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Category: High Schools

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Principals:

Effective immediately full-time Classroom Assistant positions have been created at Lane 1, 2, and 3. These positions are 180 days, are not eligible for substitute coverage when the person in these positions are absent, and must be paid for from school budgets (not the District 0050 budget). Salary calculations for these positions must include a fully loaded benefit eligible salary including insurance costs. Principals interested in hiring for these positions must post the position for five days, interview qualified applicants, and follow the district hiring processes and procedures. See the attached job description for further details. Please feel free to contact an HR Administrator or an Administrator of Schools if you have any questions.

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DATE:   
March 31, 2022

TO:
Principals and District Administrators

FROM:   
Brad Sorensen, Administrator of Schools

SUBJECT:  
Stipend for Department Chairs and Team Leaders

Stipends for Department Chairs and Team Leaders will be paid in May.

  • Elementary Schools may pay $300 for 8 Team Leaders.
  • Middle Schools may pay $500 for 12 Department Chairs or Team Leaders.
  • High Schools may pay $500 for 16 Department Chairs or Team Leaders.

A multiple timesheet roster should be submitted to the Payroll Department by May 3, 2022. All Department Chairs or Team Leaders will be paid out of the same program number from which their salary is paid. Each roster should be clearly marked “Stipend for Department Chair” or “Stipend for Team Leader.”

Kauri Sue, River’s Edge, South Valley, and JATC will be paid as middle schools. If a school houses an additional special education program (cluster program or preschool program), the school will have an additional team leader allocation.

Budget Code
10 xxx xxxx 2216 131

10 xxx 7551 2216 131 (Special Education)

Published on

DATE:
March 31, 2022

TO:
All Principals
All Budget Directors

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
June LeMaster, Ph.D., Administrator, Human Resources
Daniel Ellis, Director of Accounting, Budgets, & Audits
Cheryl Matson, Director of Insurance Services
Michael Heaps, Director of Information Services
Sarah Palmer, Director of Payroll
Kurt Prusse, Director of Purchasing

SUBJECT:
Year-End Processing Deadlines

Please observe the following critical deadlines, listed in the memo below, regarding the financial year-end processes for the 2021-22 year. Please review these dates as they could have a major effect on your location’s ability to operate.

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Utah Retirement Systems is offering free, one-hour individual retirement planning sessions.

Tuesday, April 19, 2022
ASB

Wednesday, April 20, 2022
District Office

Please see attached flyer for directions on how to sign up for the individual sessions on myURS.

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Volunteer reports need to be submitted to Insurance Services.

Workers' Compensation insurance costs are based on numbers submitted by schools. It is important that this information be accurate and complete.

PTA figures must be separate from other volunteer hours.

Attached is a copy of the Volunteer Report for the period of December 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022.

Please complete this form and return it to Cheryl Matson, Director of Insurance Services, by April 30, 2022.

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USDA Free Meals Waivers to End

The USDA free meals waivers were not renewed by the federal government and will end with the close of this school year. These waivers allowed schools to serve free meals to all students during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Next year, schools will return to the regular National School Lunch and Breakfast programs where students have a free, reduced or paid meal status.

This has large implications for the Nutrition Services Department as well as the families in our district. With the help of JSD schools, the Nutrition Services Department will plan to focus efforts on communicating to families this change as well as the need to apply for free/reduced meals (if they qualify) after July 1st for the 2022-23 school year. Nutrition Services anticipates meal prices will remain the same for this next school year.

Due to the return of National School Lunch Federal regulations, the following changes will occur:

  • Families will need to fill out the free/reduced application and qualify to receive free/reduced meals. Applications will need to be filled out after July 1st to qualify for the 2022-23 school year.
  • Virtual learners will not be able to receive meals. Students will need to be enrolled in a brick and mortar site to receive meals.
  • Students will need to be onsite and receive instruction to receive meals, i.e. schools will not be able to provide meals on professional development days because there is no instruction for students.
  • There will be no grab and go options, meals are to be served and eaten on site.
  • There will be no meal service time exceptions, meals will need to be served during the times originally provided to the state.
  • Siblings of enrolled students will no longer be able to receive free meals.

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The district will not be renewing data services to the mobile Internet hotspots in the district’s Loaner Kajeet Program when they expire on June 30, 2022. Instead, these devices will be available for schools to request on a permanent basis. Any school doing so will be responsible for acquiring data services for those devices. It should be remembered that these devices were granted to the district specifically for use by students who do not have adequate Internet service in their homes. If you have an interest in permanently receiving any of these devices for your students, please contact Mark Sowa in Information Systems, at mark.sowa@jordandistrict.org, or at 801-567-8392.

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DATE:
March 22, 2022

TO:
High School Principals, Assistant Principals and Counselors

FROM:
C. Brad Sorensen, Administrator of Schools
Stacee Worthen, Secondary Counseling Consultant
Jacinto Peterson, Principal, Valley High School

SUBJECT:
Critical Dates Regarding 24-credit Diploma through Valley High School

Counselors with students planning to graduate with a 24-credit diploma from Valley High School need to be aware of the following date/deadlines:

May 16, 2022
Names of all students planning to graduate with a 24-credit diploma must be submitted to Jacinto Peterson, Principal of Valley High School.

All students who are planning to walk at Valley High School’s graduation ceremony need to contact Jostens at 1-800-JOSTENS immediately to order the Valley High School cap and gown package. If they have previously ordered from their boundary school, Jostens will help them with the cancellation and reorder of Valley High School colors.

May 23, 2022
Deadline for official transfer of student to Valley High School. All transfer students must have credits complete and transcripts reviewed by their boundary school before transfer is submitted, and student is withdrawn from their boundary school. Valley High School registrar will complete all transfers on May 23rd.

May 25, 2022 - Mandatory Meeting
All students who are planning to walk during the Valley High School Graduation Ceremony must attend one of the following meetings at Valley High:
12:30 p.m. OR 4:30 p.m.
Each meeting will be approximately one hour. Students will not be allowed to walk with fellow graduates if they do not attend one of these meetings. Caps and gowns will be distributed at the end of this mandatory meeting.

June 1, 2022
Valley High School Graduation Ceremony 10:00 a.m.
Real Salt Lake Training Academy
Zion’s Bank Stadium, Real Academy (14787 Academy Parkway, Herriman, UT)

June 2, 2022
Students who do not wish to attend the graduation ceremony may pick up their diploma at Valley High School.

Please make note of these important dates and ensure they are communicated to students who are planning to use this option.

*Attached are instructions and the application for a 24-credit diploma through Valley High School.

 

Published on

DATE:  
Thursday, March 24, 2022

TO:   
Administrators of TSI Schools

FROM:   
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Michelle Love-Day, Consultant of Language & Culture Services

SUBJECT:  
TSI Workshop for School Administrators

As a requirement under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), USBE identified schools for Targeted School Improvement (TSI) in 2018 and 2019. A workshop has been designed to help administrators of TSI identified schools understand the calculations behind their school’s TSI designation as well as the timeline and criteria necessary to exit TSI. The vast majority of our TSI schools have second language learners and/or students with a disability that are struggling as a student group. This workshop will offer evidence-based strategies and ideas to help provide more robust supports to both student groups, thus allowing schools to exit TSI. Representatives from Special Education, Language & Culture Services, and Evaluation, Research & Accountability will be on hand to provide guidance and answer questions.

All school administrators of TSI schools are encouraged to attend one of the two sections offered on March 29th and April 6th. School administrators may register for either date on JPLS using course #101888.  Here is the information for each section:

Date Time JPLS Section # Location
Tuesday, March 29th 1:00 – 4:00 pm 117119 ASB Presentation Room
Wednesday, April 6th 8:30-11:30 am 117120

Please contact Ben Jameson in Evaluation, Research & Accountability, Kim Lloyd in Special Education or Michelle Love-Day in Language & Culture Services with questions about this workshop.

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DATE:   
March 17, 2022

TO:  
All Administrators

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

SUBJECT:  
Prevention Planning Workshop

Our Health and Wellness team will be offering prevention planning workshops for school teams on the dates below. To sign up, please visit the Google Form to receive further communication about the workshops.

This prevention planning workshop is an opportunity to communicate to your school community all of the great things that your school does to care for your students! The intended outcome of the workshop for attendees will be a completed, concise, clear prevention plan for their school that highlights their unique approach and follows District and State guidelines. If you would like to make alternate arrangements for prevention planning, please reach out to McKinley Withers (801-567-8245, mckinley.withers@jordandistrict.org)

  • March 31, 7:30-11:00, ASB Auditorium
  • March 31, 12:00-3:30, ASB Auditorium
  • April 4, 7:30-11:00, ASB Auditorium
  • April 4, 12:00-3:30, ASB Auditorium
  • April 8, VIRTUAL (time to be determined based on interest and availability)

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LOCKOUT, LOCKDOWN and Shelter-in-place are emergency responses often confused with one another. Jordan School District created clarifying videos on these responses to train students and staff, all under three minutes in duration, located at: Google Drive > Shared with me > Incident Command Training Videos. Click HERE

REMEMBER: Locks were invented to keep humans out of things. Associate “locks” with humans” and “LOCKOUT” and “LOCKDOWN” with a potentially violent person.  

LOCKOUT and LOCKDOWN are DENY strategies, as part of the AVOID DENY DEFEND response protocols for violence threats. DENY the threat access to you by creating a physical barrier between you and them.

LOCKOUT – external threat

  • Call 911 when SAFE TO DO SO
  • LOCK them OUT of the building, creating a barrier between you and the threat
  • Use the LOCKOUT Card on the dedicated card reader in the main office to quickly lock all exterior doors that are scheduled open at that moment
  • Students and staff on the school grounds should come in for safety
  • Staff card access badges will still work during a LOCKOUT
  • Students and staff remain inside
  • Do not let people exit, or enter until the LOCKOUT has ended
  • Consider bringing occupants of portables into the main building, if SAFE TO DO SO (For supervision, water, lunch, restrooms, medications, etc.)
  • Consider notifying Transportation in case buses are in route to the school
  • Post a sign on entrances stating the school is in LOCKOUT
  • Remain vigilant
  • Keep hallways and common areas clear of students and staff
  • If police enact the LOCKOUT, police end the LOCKOUT
  • Use the END LOCKOUT Card on the reader in the main office to revert to the door schedule at the time it is ended

LOCKDOWN – internal threat

  • Call 911 when SAFE TO DO SO
  • Get behind a closed, locked door of a classroom, office, conference room, etc., creating a barrier between you and the threat
  • LOCKS, LIGHTS, OUT OF SIGHT
  • Consider barricading the door with furniture, if you’re able to do so quickly and safely
  • Remain quiet, silence cell phones, make it seem like an unoccupied room to the intruder
  • The threat is already inside the building so there is no need to lock exterior doors
  • Consider being ready to DEFEND yourself if the intruder gains entrance into the room
  • Consider using text messaging to quietly inform the school Incident Command Team of your status
  • The police will open the door to clear the room, so there is no need for occupants to open the door

Shelter-in-place – chemical spill or severe weather outside (As defined by FEMA, not a response to violence)

  • Call 911 when SAFE TO DO SO
  • Remain indoors, seeking “shelter from the storm” or dangerous air outside
  • Turn off the electrical breakers to the air handlers to quickly restrict outside air from coming in if there has been a chemical spill/leak outside
  • Consider bringing occupants of portables into the main building, if SAFE TO DO SO (For supervision, water, lunch, restrooms, medications, etc.)
  • Consider moving occupants to a specific part of the building, or large gathering space for safety purposes
  • Take direction from police, fire, or the District accordingly

Use the Jordan School District Incident Command Manual when planning, conducting drills and preparing for emergencies. Please contact JSD Emergency Operations Manager Lance Everill with questions: 801-567-8623, lance.everill@jordandistrict.org

Published on

DATE:  
March 17, 2022

TO: 
All Administrators and Administrative Assistants

FROM:  
John Larsen, Business Administrator

SUBJECT:  
Employee Overnight Travel

As a reminder, when employees travel to conferences or other events and it is not related to:

  1. a) student group travel arrangements, or
  2. b) an administrative travel stipend arrangement,

the following policies are to be followed (see the Financial Manual for more details):

  1. The travel request is to be submitted at least 45 days in advance using the Skyward task process called “Travel Request” so the Travel Buyer has sufficient time to make all arrangements in a cost-effective manner and so the traveler can verify information before the travel occurs. The Travel Buyer makes the airline, hotel, and shuttle arrangements. The Travel Buyer may pay for the conference registration as requested. However, suggestions may be made in the notes of the travel request.
  2. All costs associated with the travel are to be listed and preapproved.
  3. Any documentation regarding the reason for the travel is to be attached to the travel request (e.g. conference advertisement, schedule, itinerary, etc.).
  4. Regardless of how the travel is paid for, the travel must follow the same rules (e.g. grant / non-grant; department / school, etc.).
  5. First class, business class, or upgradeable fares should not be requested to be booked or paid for by the District.
  6. Lodging will be at the conference site or in a reasonably priced hotel within walking distance of the conference. A reasonably priced hotel is considered the average cost of hotels within the vicinity of the conference.
  7. Employees do not earn overtime or trade time for attending or traveling to a conference.
  8. Travel less than 50 miles from the employee’s normal work assignment should not include hotel costs or per diem costs.
  9. If an employee chooses to drive rather than fly to the conference, the employee will receive a mileage reimbursement equivalent to the lowest airfare available 21 days in advance or the regular mileage reimbursement, whichever is lower.
  10. Rental cars are to be used only when other forms of transportation are either not available or those forms of transportation are more costly than a standard rental car with the hotel parking fees. Rental cars cannot be prepaid by the Travel Buyer. The traveler will need to pay for car rentals and be reimbursed if not on a P-Card.
  11. Original receipts for airport parking fees, luggage fees, ground transportation (Uber, Lyft, cabs), or other costs must accompany the reimbursement request after the travel occurs. Any applicable per diem will be paid at the same time as these reimbursements. Costs not pre-approved for the travel are not reimbursed.
  12. P-Card use is acceptable only for the following items when pre-approved:
    1. Baggage fees
    2. WIFI if not offered with the hotel
    3. Transportation to/from the hotel/airport
    4. Airport parking
    5. Rental cars
    6. Conference registration
  13. For many personal reasons employees may want to pay for some additional travel costs that the District cannot pay for. For example, if the employee wishes to rent a car so they can tour the city, visit some sites, go out to eat at a distant establishment, etc. or if the employee wishes to extend the trip so they can see some sites, the employee should pay for these additional costs and report leave time as applicable.
  14. The State Auditor has prohibited government entities from booking or paying for non-employees’ travel even when there is a plan to reimburse the government entity.

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Are you ready to be certified as an ESL teacher? Any JSD teacher can sign up while space is available. Please use this link to place your information by April 11th. ​​This endorsement program is open to K-12 contracted licensed personnel in Jordan School District. This does not include substitute teachers or paraprofessionals who are licensed. Principals, please do not sign up for your teachers.

Published on

DATE:   
Thursday, March 17, 2022

TO:   
All School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:   
2021-22 USBE Educator Engagement Survey Results

The 2021-22 USBE Educator Engagement Survey window closed on Friday, March 11th. An analysis of the survey has been completed and is available in your Tableau accounts here.

Tableau users may also navigate to the dashboard through the Explore menu: Explore > Surveys > USBE Educator Engagement Survey > 2021-22 > 2021-22 Educator Engagement Survey Analysis

The survey presented question items and solicited comments from classroom teachers regarding mentoring, school leadership, collaboration, professional learning, career growth, and job satisfaction. While no school-level data are available, the survey does present a perspective of educator engagement and job satisfaction that could provide guidance to school leaders in terms of morale, teacher preparation, the efficacy of mentoring programs, and school leadership.

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

Published on

DATE:    
March 17, 2022

TO: 
Principals
Assistant Principals

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

SUBJECT: 
Thriving Schools: A Summit for Student Success

These past few years have both challenged us and taught us the importance of prioritizing empathy, relationships, and social-emotional learning to support students. Above all we know that a thriving school community starts with ongoing learning and reflection.

Thriving Schools: A Panorama Summit for Student Success originally aired on February 15th – but they have made it available to access until May 16th for FREE. The topics include:

  • What does it mean for schools to thrive?
  • MTSS and data-based decision-making.
  • School Counselors as leaders within a multi-tiered, multi-domain system of support.
  • Creating a shared understanding & partnering with families to supporting the social-emotional growth.

You may access the summit at the following link:

THRIVING SCHOOLS: A Panorama Summit of Student Success

Please feel free to share this resource with your counselors, psychologists, social workers, leadership teams and/or teachers as you see fit.