview the survey content for grades 3-5 or 6-12.
    • You may absolutely share the questions with patrons and staff.
  • For ANY technical issues you will need to communicate directly with Panorama at support+utahjordan@panoramaed.com.

Please contact Travis Hamblin (travis.hamblin@jordandistrict.org) or (801-567-8439) should you have any questions.

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We want to make sure we are able to meet the needs of our growing Languages in our District. As our numbers grow, our procedure has to change to better utilize the staff we have. Please share this with your Administrative assistants and reach out to Nicole in LCS for any questions.

Published on

DATE:  
Thursday, April 6, 2023

TO:  
All School Administrators

FROM: 
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, 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: Advancing Evidence-Based Policy through Measured Understanding of Implementation: A Focus on Statewide School Breakfast

Applicant: Lori Spruance, Brigham Young University-Provo

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 school employees and lunch managers participating in a brief survey. Participants who meet the eligibility requirements as determined by the survey will also participate in an interview.

Thank you for your assistance.

 

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April showers will bring us May flowers (at least that's the hope)! A lot is happening in April -- testing season is upon us, we finish up the month of Ramadan, earth day, and Easter will soon be here. Our days are getting longer and we will soon see those flowers begin to crawl out from their winter hibernation. Hopefully, our very snowy winter will give our valley some much needed hydration and life this summer (without too much flooding). We at LCS hope you and your loved ones can enjoy the sun and the holidays this April!

The full newsletter can be found at the link below. Stories include:

ELLevation Tips and Tricks
Create your own dashboard or add a new tile to your current dashboard. Dashboards allow you to quickly access the most relevant and important data in Ellevation all in one place, and a Dashboard Tile is a bite-sized representation of key data about your ML students. When you first log in to ELLevation, you see our district's main dashboard, and all the different information squares are the tiles. You can create a Tile from any Student List configuration, and you can arrange one or more Tiles on a Dashboard to see relevant data points all in one place. You can customize your own ELLevation Dashboard with the Tiles of data that are relevant to you. Simply click the link or scan the QR code below for step-by-step instructions and videos to walk you through this process. Make sure you are logged into ELLevation before clicking or scanning so that it takes you straight to the help page!

Teaching Strategies Supporting Newcomers
As intimidating as it may be for teachers to have students new to the country with no English, imagine how scary it is for your new student. Here are a few things you can do to help your newcomers feel welcome:

  • Expect culture shock and a silent period for the student (a period where no talking happens at all).
  • Know that a smile, kind tone, and welcoming body language from you and other students go such a long way in helping your new student feel welcome.
  • Give them flashcards with survival words/phrases (with a translation in their home language, if possible). Things like asking for the bathroom or needing a drink or food can help them navigate their new experience.
  • At the secondary level, work with all the student's teachers to develop similar greetings, goodbyes, and other phrases to use with the child. This helps them to understand the language more quickly and feel secure. When they know what to expect, it is one less thing they need to worry about in their new environment.
  • Give them time to process what is being said and to respond. Use visuals whenever possible and repeat new language when possible.
  • Talk to your new student one-on-one every day. Repeat the same phrase so that they learn it more quickly.

Culture Corner
The "Racial Justice Challenge" organized by the YWCA begins April 17th. The challenge runs through the month of April to help raise awareness of systemic racism. It is "designed to create dedicated time and space to build more effective social justice habits, particularly those dealing with issues of race, power, privilege, and leadership. The Challenge works to foster personal reflection, encourage social responsibility, and motivate participants to identify and act on ways to dismantle racism and other forms of discrimination. Daily challenge activities (reading an article, listening to a podcast, reflecting on personal experience, etc.) are posted in the Challenge app and website, allowing participants to connect with one another, discover how racial and social injustice impact our community, and identify ways to dismantle racism and other forms of discrimination."

Reflective Questions

  • How does my identity shape my thinking, values, and understanding of the world?
  • How do my student's identities shape their thinking, values, and understanding of the world?
  • Where might our understandings conflict?
  • What learning have I done this year to better understand myself, my teaching, and my students?

ELD Lead Celebration
April Winegar is a teacher and ELD lead at WJHS. She is passionate about teaching, and works hard to implement programs that support the MLs at her school. She started up a Task Force long before we began doing it district-wide. She has a New ELD Lead folder with great information that she shares with new ELD Leads to guide them in their role. She goes above and beyond to promote and recruit students for the Seal of Biliteracy, and she is always striving to improve the ELD culture school-wide. But most of all, her students know she cares. She is always smiling, always willing to help, and one of the kindest people you will ever meet.

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Please see the attached Memo for details on checking your end of year SCRAM report with your team, and getting everything returned by Monday, May 1, 2023.

Team leaders will be receiving the SCRAM Report for your school through District Mail and should use the established communication system already developed to work with each other so all have a chance to check the report.

Don't forget that all graduating seniors need an exit SCRAM, as well as any student not returning to our district, by the end of the school year.

If you have any questions, please contact the teacher specialist over your school or Jen Warkentine at 801-567-8207.