Jordan School District
Our next ELD meeting is Dec. 14 in the Auxiliary Services Building Auditorium from 1-3 p.m. There will be resources, tools and strategies shared. We also have ELD Meetings scheduled for March 7 and May 9.
Please give time during your faculty meetings after for your ELD lead to share the information. For additional questions, please contact your Teacher Specialist or Michelle Love-Day in Language and Culture Services.
DATE:
November 29, 2023
TO:
All Administrators
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
McKinley Withers, Health and Wellness
SUBJECT:
FREE! Well-Being Course with Practical Strategies
Jordan District educators are invited to participate in our 2024 FREE Educator Well-Being Continuing Ed Courses for administrators, teachers, counselors, and specialists. This course is an opportunity for all JSD employees to address their own well-being by exploring practical strategies associated with connection, happiness, self-care, conflict resolution, growth mindset, problem-solving, and more! Participants will collaborate, learn from, and connect with other educators throughout the District as they work towards meeting their own wellness goals.
This course is FREE for JSD employees and Winter, and Summer sessions are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Space is limited for this great opportunity!
The class will meet on Thursdays from 4:00-5:30 over Zoom:
January 11, 18, 25
February 1, 8, 15, 20
March 7, 14, 21
Participants can earn continuing education, lane-change, and re-licensure hours from SUU (up to 3 college credits).
Sign up using the attached flier and share this information with professionals in your schools who may be interested in this opportunity.
DATE:
November 30, 2023
TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Matt Alvernaz, School Safety Coordinator
SUBJECT:
Safe Routes to School Updates
Safe Routes Utah very recently created a new website, Safe Routes Utah. The designated contact for Safe Walking Routes that each school had on file should have been sent an email on November 14th with a new username and login information to access the new site. If you or your designee for safe walking routes did not receive this email or if there is a new contact or person assigned to safe walking routes at your school, please contact Kristen Hoschouer at khoschouer@utah.gov as soon as possible to request the login information.
All 2023-24 Safe Route to School maps, regardless of their last approval, must be re-approved by the district on the new site by December 22, 2023. Any changes that were made to your schools 2023-24 Safe Routes to School map after July 10th of 2023 were not included in the new site transfer and will need to be updated on your school’s map on the new mapping site and submitted for approval on or before December 22, 2023.
Schools should begin the Safe Route to School process for the 2024-25 school year as soon as possible. Your schools Safe Routes to School map for 2024-25 must be entered on the new site on or before Friday, January 26, 2024 for approval.
The mapping process on the new website has been updated as well. Instructions on the website state that schools should:
All of this information, including guides and video tutorials, can be found on the new Safe Routes website.
The updated district Safe Routes To School Form can be found on our Jordan School Safety website or click this link for direct access. The document requires you to make a copy. Please change the title to reflect your school and share it with the district School Safety Coordinator, Matt Alvernaz, once it is complete and ready for review.
Please reach out to Matt Alvernaz (matt.alvernaz@jordandistrict.org or 801-567-5623) with any questions.
Last night, after careful consideration, the Board has reduced the length of the contract requirement following the use of maternity/paternity days.
Retroactive applied to 07/01/2023, an employee using maternity/paternity leave days shall agree in writing to repay compensation at his/her daily rate of pay for maternity/parent leave used or granted if he/she terminates employment with the District for other than medical reasons before completion of the current contract year. All other provisions listed in the Maternity/Parent Leave Policy still apply.
If you have further questions, please see the updated policy DP380-Maternity/Parent Leave or contact the HR Generalist at rebecca.eastman@jordandistrict.org.
If you are a contracted employee and need to take Annual/Personal Leave on a Critical Day before or after the MLK recess 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.
Licensed employees submit their request to licensedpersonalleave@jordandistrict.org
Education Support Professionals submit their request to classifiedpersonalleave@jordandistrict.org
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 | Critical Days | Window |
| Martin Luther King Jr.
ESP |
January 15, 2024 | Jan. 12 and 17, 2024 | Dec. 1 – Dec. 11, 2023 |
| Martin Luther King Jr.
Licensed |
January 15, 2024 | Jan. 12, 2024 Only* | Dec. 1 – Dec. 11, 2023 |
*Licensed Only - January 17, 2024 will not be considered a Critical Day for the 2023-2024 school year.
Licensed Annual/Personal Leave Taken on a Critical Day 2023-2024
On behalf of Jordan School District (JSD), the HR Department will apply for a small surplus of USBE funds in Educator Licensing to support Utah educators seeking their professional educator license. In anticipation that JSD will receive some grant funding, HR will be contacting associate level educators who are in the process of obtaining their professional educator license and asking them to submit expenses they incurred from 7/1/2023 through 6/30/2024 while pursuing their professional license. APPEL educator PPAT expenses are currently reimbursed by school fund; therefore, do not qualify. All additional expenses may be eligible for reimbursement, if the employee submits their proof of enrollment in classes taken toward their professional educator license. This information from the employee must be received by December 8, 2023 and prior to the submission of this grant by the HR Department.
If you have questions regarding this grant or for a list of qualifying educators at your school/department location, please contact Brittany Bauer (secondary) at brittany.bauer@jordandistrict.org or Jane Olsen (elementary) at jane.olsen@jordandistrict.org.
DATE:
November 27, 2023
TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
Other Administrators
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Matt Alvernaz, School Safety Coordinator
SUBJECT:
Standard Response Protocol (SRP) Training - REQUIRED
All schools are required to implement the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) tools in conjunction with the Incident Command System (ICS). To facilitate implementation and ensure that all administrators are trained in SRP four (4) trainings sessions have been scheduled. This is an opportunity to get in-person knowledge and clarity on SRP and how it may improve safety for students, staff, and patrons.
Administrators are required to attend one (1) of the training sessions listed below. If you attended one of the SRP training sessions held on Nov. 15th or 17th your attendance is NOT required.
Please sign up for one (1) of the following SRP training sessions by clicking on the link associated with the session. Each session will contain the same information.
School Safety Specialists that were unable to attend one of the sessions in November may sign up for one these sessions. Schools are responsible to cover the cost of a substitute if one is needed.
Administrators,
Please take note of this information regarding Unemployment Insurance Fraud. This was previously posted in JEM on Jan 27, 2022.
DATE:
November 27, 2023
TO:
All Administrators
All Administrative Assistants
FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Daniel Ellis, Director of Accounting and Audits
SUBJECT:
Gift Card/Certificate Purchasing Policy
As a reminder, the purchase of gift cards, e-gift cards, prepaid credit cards, or anything with a stated cash value that functions like a gift card is not allowable with funds managed by the district, school, or department, including grants.
Please review the District Financial Accounting Manual for further information.
Teaching & Learning is offering an exclusive PD for licensed P.E. teachers which will provide guidance and time to create Proficiency-Based Curriculum for their unique classrooms. Please share the attached flyer with your licensed P.E. teachers for information on how to sign up for this PD opportunity. *Substitutes covered by the District
This opportunity is being advertised to Administrators first in order to provide this support to those teachers who need it most. It will be opened to teachers to sign up on their own on Dec 1, 2023.
School lunch staff require at least 2weeks notice for field trip sack lunches. This ensures the food can be planned for, ordered, and delivered in time.
See attached flyer.
DATE:
November 20, 2023
TO:
Principals
Administrative Assistants
FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Daniel Ellis, Director of Accounting and Audits
Natalie Grange, Accounting Administrator
SUBJECT:
District Allocations by School - October 1 Adjustments
District allocations for individual schools were updated in Skyward on November 15. Adjustments were made based on the October 1 headcount. Carryforward balances and transfer requests are included in the total allocation. See the following attachments:
1) Student estimate compared to October 1 headcount.
2) Estimated District Allocation compared to October 1 adjustment.
Please review these adjustments and contact Natalie Grange (801) 567-8312 with any questions or concerns.
Jordan School District Board authorizes up to four (4) full-time employees to be selected for leave.
Sabbatical Leave
Sabbatical leave provides a 1-year leave for professional study. Educators who have completed at least 7 years of continuous service in JSD may apply. Employees on sabbatical leave receive one-half of their salary. Please read Policy DP333 Neg – Sabbatical Leave for complete information. Applications are reviewed by the Local Professional Improvement Committee and approved by the Board.
Educational Leave
Educators who have worked in Jordan School District for at least three (3) consecutive years may apply for an Educational Leave. Educational leaves are for continued study and must include an outline of studies along with the application. Please read Policy DP332 NEG – Educational Leave for complete information. Educational Leave is without pay.
Applications for 2024-2025 Sabbatical and Educational Leaves are due February 1, 2024. Additional questions can be referred to Chris Westra, 801-567-8657.
Registration for the 2024-2025 Instructional Coaching Endorsement - Cohort 2 is open to principals and teachers. Principals may submit the names of those teachers they would like to participate. This is only for teachers interested in future coaching opportunities. Current coaches will continue to attend training during contract time. See the enrollment form for more details.
DATE:
November 14, 2023
TO:
School Psychologists and School Psychology Interns
FROM:
Dr. 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 1, 2023, from 12:00 to 3:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Auxiliary Services Building (7905 South Redwood Road). We will start at 12:00 p.m. with lunch. You have the option of participating in our pot-luck luncheon, or bringing lunch for yourself if that’s your preference. Christy Kane, PsyD, CMHC, will provide us with a presentation titled The Social Anti-Social Brain--How Social Media is Impacting the Mental Health of Kids.
Part-time Staff: I would appreciate it if you could adjust your schedules in order to attend this meeting.
cc:
Principals
DATE:
November 15, 2023
TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
School Safety Specialists
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Matt Alvernaz, District Safety Coordinator
SUBJECT:
School Safety Specialist Role and Responsibilities
Role Description and Expectations:
The School Safety Specialist helps oversee school preparedness in prevention and/or response to situations threatening the safety of students, staff, and guests. This is done through proactive training and equipment accountability. The School Safety Specialist serves in a support and advisory capacity to school administrators or others designated in leadership positions as per the Incident Command System. This role does not supersede those in leadership roles, such as the Incident Commander. The School Safety Specialist should consult the Jordan School District Safety Manual or the District School Safety Coordinator for further clarification and training.
Primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
Any of the listed responsibilities are subject to change. Responsibilities may be added or removed by school administrators in consultation from the district School Safety Coordinator.
The School Safety Specialist stipend of $3,000 (for full-time status and before taxes/benefits) will be paid on the May 2024 paycheck.
The December Assistant Principal meetings will be held on December 7 (8:00-11:00am) and December 12 (8:00-11:00am). All meetings will be held in-person at the JATC-S. All assistant principals and intern assistant principals are invited. A beverage service will be provided, beginning at 7:30 am at each of the meetings. As a reminder you only need to attend one of the sessions offered. Both sessions will provide the same information. Please CLICK HERE and it will take you to the Google Doc to sign up for which day you would like to attend. If you have any questions please call Nadine Page at 801-567-8182 (x88182). Thank you!
A beverage service will be provided at 7:30 a.m. in the auditorium hallway. Lunch will be provided.
LOCATION - PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL START WITH LEVEL MEETINGS AT 8:00 AM
Elementary - Auditorium
Middle/High/Sped - Presentation Room
DATE:
November 9, 2023
TO:
All Administrators & Threat Assessment Teams
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
McKinley Withers, Health and Wellness
Angie Rasmussen, Student Safety & Wellness Specialist
SUBJECT:
Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) Level 2 & 3 Training Dates
Traditionally, CSTAG training consists of two (2) training levels and both levels must be completed by all administrators and threat assessment team members. The CSTAG Level 2 workshop is for all who have completed the Level 1 training (the six (6) hour web-based training from Navigate360). This workshop will build upon your knowledge of threat assessment by providing practical application and implementation of the CSTAG process in your school.
If you have already completed level 2, we are excited to announce a new training opportunity, CSTAG level three (3).
This in person Level 2 workshop will:
Level 2 Course #101883 Friday, December 1, 2023
District Office Room 129
8:00am-10:00am Section #127887 or 1:30pm-3:30pm Section #127888
Level 2 Course #101883 Friday, March 1, 2024
District Office Room 129
8:00am-10:00am Section #127889 or 1:30pm-3:30pm Section # 127890
NEW Level 3 In-Person Training
Wednesday, June 5th
District Office Room 129
10:00am-12:00pm Course #101984 and Section # 127891
Please sign up using JPLS for the session you will be attending. Select this to register for level 2 or 3 sessions of CSTAG training.
If you are not certain about having completed the CSTAG Level 1 or 2 courses or should you have any questions please reach out to Angie Rasmussen at angie.rasmussen@jordandistrict.org.
