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Category: Middle Schools

Published on

DATE:   
December 11, 2024

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, 2024, any unused vacation days above 40 days will be forfeited. These 40 days consist of the 20 days that were frontloaded on July 1, 2024 for the 2024-25 year, as well as up to 20 unused earned days that were allowed to be carried over from the previous 2023-24 year.

Published on

TO:
Administrators
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Bonnie Brennan, Director of Insurance Services

"All employees and their spouses covered on the Jordan School District PEHP medical plan are eligible to participate in the health incentive program. Each employee and their spouse can earn up to $100 each by participating in one of the free biometric testing sessions, completing a questionnaire and participating in a variety of PEHP wellness activities.

If you would like to schedule a PEHP Healthy Utah testing session for your school, please send an email to Stan Moyle, Stan.Moyle@pehp.org, with PEHP with the date and time you would like to host the testing session. Health Utah is currently scheduling on a limited basis and days fill up fast, so don't delay. Testing sessions can be scheduled between January and April at this time. Please see "First Steps Rebate" on the attached flyer.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Bonnie Brennan, Director of Insurance Services (801) 567-8285.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Mike Haynes - Director, Jordan Education Foundation

The JEF Outstanding Educator Award Application is now open!

Nominations are due January 16, 2025.

Jordan Education Foundation recognizes and honors superior teachers with a track record of improving student achievement, using innovative instructional strategies and making a difference in the lives of their students.

One teacher from each school will be recognized with a crystal award and $500 cash prize. From these excellent candidates, the top 10-15 submissions will be selected by the JEF Awards Committee to attend a banquet in their honor and will receive an addition $500 cash prize ($1,000 total). Submissions received after January 16, will not be eligible for the banquet and additional cash award. 

Guidelines and additional information can be found on the JEF Website: JEF Outstanding Educator Awards (PLEASE NOTE: THE 2024-2025 SUBMISSION FORM HAS BEEN REVISED)

 

Published on

TO:
Administrators
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Bonnie Brennan, Director of Insurance Services

Volunteer reports need to be submitted to Insurance Services.

Worker's 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 August 1, 2024 to November 30, 2024.

Please complete this form and return it to Bonnie Brennan, Director of Insurance Services, by December 20, 2024.

If you have questions, I can be reached at bonnie.brennan@jordandistrict.org or (801) 567-8285.

Thank you.

Published on

TO:
Administrators
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Jason Skidmore, Director of CTE

What's happening in Work Based Learning?

  • New to our Team
  • Elementary Career Lessons
  • YouScience
  • Safety Tips & Tricks
  • Internships
  • WBL Events
  • Social Media Links

Published on

DATE:      
Thursday, December 12, 2024

TO:  
All School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:  
New Accountability Indicators Dashboard on the Data Gateway

The USBE’s Center for Continuous School Improvement would like to share this new resource with you. It is a new data dashboard titled "Accountability Indicators" that can be found on the Data Gateway. No login is required to access this dashboard. When you are on the Data Gateway, click on "Accountability Indicators" under Accountability to access the dashboard.

We hope that this new data dashboard is helpful as it shows longitudinal data for schools within each LEA and provides some additional data points. One of its main features is to provide a longitudinal view by student group of school report card indicator points. It allows schools, particularly those that are designated as or at risk for being designated as TSI, ATSI or CSI.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to Megan Tippetts, USBE’s School Improvement Data Specialist (megan.tippetts@schools.utah.gov) or Ben Jameson in Assessment, Research & Accountability if you have any questions about this new resource.

Published on

DATE:  
Thursday, December 12, 2024

TO:   
All School Administrators

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

SUBJECT: 
2024-25 Stakeholder Input Survey Results

41,641 students, parents and educators participated in the 2024-25 Stakeholder Input Survey, which was administered in November 2024.

The Stakeholder Input Survey results have been released on Tableau. Those with Tableau accounts will be able to see aggregated responses to each of the question items that were administered to K-3, 4-6 and 7-12th grade students as well as parent and faculty responses.

Those with Tableau accounts may access school and district survey results by clicking here or through the Explore menu: Explore > Surveys > Stakeholder Input Survey.

As a reminder, the Stakeholder Input Survey fulfills state statute (53G-11-507) requiring that LEAs seek for student and parent input (and employee input for school administrators) as part of an educator evaluation program. Printed reports containing school, principal, assistant principal, and individual educator effectiveness ratings will also be distributed to principals in January 2025. Those reports will need to be distributed to educators who may choose to use those results as part of their educator evaluation. It may also be beneficial for principals to meet with individual educators to discuss their results.

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

 

Published on

DATE: 
Thursday, December 12, 2024

TO: 
All School Administrators

FROM: 
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Assessment, Research and Accountability
Brandee Bergum, Secondary Language Arts Consultant

SUBJECT: 
Star Reading Account Logins

The Star Reading assessment, replacing the retired Growth Measure, is now up and running. The middle-of-year assessment window opened on December 2nd and will close on February 14, 2025. This assessment is optional for students. However, Star Reading is a required assessment for 6th grade students in the middle-of-year window as the results are used with other assessment results to determine 7th grade reading placement. 6th grade testing should be completed no later than January 10, 2025.

Teachers and students may login to Star Reading using their Google waffle. They should look for this Renaissance tile (see the memo below for a picture of the Renaissance tile).

School administrators and other non-teaching staff may login here. For the first time logging in, users will enter the following Renaissance ID: 252187-11TN. The username is the firstname.lastname part of district email addresses. Then users will need to go through the Forgot Password procedure to set up a new password. After the first time logging in, return users will only need to enter their firstname.lastname and their password to login.

For more information on the Star Reading assessment, take a look at the Star Reading Quick Start Guide.

For any other questions about Star Reading, please contact Kassidy Towery in Assessment, Research & Accountability or Brandee Bergum in Teaching & Learning.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Sarah Palmer, Director, Payroll

Please share with your employees.

IMPORTANT DECEMBER PAYCHECK INFORMATION FOR ALL EMPLOYEES

The District Office will be closing for Winter Recess at the end of the day on Monday, December 23rd and will not return until Thursday, January 2nd. To avoid any delays in receiving your paycheck during this break, the Payroll Department is making the following recommendations:

  1. If you need to close your bank account, please call Payroll immediately.
  2. Paychecks are available for viewing in Employee Access on Wednesday, December 18th. Please review your paycheck and contact Payroll immediately with any questions or concerns at (801) 567-8154 or email payroll@jordandistrict.org. Instructions are attached on how to view your paycheck.
    If you need help logging into your Employee Access, please call the help desk at 801-567-8737.
  3. If you are a True Time employee, instructions are attached on how to view your True Time to make certain it has been approved and processed by Payroll.
  4. Payday is on December 20, 2024.

Published on

TO:
Directors
Principals
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources

Please see the flyer and document below for all the details.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Brian King, Ph.D., Assistant Director of Special Education
Mike Trimmell, Ed.D., Special Education Administrator

Attached is the Special Ed Newsletter for December 2024.

Published on

DATE:
December 2, 2024

TO:
All Principals

FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Brian King, Ph.D., Assistant Director of Special Education
Mike Trimmell, Ed.D., Special Education Administrator

SUBJECT:
Professional Development Opportunities for January and February

Attached is a listing of all the professional development opportunities for Special Education Licensed Staff for January and February. A link to sign up for each training will be sent to all Special Education Licensed Staff Members.

Published on

TO:
Administrators

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Jared Covili, Consultant in Teaching & Learning

Check out the links below for the latest updates from Teaching & Learning for December. Learn Tips and Tricks, Sign Up for Upcoming PD, and Learn about Important Updates from the T & L team.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Steffany Ellsworth, Support Services Manager, Information Systems

On Friday, December 13th, passwords for all 7th grade student’s Google accounts will be reset, requiring students to set a new password. This change will take effect the first time they log in to their JSD email account.

Please inform your staff about this update so they can assist their students with resetting passwords, as needed. If you have questions, please contact the help desk ext. 88737.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Steffany Ellsworth, Support Services Manager, Information Systems

In anticipation of next year's enrollment planning and scheduling, Information Systems will be turning on pre-transfers the afternoon of December 16th. You will be able to start running reports and see your next year's students at that time.

Below are a few reminders about pre-transfers:

  • A pre-transfer is an active student who is currently attending Jordan School District and will be attending next year at a different school within Jordan School District. The student's record will pre-transfer to the student's next year boundary school based on their current address.
  • Once pre-transfers are turned on, the School Path tab shows the current year permits under Previous Reason Code and next year permits under Reason Code.
  • Current permits for 6th and 9th grade students will be removed for next year as of December 16th. This will allow these students to pre-transfer to their new entity for next year.
  • In addition to turning on pre-transfers, the course master will be rolled over for next year's scheduling preparation.

Please contact the help desk (ext. 88737) with any questions or concerns regarding the pre-transfer process.

Published on

DATE:  
December 3, 2024

TO:  
Principals and Assistant Principals

FROM: 
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Michelle Reyes, Attendance/Prevention Specialist, Student Services

SUBJECT:   
Attendance Awareness Winter Recess Resources

Keeping Attendance Top of Mind: Sense of Belonging is Vital

Sense of belonging is feeling valued, accepted, and included in a group or community, where you feel connected, you matter, and feel you are part of something bigger (the feeling of “fitting in”). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs lists belonging and being valued as one of the five key things every human needs to survive. Adults can enlist small and simple actions, such as greeting students at the door with a smile, to help students in your community feel a stronger sense of belonging. Belonging has been linked to greater student well being and stronger academic achievement. This intentional investment of attention on the adult’s part can have meaningful impacts for the academics and attendance of students. Find key points on how you can help students’ sense of belonging here.

Raising Awareness-Quick Links and Ideas

  • Short Motivational Video-Share a short motivational video on morning announcements starring the sports legend-Magic Johnson about the importance of Attendance.
  • Social Media/Website/Newsletter Posts-Consistently share the importance of attendance with all stakeholders. Ready-made social media post in English and Spanish.
  • Holiday Letter-Improve attendance around the winter recess by sending a letter to families encouraging good attendance. This letter template can be used in English and Spanish.
  • Communicate Dates for the Break-Make sure families know the dates school will be out for the break and when it resumes. Use the prepared resources below to post on parent square, social media, in school and teacher newsletters, on your school website, and to advertise around your school.

Attendance Awareness Resource-Winter Recess:
English-
Winter Recess Reminder

Facebook Post

Instagram Post

Spanish-
Winter Recess Reminder

Facebook Post

Instagram Post

Questions? Contact Michelle Reyes at michelle.reyes@jordandistrict.org or 801-567-8205.

Whedon, S. (2024, March 18). Why students need to feel a sense of belonging and how to create it. Panorama Education. https://www.panoramaed.com/blog/student-sense-of-belonging

Published on

TO:
Principals
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Dan Ellis, Director of Accounting
Natalie Grange, Accounting Administrator

Please submit all school allocation budget transfer forms to Natalie.Grange@jordandistrict.org, no later than January 31, 2025.

Budget transfers for this school year cannot be made after January 31. The budget transfer form is attached.

Published on

TO:
Administrators

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Amanda Bollinger, Associate Administrator, Teaching & Learning
Jared Covili, Consultant in Teaching & Learning
Amy Kinder, K-12 Math Consultant, Teaching & Learning

Administrators, please share this information with your teachers.

Many of your teachers are pursuing a STEM endorsement (see our EIP website for a full list of endorsements). USBE WILL REIMBURSE THEM FOR THEIR COLLEGE CLASSES! This is called the STEM Endorsement Incentive Program (EIP) and it has been funded again for the 2024-25 school year. See the attached flyer and link to our EIP website for more information.

Applications for reimbursement are now being accepted for teachers who completed STEM courses after June 1, 2024. The next round of reimbursements applications is due December 17, 2024 for teachers who completed STEM courses in Summer/Fall 2024.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the content consultant. We would love to talk to you!