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Black History Month is a time of reflection, recognition, and rejoicing on the achievements that African Americans have made in history. Rejoicing and celebrating in the hope for a better tomorrow for all generations and recognizing the life lessons and legacy of our ancestors and be thankful for their sacrifice.

The Black Student Union and Multicultural Clubs of Jordan District invite you to a fun celebration to kick off Black History Month on Friday, Jan. 27 from 6 - 8 p.m. at Elk Ridge Middle. Dr. Tamara Stevenson, President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & C.D.O. at Westminster College is the Keynote speaker.

 

We hope you all had time to relax and recuperate during your winter break. Whether that means time with family, or time alone--all of us deserve the break. The December student sillies are over, and now we move into testing season. The WIDA Window is open--which means you will see your ML students being pulled out of class to participate in the yearly WIDA test. Encourage them to do their best, especially in secondary.

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

  • ELLevation Tips and Tricks - After pulling up an activity that you would like to try in your classroom, scroll down on the activity information page to find the "Student Support" section. This section will have a list of all your ML students and their levels. It will then show you what modifications or accommodations you should make for a student at this level and tell you which students need these modifications/accomodations.
  • Culture Corner - "Culturally responsive teaching (CRT) is an educator's ability to recognize students' cultural displays of learning and meaning-making and respond positively and constructively with teaching moves that use cultural knowledge as a scaffold to connect what the student knows to new concepts and content in order to promote effective information processing. All the while, the educator understands the importance of being in a relationship and having a social-emotional connection with the student in order to create a safe space for learning."
  • WIDA Window January 5 - March 3 - The WIDA Window is the time period in which schools administer the WIDA language test to all ML students who are a level 1-4.9. Your students will periodically be pulled from class to take this test, so be understanding if they miss some class time. The test can take a while and be tiring, so be positive and understanding if they are feeling a little burned out or tired. If they test a 5 or above they never have to take it again, which can be motivating to many students--so encourage them to do their best!
  • ELD Lead Celebration - Mountain Shadows Elementary ELD Lead, Susan Allen, has put together a "Dream Team" of students excelling at learning English. They help other students around the school. Every 15 days, their ML students are tested and placed in new Walk to Read groups. For the next cycle, they are having their ML's in a group that focuses on reading, writing, speaking, and listening and they will be speaking into a computer and doing the WIDA practice test.

You all learned what students really wished we knew, now let’s continue to transform our learning environments for students to thrive. There will be amazing keynotes to challenge all Jordan District employees to lead and create positive relationships with our students.

Please attend JEAC, LCS, and EDIs 2nd annual conference on Jan. 17, 2023, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at West Jordan High. Attendees not on contract time will be paid their hourly rate. For those wishing to attend during contract time, please communicate with your supervisor regarding job coverage.

To sign up for the Know More Conference click HERE.


We also want parents to be a part of our team to KNOW More and be a part of listening to one of our powerful keynotes from our educator conference on Jan. 17, 2023, from 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm at West Jordan High. Spanish interpreters will be present. There is no need for parents to sign up, just show up.

Please view the Know More Conference Flyers.

The mileage reimbursement rate is based upon the IRS rate. Effective January 1, 2023, the reimbursement rate is $0.655 per mile. Please use the attached form when submitting for mileage reimbursement. All 2022 mileage reimbursement requests should be submitted as soon as possible. Click HERE to access the mileage form online.

DATE:
Thursday, January 5, 2023

TO:
Middle School Administrators
High School Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Stacee Worthen, Secondary Counseling Consultant

SUBJECT:
Tableau Viewer Accounts for Secondary Lead Counselors


As Evaluation, Research & Accountability and Student Services continue to make data more accessible to educators, we are excited to announce that Tableau Viewer accounts will be given to all secondary lead counselors in middle and high schools.

Secondary lead counselors will have access to the same data that school administrators see.  The only exception will be teacher level data for the Stakeholder Input Survey that only school principals can see.

Lead counselors should have already received an email from Tableau Online letting them know that their account is now active.  They can access the login page using the link below.  As with all Tableau logins, they will need to enter their district email address.  Then it should redirect them to a Google sign-in page where they will re-enter their district email address and then their password.

Click here for the Tableau login page

A Tableau training has been offered to all lead counselors as part of their monthly meeting with district Counseling staff in January.  The training covered the following topics:

  • How to navigate Tableau
  • How to filter data to see demographic performance
  • How to leverage Tableau to complete data projects, track supports and programs, and identify trends and patterns relevant to their roles as counselors

In addition, lead counselors will continue to provide input on what other types of dashboards would be most helpful to them in their role as lead counselors.

Please contact Ben Jameson in Evaluation, Research & Accountability with questions about Tableau accounts.

Please submit all school allocation budget transfer forms to Natalie.Grange@jordandistrict.org, no later than January 31, 2023.  Budget transfers for this school year cannot be made after January 31.

The budget transfer form is attached.

Explore endless opportunities in education at the Jordan Job Fair on Wednesday, Jan. 25 from 6 – 8 p.m. at Oquirrh Hills Middle.

Find out about openings for school bus drivers, classroom assistants, custodians, cafeteria workers, substitute teachers and more. A representative from all schools and departments throughout the district with open positions will be in attendance.

Valued Licensed Employee:
The Human Resource Department is contacting you with important information regarding upcoming events and opportunities.

LICENSE RENEWAL
Teachers and other educators whose educator license will expire on June 30, 2023, are encouraged to begin the license renewal process starting February 1st by going to the USBE website.  You may begin reviewing the videos; however, license renewals cannot be submitted to the USBE before January 2023. The District HR Department will send you reminders in November, January, and March.  A FINAL reminder will be sent to you in April as a 4th and FINAL NOTICE & NOTICE OF TERMINATION should you not receive your license renewal certification in CACTUS by June 30, 2023.

DON’T DELAY – START THE PROCESS NOW!

LICENSED EARLY NOTIFICATION (Resignation or Retirement)
Licensed employees resigning/retiring at the end of the current contract year, who give official early notification in SKYWARD – EMPLOYEE ACCESS, will be eligible for a tiered incentive. To qualify, notification must be submitted on or before the following dates:

  • Jan. 15, 2023: $300.00
  • Feb. 15, 2023: $200.00

The incentive will be paid on the last regular paycheck. Notifications of resignation/retirement received after the dates listed above will not qualify for an incentive. The official District “Notice of Resignation” form is found in Skyward under “Employee Access”. Please see District policy DP318 for more detailed information regarding resignations. If you do not know your Skyward username or password please contact the Help Desk at 801-567-8737.

Licensed employees who do not submit an official “Notice of Resignation” form in Skyward “Employee Access” with at least thirty (30) calendar days’ written notice WILL BE FINED $500, which will be deducted from their final check.  Informing your principal/school administrator either verbally or in writing is not sufficient.  See District Policy DP318 – Resignations - Licensed.

School/District Administrators must submit an official “Notice of Resignation” form in Skyward “Employee Access” with at least sixty (60) calendar days’ written notice WILL BE FINED $500 in accordance with District Policy DP318A – Resignations-Administrators. 

TEACHER TRANSFER FAIR
This year, the annual Teacher Transfer Fair is open to all CURRENT JSD teacher/educators AND student teachers, interns and those on a 1-year agreement.  This event is for current Jordan School District teachers/educators seeking a new teaching/assignment opportunity! The transfer fair will be combined for both elementary and secondary teachers/educators.

Please come prepared with:

  • Your JSD ID badge – required to gain entry, AND
  • Copies of your resume available to distribute.

Come explore your options in JORDAN SCHOOL DISTRICT!

If you are a contracted employee and need to take Annual/Personal Leave before or after President’s 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.

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.

School Holiday Date of Holiday Window
President’s Day February 20, 2023 Jan. 6 – Jan. 16, 2023

School/Department Administrators:

We have simplified the process for hiring licensed employees through Frontline. These changes include:

  • A video screening/interview feature
  • Interview documentation simplified
  • Reference forms simplified

Please schedule a training time to see these important modifications. This training is available to administrators and administrative assistants, especially those who are new to Frontline Recruiting/Hiring.

All trainings will be on Zoom. For available dates/times and to schedule a training session, visit the link below.

Frontline Training Schedule for Appointments

Also available on HRConnections and HRAdminOnly are the training videos and tutorials. Contact Brent Burge at #88224 if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
Human Resources

The JEF Outstanding Educator Nomination form is open!  One Outstanding Educator should be nominated from each of the 68 Jordan District schools. Recipients can be nominated by a principal, school administrators, and/or colleagues. However, all nominations must be approved by the nominee's principal. All nominations are due Tuesday, January 17, after the MLK holiday break.  
For more information and to nominate please visit:  Jordan Education Foundation Educator Awards

DATE:
January 5, 2023

TO:
Principals

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director Student Services
Caleb Olson, Consultant, Planning and Enrollment
Scott Festin, Consultant, Planning and Enrollment

SUBJECT:
District Enrollment as of January 3, 2023


Please see the attached memo.

DP318A Resignations – Administrators and DP318 – Resignations – Licensed both state:

“Employees resigning during the contract year will be assessed the cost of a long-term substitute for any leave days used during the last [sixty (60) days for Administrators and thirty (30) days for Licensed employees] of their employment except in the case of an immediate, verified medical reason or emergency.”

Below are some clarifications on this policy:

  • If the employee is resigning at the end of their contract year (June 30th for Administrators and June 5th for 2022-2023 school year for Licensed employees), or leaving due to retirement, a leave of absence, long-term disability, or military service the charge for the cost of a long-term substitute is not applied.
  • “Leave days” as used in this policy includes sick, personal, and annual leave days.
  • If there is an immediate, verified medical reason or emergency, the applicable days are not charged the cost of a long-term substitute.
  • Bereavement, FMLA, sick bank, jury duty, excused professional days, workers’ compensation, maternity/paternity, and military days are not included when this policy is applied.
  • Administrator vacation days are accrued days and are not included when this policy is applied. However, if the Administrator has taken more vacation days than earned when the Administrator leaves, they will need to repay their full daily rate for those days. Please see DP375 Vacation Schedule for Administrative Personnel for questions on this policy.
  • The cost of a long-term substitute is $144 for the 2022-23 school year and is applied regardless of whether a substitute is needed or not.

DATE:
January 3, 2023

TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
Panorama SEL Survey Coordinators

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

SUBJECT:
Mid-Year Panorama SEL Surveys


Beginning January 9, 2023 (next Monday), the mid-year SEL survey window will open. The survey window will be open until Friday, February 3, 2023. In addition to the information provided in a previous JAM (dated Dec. 8, 2022) the following information is being provided to assist you in your preparations and administration of the survey.

Accessing Surveys:

 Student Surveys: 

  • Students will use their Student ID numbers as their Access Codes.
  • Students will use their codes to access surveys at surveys.panoramaed.com/utahjordan The surveys connected to this link will go live at 6:00am EST on January 9, 2023.
  • If a student has trouble accessing their survey, have the survey administrator/proctor contact the Support team with the name of the student, their school, their grade level and their ID number at support+utahjordan@panoramaed.com

Administering Surveys:

 Student Surveys:

Tracking Response Rates:

  • You may view your school’s response rates in real-time. You can also download the completion lists to see who has and hasn't completed the surveys. Here's a walkthrough video to teach you how: Completion List Video.

DATE:
January 5, 2023

TO:
All School Administrators

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability
Michelle Love-Day, Director of Language & Culture Services

SUBJECT:
REMINDER: WIDA ACCESS 2.0 Test Administration Training for Schools


REMINDER: Everyone who will assist with WIDA Access testing needs to participate in the annual training.

See the memo below for information, training dates, and times.

 

DATE:
January 5, 2023

TO:
Middle School Administrators
High School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:
Utah Aspire Plus Summative Annual Teacher Training


School administrators are encouraged to share the following information with those who will administer the Utah Aspire Plus assessments in your buildings:

The Utah Aspire Plus assessment window will be open from March 6, 2023, until May 12, 2023. Many teachers only use the Utah Aspire Plus systems once a year, and so need a yearly training on how it all works. Only teachers who will administer the tests need to be trained.

The following teacher training webinars are already scheduled. Each webinar lasts 45 minutes. Teachers can join at the following link on any date/time listed: https://uetn-org.zoom.us/j/5434254472?pwd=bnRlV1BSK3pWMXJKSzI2MXNFYkZvZz09

  • Friday, March 3 @ 7:30 AM, 8:15 AM or 2:10 PM
  • Friday, March 10 @ 7:30 AM, 8:15 AM or 2:10 PM
  • Friday, March 17 @ 7:30 AM, 8:15 AM or 2:10 PM
  • Friday, March 24 @ 7:30 AM, 8:15 AM or 2:10 PM
  • Friday, April 7 @ 7:30 AM, 8:15 AM or 2:10 PM
  • Friday, April 14 @ 7:30 AM, 8:15 AM or 2:10 PM
  • Friday, April 28 @ 7:30 AM, 8:15 AM or 2:10 PM

For middle schools, there will be a webinar each Friday at 8:15 am for Utah Aspire Plus and a webinar at 9 am for RISE, so both can be done in the same morning.

Each teacher of a grade 9/10 core ELA, science, and math course will be sent an email with information about the webinar schedule and the link to join.

If you do plan to conduct your own training, slides and other materials are provided here: UT Aspire Plus Teacher Training Materials. Teacher video tutorials are available here: UT Aspire Plus (teachers) Youtube playlist. There is also a Canvas course available: https://jordanpd.instructure.com/enroll/AE9LBK. You could have your teachers participate in the Canvas course in lieu of in-person training. The same material is covered.

Please direct any questions you have regarding this training to Brooke Anderson, 801- 567-8393 or brooke.anderson@jordandistrict.org.

DATE:
January 5, 2023

TO:
All administrators

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

SUBJECT: Clinical Support Specialist (Social Worker) FAQ


Secondary Administrators, Please review the document of “Frequently Asked Questions” to understand more about the scope and expectations of the “Clinical Support Specialist” (a.k.a. Social Worker) in your building. Please contact McKinley Withers with questions or concerns regarding your assigned Clinical Support Specialist. It is anticipated that each secondary school will have a full-time clinical support specialist for the 2023-24 school year and hiring is ongoing.

At-home Covid-19 test kits are now available for order in the central warehouse. Using Skyward inventory, use the catalog code #5800863 or search "Test Kit" and they should come up. We will do our best to keep enough on hand while supplies last. Remember to add one year to the expiration date indicated on the box.

DATE:
December 21, 2022

TO:
School Psychologists and School Psychology Interns

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

SUBJECT:
January School Psychologist Guidance Meeting


A meeting for school psychologists and school psychology interns has been scheduled for Friday, January 6, 2023, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Auxiliary Services Building (7905 South Redwood Road). Deb Bilder, M.D. will provide us with a presentation on medications used with children and adolescents. We will also have a representative from the Stabilization and Mobile Response Team provide us with a presentation regarding their program.

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

cc: Principals

 

DATE:
January 4, 2023

TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
All Panorama Users

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

SUBJECT:
Panorama Q&A with Drop-In Training


There will be a Panorama Q&A / Open Drop-In training on January 9th at 1:30 pm. It will be held via Zoom and administrators, counselors, clinical support staff, psychologists, teachers, teacher specialists, any other user of Panorama is invited to attend. Please share with whom you feel would benefit from this session. It would be a great time to get questions answered, specific training on deep data dives, or general functionality of the platform. Participants may join for all or part of the training and they can come and go as needed. Think of this as ‘drop-in office hours’.

The Zoom link is: HERE

Or copy and paste the following into your browser:

Join Zoom Meeting https://uetn-org.zoom.us/j/83226711731?pwd=T0dFd1FDTzE1QUZ1N2hIY25aTVB1UT09