Skip to content

Category: Middle School Info

Published on

Date: Dec. 4, 2025

To: All Administrators, All Admin Assistants

From: Steffany Ellsworth, Support Services Manager, Information Systems

Information Systems is excited to announce a significant step in enhancing the District’s operational technology: the upgrade to Skyward’s Qmlativ Student Management System. Mark your calendar, as Qmlativ Student will go live on July 19, 2027. As a reminder, the team is currently in the process of migrating the finance system to Skyward Qmlativ, with a scheduled go-live date of May 4, 2026, as announced previously in this JAM.

The adoption of Qmlativ Student will modernize how we manage student data and daily processes with a more integrated and user-friendly platform. Take a moment to preview the robust features offered in Qmlativ by watching this brief overview:

With Qmlativ Student, district departments and school staff will experience:

  • Enhanced Data Accessibility: Easily find, filter, and extract critical student information, allowing for faster, more insightful reporting.
  • Intuitive User Experience: The modern, clean interface is designed to simplify daily tasks, making student management more seamless than ever before.
  • Personalized Workspaces: Customizable dashboards will allow staff to prioritize the student data and functions most relevant to their specific roles.
  • Greater Adaptability: Navigate scheduling, grading, attendance, and record-keeping with increased flexibility.

Further information regarding timeline and training will be shared as Information Systems moves forward with our implementation. In the meantime, if you have any immediate questions, please reach out to the Information Systems helpdesk at 801-567-8737 or use extension 88737.

Published on

TO:
School Administrators
School Office Staff

FROM:
Katie Bastian, Director Nutrition Services

Nutrition Services with the help of the Accounting Department has created a process for schools to now accept student meal deficit donations by credit card to the School Window estore. A flyer is included with a link and QR code to assist with the donations at either a school or district level.

Published on

DATE:   
December 4, 2025

TO:  
Building Principals
Secondary Attendance Secretaries
Secondary Registrars
Secondary School Counselors

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

SUBJECT:  
Name and Gender Changes on FERPA Records (December 2025)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) allows a parent/guardian or eligible student (a student 18+ years of age) the opportunity to request changes or amendments to the contents of their education record. Policy AS61 - Student Records and Transcripts requires that these requests be made to the building principal.

See the memo below for all of the details.

 

 

Published on

DATE: 
November 24, 2025

TO:  
Building Principals
Elementary Administrative Assistants
Secondary Attendance Secretaries
Secondary Registrars
Secondary School Counselors

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

SUBJECT: 
November 2025: Reminders and Guidelines on Enrollment Age

Please review the following guidelines and reminders on enrollment ages:

Kindergarten:

  • A student must be five years old before September 2 to enroll in kindergarten.
  • If a student misses the deadline (typically meaning they turn 5 between September 2 and December 31), a parent/guardian may enroll in private preschool and provide proof to the school of mastery of the kindergarten core. Upon receipt of this documentation, the student may be enrolled the following year in first grade.
    • Previous guidance has stated that the student must enroll in “an accredited kindergarten.” Accredited kindergartens do not exist. The student must complete the core through a private kindergarten program.
  • A student who moves to Utah from another state where the student was actively enrolled in kindergarten may enroll in kindergarten in Utah even if they do not meet Utah’s age deadline upon receipt of documentation of the enrollment.

Other Grades:

  • A student enrolling for the first time is placed in their age-appropriate grade.
  • Students enrolling in Utah from foreign countries are placed in their age-appropriate Utah grade, regardless of what grade they may have last completed in their home country.
    • Parents who disagree with the placement may pursue acceleration or retention AFTER enrolling.
    • Foreign exchange students participating in a one-year program may be placed in a different grade at the discretion of Student Services.
  • Jordan District will honor grade placement decisions made by other education agencies in the United States to a maximum of one year’s difference (meaning one year’s acceleration or retention). Contact Student Services for additional guidance, if needed.

Maximum Age in High School:

  • Utah Code §53G-6-201(10) defines a “school-age child” as a minor who is at least six years old but younger than 18 and has not been legally emancipated.
  • This means that compulsory education applies to students from 6-17. At age 18, a student (who is now a legal adult with all associated rights) can choose to withdraw themselves from school, as they are no longer legally required to attend.
  • Eighteen-year-olds may continue to attend for the remainder of their senior year. They may also choose to withdraw to attend Southpointe.
  • Because Jordan District honors grade placements from previous states to a maximum of one year’s difference, there may be instances where a student (due to a previous retention or late-start to kindergarten) turns 19 during their senior year. These students may continue through to graduation, but additional steps or precautions may need to be put in place for extracurricular events or trips to ensure the safety of all students.
  • Students should not remain enrolled in regular public school after turning 20 (with the exception of students on IEPs receiving appropriate services). Students in this situation should be directed to adult education offerings. Exceptions to this guideline require the approval of the relevant Administrator of Schools and Student Services.

 

Published on

DATE:   
December 4, 2025

TO:    
All School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:
FREE Mental Health Education for Parents and Caregivers

Jordan District has partnered with the Cook Center for Human Connection to provide ongoing mental health education for parents and caregivers. This collaboration offers FREE access to live, virtual educational sessions covering various topics. Please share the following resources with your school community:

  • A calendar for December’s Mental Health Series sessions is attached. Sessions are offered in both English and Spanish. Previously recorded seminars can be accessed through a comprehensive library of sessions and resources for each topic. You can access the library of recorded sessions at any time by visiting this SITE.
  • Ask a Therapist live virtual event. This is an anonymous opportunity to ask questions from a licensed family therapist about your child’s mental health. It is a live event on December 9th at 6 pm with access to the recording afterwards. Some common parent questions can also be viewed on the Parent Guidance website.

Please share the attached flyers/resources with your school communities. Should you have any questions please reach out to Angie Rasmussen at angie.rasmussen@jordandistrict.org.

 

Published on

DATE:
August 5, 2025

TO:
All Administrators
All Financial Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Dr. Anthony Godfrey, Superintendent of Schools
John Larsen, Business Administrator

SUBJECT:
Staff Appreciation Funds (formerly known as Staff Discretionary Funds)

As a reminder, Staff Appreciation Funds have been allocated for all staff members (both licensed and ESP) for snacks, meals, etc. in conjunction with Professional Development. Please see the attached memo for budgeting and other helpful information on utilizing these funds.

 

Published on

DATE:     
November 26, 2025

TO: 
All Principals, Directors and Supervisors

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

SUBJECT:  
DP375 – Vacation Schedule for Administrative Personnel

Clarification of administrator vacation days carryover:

  • Administrators receive 20 frontloaded vacation days on July 1st of each year. These frontloaded days are earned throughout that current year.
  • Administrators may carryover up to 20 earned vacation days from the previous year. Any earned days over 20 not used by December 31st of each year will be forfeited.

Therefore, as of December 31, 2025, any unused vacation days above 40 days will be forfeited. These 40 days consist of the 20 days that were frontloaded on July 1, 2025 for the 2025-26 year, as well as up to 20 unused earned days that were allowed to be carried over from the previous 2024-25 year.

Published on

DATE:    
Thursday, December 4, 2025

TO:  
All School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:   
Tableau Dashboards Updated with Growth Scores

RISE and Utah Aspire Plus Tableau dashboards have all been updated with 2024-25 growth scores. In addition, RISE ELA proficiency has also been updated with 2024-25 results.

Here are a few dashboards where administrators may view RISE and Utah Aspire Plus growth scores:

RISE:

Utah Aspire Plus:

For questions about these dashboards, please contact Ben Jameson or Brooke Anderson in Assessment, Research & Accountability.

Published on

DATE:   
November 19, 2025

TO:  
Elementary School Administrators
Middle School Administrators
High School Administrators

FROM: 
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Stacee Worthen, School Counselor Consultant

SUBJECT:  
December School Counselor Training and Professional Development

December School Counselor training and professional development opportunities. Please direct any questions to Stacee Worthen, School Counselor Consultant, at 801-567-8309.

Wednesday, Dec. 3 - CSCP Q2 In-Service Training, JATC-South, Auditorium
All School Counselors attend session 1 or 2
Session 1 -- 8:00 am - 10:00 am; Session 2 -- 10:15 am - 12:15 pm

Thursday, Dec. 11 - BRISC Monthly Call, Zoom
All School Counselors (optional)
10:00 am - 11:00 am

Thursday, Dec. 11 - Herriman Feeder Meeting, Mountain Creek MS
Herriman Feeder Counselors K-12
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Friday, Dec. 12 - CSCP SEC PLC, JATC-South, Auditorium
Secondary School Counselors
7:30 am - 9:00 am

Friday, Dec. 12 - CSCP ELEM PLC, JATC-South, Auditorium
Elementary School Counselors
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Monday, Dec. 15 - CSCP BRISC Training - Consult Call, Zoom
All New Counselors and Interns
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Wednesday, Dec. 17 - CSCP Steering Meeting, District Office, Room 129
All Secondary Lead Counselors
8:00 am - 12:30 pm

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Michelle Love-Day, Director of Language & Culture Services

The Jordan Education Access Committee and Language and Culture Services cannot wait to see you at the annual What I Wish You Knew Conference. This year, the theme is "Our Stories Matter."

This year the conference will be highlighting and showcasing leadership from our wonderful District departments. Please come to learn from our Keynote from author, Kyle Reyes, Author of Lenses of Humanity.

  • Where: West Jordan Middle School
  • Time: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
  • Date: Jan. 20, 2026

Published on

TO:
Principals

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent

Attached you will find a copy of the presentation given at the Jordan School District annual School Community Council trainings. Links to the State School LAND Trust websites are also provided for additional information. Please feel free to share this information with your SCC chair.

Jordan District Schools - LINK

School LAND Trust Website - LINK

Published on

TO:
School Principals

FROM:
Michelle Love-Day, Director of Language & Culture Services

LCS will be hosting an additional Zoom session of Addressing Discriminatory Language: Resources for Administrators on December 3rd from 2:00 to 2:45. Administrators will receive access to Nearpods and other resources that can be used with students in one-on-one settings to help teach them the impact of discriminatory language.

Please review the attached flyer for more details and the registration link.

This is a repeat session of the Zoom sessions held on November 6 & 7.

Published on

TO:
Administrtors

FROM:
Michelle Love-Day, Director of Language & Culture Services

Language & Culture Services will be starting new ESL Endorsement cohorts in Jan. 2026. It takes one school year to complete (Jan. -  Dec. 2026, not including summer break) and is competency-based.

  • Format: Hybrid - virtual modules with one in-person session per month.
  • Credit options: USBE credit (free) or SUU credit ($69 per course). Both credit options can be applied towards a lane-change. Participants will receive 15 credits (3 per course) and 1 more USBE Credit upon completion of a Capstone Portfolio.

Published on

TO:
Administrtors

FROM:
Michelle Love-Day, Director of Language & Culture Services

Due to popular demand, and in accordance with Title III laws and policy, Language & Culture Services would like to hold another interpreter training to get staff and paraeducators certified. LCS will provide this free training if there is enough interest. LCS is considering a March 6 training, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants will receive 7 relicensure points.

Please fill out the form at the link below by Dec. 12, so that LCS can plan accordingly.

Published on

TO:
Middle Level Principals

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Amanda Bollinger, Associate Administrator, Teaching & Learning
Amy Lloyd, K-12 Math Consultant, Teaching & Learning

Principals,

We are excited to invite you to participate in a professional learning opportunity: expert teachers from Open Up will be modeling lessons in our district in early December and early February. There will be both morning and afternoon sessions available. Each session will include a pre-conference to outline the key elements to observe during the modeled lesson, a live model lesson led by an expert Open Up teacher, and a debrief session to reflect on observations and address questions.

This experience is designed to deepen your understanding of the essential components of an Open Up math lesson in order to help support the effective teaching and learning of mathematics in your building.

Six slots are available per session. Please secure your spot by signing up on the sheet linked here for the date and location that work best for you.

We look forward to your participation and to the valuable insights you will bring back to your teams!

Available Days and Locations (times are on the google sheet):

December 8th @ Sunset Ridge (afternoon only)
December 9th @ South Hills (morning and afternoon)
Early February TBD @ Sunset Ridge (morning and afternoon)

Published on

TO:
Admnistrators

FROM:
Jared Covili, Consultant in Teaching and Learning

Information Systems has recently purchased MyVideoSpot, an online content management tool that allows teachers to upload and share videos with students from a variety of platforms, including YouTube. This will allow your school to block YouTube for students, should you make that building-level decision. There is no immediate deadline, however, all student YouTube access will be blocked starting in July 2026. You'll need to contact Info Systems to enable the block of student YouTube access.

MyVideoSpot allows teachers to upload important curricular videos from sources like YouTube and create a unique URL that can be shared with students in Canvas, Nearpod, Google Slides, and more. MyVideoSpot removes unwanted ads from YouTube videos and allows teachers to select the start and end times of videos. You'll also find options for screencast recordings of up to 60 minutes. Attached you'll find a Quick Start guide to help your teachers get started with MyVideoSpot. Please contact Digital Teaching and Learning for additional help and to schedule a training.

Published on

DATE:    
November 19, 2025

TO:       
School and Department Administrators

FROM:         
Scott Thomas, Administrator of Auxiliary Services
Paul Bergera, Director of Transportation
Kitt Soumpholphakdy, Field/Activity Trips Coordinator
Brad Godfrey, General Education Route Coordinator
Stephanie Erickson, Special Education Route Coordinator

SUBJECT:   
A Few Transportation Items

There are a few items regarding transportation services that we would like to bring to your attention.

Bus Accidents During Field/Activity Trips:

On rare occasions during field/activity trips, the bus may be involved in an accident. By law, if the accident involves another vehicle, we’re required to wait for police to investigate and submit an accident report. In addition, whether the bus is involved with another vehicle or another object, it may result in the bus being classified as “out of service”, which would require students and coaches/advisors/teachers to board a different bus. In either of these cases, additional time may be required.

Please ask your staff to be patient if a bus is involved in an accident during a field/activity trip and not to pressure the driver to move along. The Field Trip Office will work expeditiously with the driver to determine if the bus is “out of service” and if police need to be involved.

Notification of Student Conduct Violation Forms:

Our bus drivers try their best to manage student behavior on the bus. Many of you have provided invaluable assistance with addressing behavior by talking with students, assigning seats and/or working with the driver on strategies to support a school behavior reward/incentive program. For this, we are extremely grateful.

When a driver submits a Notification of Student Conduct Violation form to your office staff, please try your best to address the issue(s) with students and parents as quickly as time allows. Feel free to reach out to the Route Coordinators or Director with questions. Your support and partnership in this endeavor are appreciated.

 

Published on

DATE:   
November 17, 2025

TO: 
School Psychologists and School Psychology Interns

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

SUBJECT:  
December School Psychologist Guidance Meeting

A meeting for school psychologists and school psychology interns has been scheduled for Friday, December 5, 2025, from 12:00 to 3:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Jordan Auxiliary Services building located at 7905 South Redwood Road in West Jordan. We will start at 12:00 p.m. with a pot-luck lunch. You have the option of participating in our pot-luck luncheon, or bringing lunch for yourself if that’s your preference. Dan Lathen, Ph.D. will provide us with a presentation that addresses screen-induced harm.

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

cc:
Principals