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Category: Middle School Info

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The following calendars have been created by Planning & Enrollment for each level with level-specific events and school recesses. Events have been added for the 21-22, 22-23, and 23-24 calendars, although specific items (such as the A/B rotation or elementary early-out schedule) are not yet available for future years. These links can be used to subscribe to the calendar on a phone, computer, or other device. The links are public and may also be shared with staff or communities.

Clicking on the link will open the calendar; most operating systems will then give you the opportunity to subscribe to the calendar.

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On Thursday, April 21, 2022, at 10:15 a.m. hundreds of thousands of Utahns will “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” in the annual Great Utah ShakeOut Earthquake Drill.

All schools are encouraged to participate in this drill, or to conduct an earthquake drill sometime in the month of April. This is an opportunity to incorporate emergency preparedness in classroom lessons and to include proper ways to protect oneself during an earthquake. The drill will help us to be prepared for an earthquake, like the one we experienced on March 18, 2020.

Schools can register to participate in the Great Utah ShakeOut, at: www.ShakeOut.org/Utah. After registering your school, you can also review the “PLAN YOUR DRILL” section at the bottom left of the Webpage. Under the “Resources” tab, towards the top of the Webpage, you can find NEW! PowerPoints for leading ShakeOut Drills (online or in-person). Materials on the Resources page will help support your participation in the ShakeOut and promote awareness and preparedness. Schools are encouraged to take Covid precautions as needed, to include awareness about distancing prior to people gathering under a common table as they Cover and Hold during the drill.

Please review the Jordan School District Incident Command Manual - Earthquake Action Plan and Standard Operating Guidelines for planning, drilling and responding to an earthquake. The manual is located in the JSD Incident Command Folder on Google Drive, link: Incident Command Folder. Bookmark for future reference.

Please plan and prepare to take part in this statewide earthquake drill. Remember to report your drill and related meetings using the Jordan School District 2021-22 REPORT EMERGENCY — DRILLS, ACTUAL EVENTS, or MEETINGS Form on Google Drive.  Bookmark for future reporting.

Please contact the JSD Emergency Operations Manager Lance Everill with questions, etc.:   Office 801-567-8623, lance.everill@jordandistrict.org

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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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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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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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Are You Interested in
Getting Mathematics Software for Free?
Here is the perfect grant for you!
Apply as a school to meet your specific needs.

It is EASY and QUICK to apply. It will only take about 15-20 minutes.
This grant does not fund the entire school to use a program but will fund about 70%-80%.
This grant lasts for ONE year! You are able to reapply each year for continued funding.
All the software is approved for privacy.
You need to commit to using the software 40 minutes a week to maximize the learning experience for students.

See the flyer below for the programs that I (Amy Kinder, K-12 Mathematics Consultant) recommend:

 

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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

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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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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.

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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.

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Principals:

We have scheduled two separate training sessions on the operation of the school's security camera and software. The training will include the use of the software, saving of camera footage and the transferring of that footage to the appropriate device. We receive many requests for help in this area.

The training will be held on March 23, 2022.

Session 1: 9:00-10:00 am

Session 2: 1:00-2:00 pm

Both sessions will be held at the Auxiliary Service Building in the Presentation Room, enter at Entrance C. It is recommended that at least one administrator per building attend one of the sessions and if possible send one hall monitor to each session. No registration is needed for this training.

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Beginning Tuesday, March 22 the Utah Department of Health will be offering COVID Mobile Testing on Tuesdays & Thursdays, from 4 - 7p.m. at Elk Ridge Middle.  Please use the link or QR Code (see posted document) below to register.

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DATE: 
Thursday, March 10, 2022

TO: 
All Middle School Administrators

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

SUBJECT: 
School LAND Trust/TSSA Planning – Helpful Assessment Data

With the School LAND Trust and TSSA Plans due on March 25th, principals have been encouraged to create data-informed goals and supports. The following Tableau dashboards may be useful as principals set those goals:

Middle Schools:

  • RISE ELA, Math and Science – Overall proficiency is included as well as individual reporting category data for each content area.
    • Cohort Percent Proficient Over Time – This dashboard looks at proficiency by cohort (i.e., Class of 2025 or Class of 2027) across school years.
    • School Growth – Median Growth Percentiles (MGPs) for schools were calculated by the state and recently released. MGPs represent growth calculations for both RISE and Utah Aspire Plus combined.
  • Utah Aspire Plus English, Reading, Math and Science – Overall proficiency and predicted ACT scores are included as well as reporting category data for each subtest.
  • WIDA Access 2.0 – Overall proficiency is included as well as reporting categories and individual domains.

Other Helpful Data:

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Please note that the following positions will be available for schools for the 2022-2023 school year only using ESSER III funds. 

  • High Schools 1.0 FTE for a tracker
  • Middle Schools 0.25 FTE for a tracker
  • Elementary Schools 25-hour assistant to support intervention

Any additional trackers or aides that have previously been paid for using CARES / ESSER funds will be the responsibility of the school for the 2022-2023 school year. 

Schools will need to update budget codes for personnel who will be covered through ESSER III funds in 2022-2023. Please complete a New Hire/Change Form and code ESSER III Budget #7225 starting July 1, 2022.

The following Budget Codes will be discontinued after July 1, 2022:

10 E xxx 7211 1084 165 and 10 E xxx 7215 1084 165 

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Reminder:

A great opportunity to listen to two scholars address the intersection of public education, law and democracy. The event is scheduled for March 4, 2022 at 11:00 am. Two prominent legal
actors, Judge William E. Smith (District of Rhode Island) and Professor Michael Rebell (Columbia), will be the presenters.

See flyer below for the details.

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Due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control, the Challenge Run will now be held, Saturday, May 14, 2022  All other information is the same.

Saturday, May 14, 2022
Start Time: 9:00 AM
Veteran's Memorial Park
(8030 South 1825 West in West Jordan)

Cost per person is $20
Team Captains who wish to create a team of runners can register for free!

THE CHALLENGE OBSTACLE RUN is a family-friendly fundraising obstacle course run open to all ages and created to make a difference in Jordan District Classrooms. Sponsored by local businesses and Jordan Education Foundation, 100% of proceeds go directly toward Classroom Grants benefiting students & teachers in Jordan District. The Challenge begins at 9 am, Saturday, May 14th and ends with a fun family festival with lots of free giveaways. You can participate in any one of the events (Obstacle Run, Festival, Fundraising) or in all three!

For more details and to register online, visit:

www.jefchallenge.org
OR
https://runsignup.com/Race/UT/WestJordan/TheChallengeObstacleRace.

Please see attachment for more information.

 

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DATE:         
February 28, 2022

TO:   
School Psychologists, School Psychology Interns, Elementary Counselor

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

SUBJECT:  
March School Psychologist, School Psychology Interns, Elementary Counselor Meeting

An in-person meeting has been scheduled for Friday, March 11, 2022, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Jordan School District’s Auxiliary Services Building (7905 South Redwood Road). Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services, will provide us with an overview of Panorama, so please bring your laptops to this meeting. In addition, we want you to participate in a focus group with us so that we can get your input re: meeting your needs and future directions.

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

cc:
Principals