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Category: Middle Schools

Published on

DATE:
December 15, 2025

TO:
Elementary School Principals
Secondary School Principals

From:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Amanda Bollinger, Associate Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Jared Covili, Digital Administrator of Teaching & Learning

SUBJECT: LanSchool Classroom Management Software Extension

In cooperation with the JSD Purchasing Department, Teaching and Learning has procured an extension for LanSchool classroom management software for all current subscribers through the end of the school year. No new schools are permitted to purchase LanSchool software during this school year, but all currently subscribing schools will be able to extend their current LanSchool contracts through June 30, 2025. Please reach out to Tonya Hodges in Purchasing for more information about extending your current LanSchool contract.

Teaching and Learning will be conducting a new RFP (Request for Proposal) in Spring 2026 to allow all classroom management software vendors to participate in the process for selecting a district-wide solution. This is necessary to ensure that classroom management software works both in classrooms and computer labs. Once the RFP process concludes we plan to have a solution that will work on all computers throughout the schools.

Published on

DATE:
December 18, 2025

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 and Wellness Specialist

SUBJECT: CSTAG Updates

Please review the following information regarding CSTAG training opportunities, including the brief training video:

CSTAG training consists of two (2) training levels, and both levels must be completed by all administrators and threat assessment team members. CSTAG Level 2 training is for all who have completed the Level 1 training (the web-based training from Navigate360). Level 2 training builds upon your knowledge of threat assessment by providing practical application and implementation of the CSTAG process in your school. Administrators are invited to repeat CSTAG Level 2 for a practical refresher of CSTAG protocols.

Virtual CSTAG Level Two Training:
Wednesday, January 28th (ZOOM)
Use the link to register and the zoom link will be emailed the day before.

CSTAG Level One Training:
If you want to train a staff member or threat assessment team member in CSTAG level 1, please email the request with the person’s name, title, and email address to Angie Rasmussen (angie.rasmussen@jordandistrict.org). CSTAG Level 1 is web-based through Navigate 360, and the training costs $100 per person. A request for reimbursement will be sent to the school after the staff member has been added.

CSTAG Mini-training Video: CSTAG Tips- Understanding the Decision Tree

This brief, targeted training video is designed to provide all threat assessment team members with the knowledge and skills necessary to use the decision tree to aid in assessing and responding to threats. This is the second mini-training video; each is under 5 minutes in duration and will review important components of CSTAG.

CSTAG information, documents, and fillable forms are available online here. Additionally, a survey tool to assist with the assessment and documentation of a threat assessment is available on this webpage. It is recommended that you bookmark or create a desktop link to these resources.

Published on

TO:
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Bonnie Brennan, Director of Insurance Services

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.

Please use the link to report your volunteer hours from August 1, 2025 to November 30, 2025. Once you submit this information, insurance services will automatically get your data. Please complete this by Friday, January 23, 2026.

If you have any questions, please contact Insurance Services, insurance@jordandistrict.org, (801) 567-8146.

Thank you and Happy Holidays.

Published on

DATE:
Thursday, December 18, 2025

TO:
All School Administrators

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

SUBJECT: Assessment Prep: Tips and Tricks for Administrators and Testing Coordinators

Testing season is nearly upon us! Assessment, Research & Accountability has been working on a few tools to help schools streamline their testing accommodations processes, as well as a couple of guides with tips to help school testing coordinators and assistant principals over testing have a smooth testing season. Whether you are a school with a new testing coordinator and/or assistant principal over testing this year, or you are looking for ways to make the testing season improve from last year, we hope you find these documents helpful:

Testing Accommodations Worksheet 2025-2026

This Testing Accommodations Worksheet tool was designed to help school testing coordinators work with case managers who oversee IEP/504/EL plans at their school to gather and organize the necessary information needed to ensure all students receive the appropriate testing accommodations. Schools are welcome to create a copy of this accommodations worksheet and make it your own that works for your school. Feel free to make edits, or leave as-is, and share it out with anyone who is involved with testing accommodations at your school.

Tips for School Testing Coordinators

This Tips for School Testing Coordinators document was designed to provide school testing coordinators of all levels of experience with ideas and suggestions to implement during all phases of testing.

Tips for Assistant Principals Over Assessment

This Tips for Assistant Principals Over Assessment document was designed to provide assistant principals over assessment with ideas and suggestions for how you can best support your school's testing coordinator in order to run your school’s smoothest testing season yet!

For questions about these tools and recommendations, please contact Kassidy Towery in Assessment, Research & Accountability.

 

 

Published on

DATE:
Thursday, December 18, 2025

TO:
All School Administrators

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

SUBJECT: 2025-26 Stakeholder Input Survey Results

32,699 students, parents and educators participated in the 2025-26 Stakeholder Input Survey, which was administered in November 2025.

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 7-12 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 2026.  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:
December 18, 2025

TO:
All School Administrators

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

SUBJECT: Content Monitoring Over Winter Break

During the winter break, from December 20th until January 5th, content monitoring (BARK, iboss) and safety notifications (SafeUT) will have some temporary changes:

 BARK & iboss Notifications:

  • Content monitoring (BARK) will not be checked while school is not in session.
  • We will continue to receive imminent/urgent alerts and will work with administrators when immediate intervention is required.
  • Notifications that are not considered emergencies or urgent will NOT be sent to school personnel until January 5th. This includes iboss and BARK notifications.

SafeUT alerts - After hours, holidays, and weekends

SafeUT may still send text and email alerts after hours or during blackout periods (winter break) when they are deemed urgent. Most tips and alerts that are deemed non-urgent will be batched for 7 am, January 5, 2026.

When a text/email alert is received after school hours or on a weekend, it should be addressed as soon as reasonably possible. In most cases, SafeUT will call the District’s on-call contact to obtain information immediately. When SafeUT contacts the after-hours staff member, it will be logged in the disposition notes in SafeUT for schools to address as soon as possible. SafeUT may, on occasion, send urgent alerts to schools after hours or during blackout periods without contacting the on-call staff. These alerts are managed by the school.

Should you have any questions, please reach out to Angie Rasmussen at angie.rasmussen@jordandistrict.org

Published on

DATE:
December 15, 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:
January School Counselor Training and Professional Development

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

Thursday, Jan. 8 - CSCP BRISC Training - Consult Call, Zoom
All New Counselors and Interns
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

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

Friday, Jan. 9 - CSCP ELEM PLC, JATC-South, Auditorium
Elementary School Counselors
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Wednesday, Jan. 14 - CSCP Counselor Collaborative Committee, District Office, Room 129
School Counselors Appointed to Committee
8:00 am - 11:30 am

Friday, Jan. 23 - CSCP Small Group ELEM PLC, Various Schools
Elementary School Counselors
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Wednesday, Jan. 28 - CSCP New Counselor Training, District Office, Room 129
All New Counselors and Interns
8:00 am - 11:00 am

Published on

DATE:
December 15, 2025

TO:
Elementary Principals
Middle School Principals

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Matt Alvernaz, School Safety Coordinator

SUBJECT: 2026-27 Safe Routes to School

It is time to begin our Safe Routes for 26-27. Please go to the Safe Routes Utah website. If you need help getting your log in information or adding a new contact at your school please contact Kristen Hoschouer at khoschouer@utah.gov to request what you need.

Each map must be reviewed, completed with no gaps in the lines, and updated. If the state map does not match the map you submitted, please contact Kristen Hoschouer (khoschouer@utah.gov) at the state directly. Corrections to the maps cannot be edited or amended at the district level.

Instructions from the state require that schools:

  1. Identify a Safe Routes Committee
  2. Create/update the Safe Routes Map and submit for district approval
  3. Create/update the Safe Routes plan report

All of this information, including guides and video tutorials, can be found on the new state website.

The District Safe Routes To School (SRTS) forms from last year have been updated and placed in a shared drive by the corresponding city.  Follow the appropriate link below and find your school.  You will see last year’s information entered by the school still on it for reference and convenience.  Make updates to the form as needed.

Once updates have been completed, these forms will be shared with city governments for review and response.  Because it is shared, you will be able to see the city’s responses to better prepare for our meetings (DATES TBD).  Your schools Safe Routes to School forms are due on or before Friday, February 13, 2026 (but the sooner the better).  If you have any questions please contact the district School Safety Coordinator, Matt Alvernaz matt.alvernaz@jordandistrict.org.

West Jordan Schools        South Jordan Schools

Herriman Schools             Riverton Schools

Bluffdale Schools

 

Published on

TO:
All Administrators
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
Rebecca Eastman, HR Generalist

If you are a contracted employee and need to take Annual/Personal Leave on a Critical Day before or after President’s Day 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
President’s Day
Licensed & ESP		 February 16, 2026 Feb. 12 and 17, 2026 Jan. 2 – Jan. 12, 2026

*Critical Days are the first student attendance days before or after a school holiday. If a non-student attendance day falls before or after a school holiday, the Critical Day is the day before or after that non-student attendance day when students are in attendance.

Licensed Personal Leave Before or After a Holiday
ESP Personal Leave Before or After a Holiday

 

 

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
Jane Olsen, Human Resources Specialist

Educators who are enrolled in or have completed a School Leadership program and are interested in the one-year Paid Administrative Internship have through Monday, December 22nd at 11:59 P.M. to submit their application.

If an educator tries to submit their application at or after 11:59 P.M. the application will not go through, and the educator would have to wait until the next window, opening on January 5th before being able to submit.

Please see the details below, or visit our website.

APPLICATION WINDOWS:

  • January Interviews: Application opens December 8th, 2025 and closes December 22nd , 2025 at 11:59 P.M.
  • February Interviews: Application opens January 5th, 2026 and closes January 16th, 2026 at 11:59 P.M.

ELIGIBILITY:

  • Be enrolled in a university administrative and/or leadership program, OR
  • Have a current in-state or out-of-state administrative license.

STEP 1: Complete the current Administrative Full-Time Paid Internship application in Frontline.

  • In the application, you are required to provide 3 references, which must meet the following criteria:
    1. Current Administrative Supervisor
    2. 2nd Administrator with whom you have worked with in the last 5 years
    3. A professional reference with whom you have worked with in the last 5 years
      • Your application will not be processed until all 3 required references are completed and returned.
      • All your references will receive an email from Mailbot@applitrack.com requesting they complete our Administrative Reference Form on your behalf. It is important you personally notify them to complete and submit the Administrative Reference Form ASAP.
  • The video portion of the application is required. Please make surecertain links can be viewed by anyone who has the link.

STEP 2: Invitation to Interview. Administrative Internship applicants may be invited to an interview in January or March. This is a mandatory, in-person interview with the Administrative Cabinet. These interviews will be held on either Monday or Friday to accommodate travel plans for any out-of-state applicants.

Offer and Placement of Successful Candidates: These notifications will be made by phone from a member of the Administrative Cabinet. Candidates who receive a 1-year internship assignment will be invited to apply for and be interviewed in May/November for the Administrative Pool.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

  • Administrative Internships are intended to be a one-year placement
  • Administrative Internships are a 187-day contract on the Teacher Salary Schedule
    • Elementary placements receive 20 additional days
    • Secondary placements receive 10 additional days
  • Internal JSD candidates chosen as an intern will have the right to return to a licensed position for which they are qualified at the conclusion of their intern year if not selected for an Administrative placement.

Published on

America's Awesome KidsPBS Utah and GBH Kids are collaborating on a new PBS KIDS series, America’s Awesome Kids, to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.

This project will feature 25 live-action shorts (3–5 minutes each) and educational outreach kits showcasing real kids—one from each of 25 states—who represent the diversity, creativity, and spirit of our country. These videos will highlight kids’ unique geographies, customs, interests, skills, and experiences, targeting ages 4–8.

We’re looking for a Utah kid between ages 7–11 who can give us a glimpse into what makes them—and where they live—special! This could be:

  • A child helping others in their community
  • Someone with a unique talent, hobby, or skill
  • A child sharing a cultural tradition with their family
  • A member of a military family
  • A child helping on a family farm or business

There’s no single “type” of story—we just want to meet awesome kids!

How to Submit an Interest Form: 

Timeline:

  • Steps 1: Email interest by Friday, December 12
  • Step 2: Selected children submit a 2–3 minute video by Sunday, December 20
  • Awesome Kid Selected: January 5
  • Filming: Week of January 19

Published on

The following are new administrative assignments:

New Assignments Effective Jan. 2, 2026:

  • Shawn McLeod, principal at Hidden Valley Middle appointed principal at Bingham High, replacing Rodney Shaw who is retiring.
  • Sterling Hunt, assistant principal at Copper Hills High appointed principal at Hidden Valley Middle.
  • Holly Bagley, assistant principal at Silver Crest Elementary appointed principal at Silver Crest Elementary, replacing Patty Bowen who is retiring.
  • Adrian Ramjoue, administrative intern at West Jordan High appointed assistant principal at Copper Hills High.
  • Douglas Pinkal, assistant principal at Antelope Canyon Elementary transferred as assistant principal at Silver Crest Elementary.
  • Adriana Lund, administrative intern at Majestic Elementary transferred as administrative intern at Antelope Canyon.

Assignment Effective Feb. 2, 2026:

  • Kylie Bussell, administrative intern at Mountain Ridge High appointed assistant principal at Bingham High, replacing Rufine Einzinger who is retiring.

Published on

TO:
Administrators
Administrative Assistants
Athletic Directors
Individuals that schedule field trips

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Daniel Ellis, Director of Accounting and Audits
Natalie Grange, Accounting Administrator
Kittisack Soumpholphakdy, Transportation Coordinator

When scheduling a field trip with the JSD Transportation Department, it is important to include all relevant information regarding departure and bus needs as well as billing information.

Please review the attached document for instructions on how to add billing codes when a district department is paying for your field trip or you are splitting the cost of a bus with another school.

For specific questions regarding field trip or bus logistics, contact Michael at 801-567-8809. For billing questions, call Janet at 801-567-8334.

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 23, 2026.

Budget transfers for this school year cannot be made after January 31, 2026. The budget transfer form is attached.

Published on

TO: 
All Administrators

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of T&L
Amanda Bollinger, Associate Administrator of T&L
Amy Lloyd, K-12 Math Consultant of T&L
Jared Covili, Digital Consultant of T&L

Are you interested in or currently pursuing a STEM endorsement? Let USBE PAY FOR YOUR COLLEGE CLASSES! This is called the STEM Endorsement Incentive Program (EIP) and it has been funded again for the 2025-26 school year. See our EIP website for a full list of endorsements.

Reimbursement applications for courses completed after July 1, 2025 are now being accepted. The next round of reimbursements applications is due December 19, 2025 for teachers who completed STEM courses in Summer/Fall 2025.

See the attached flyer and link to our EIP website for more information. If you have any questions, please reach out to your content consultant. We would love to talk to you!

Published on

DATE:
December 10, 2025

TO:  
Middle School Administrators
High School Administrators

FROM: 
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Brad Sorensen, Administrator of Schools, High School
Cody Curtis, Administrator of Schools, Middle School
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Stacee Worthen, School Counselor Consultant

SUBJECT:
Credit Guidelines Update

The updated 2025-2026 Jordan School District Credit Guidelines is now available. The updated version is posted on the Jordan School District School Counseling website.

You can access the Credit Guidelines here:
🔗 Credit Guidelines – Jordan District Counseling Website

(Feel free to bookmark or share with your teams.)

To make it easier to see what has been added or clarified, here is a quick overview of what’s new in this update:

  • Middle School Program of Study
  • Jordan Credit Center (JCC)
  • Demonstrated Competencies
  • Civics & Government/Citizenship Course Requirement (FYI, no changes at this time)
  • Grade Composite Matrix for Transfer Credit
  • High School Credit Earned in Middle School

If you have questions or would like support reviewing the updates with your counseling or registrar teams, please feel free to reach out. Counselors and registrars will also receive an email notifying them of the Credit Guidelines update. Please direct any questions to Stacee Worthen, School Counselor Consultant, at 801-567-8309.

Thank you for your continued partnership in ensuring students receive accurate, equitable pathways toward graduation.

Published on

DATE:
December 9, 2025

TO:
Principals and Assistant Principals

FROM: 
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
McKinley Withers, Health & Wellness Consultant
Michelle Reyes, Attendance/Prevention Specialist

SUBJECT: 
December Attendance Newsletter, Attendance Video & Winter Break Resources

See attached document.

Published on

DATE:
December 11, 2025

TO:   
All Secondary Principals

FROM:
Administrators of Schools
Carolyn Gough, Administrator, Teaching and Learning Department
Norman Emerson, Instructional Support Services/Fine Arts Consultant

SUBJECT:
Utah Symphony Performance for Secondary Students

We are thrilled to announce a new, optional opportunity for secondary students in the Jordan District. The Utah Symphony will be performing specifically for our secondary students for the first time on March 4, 2026.

Concert Details:

  • Location: West Jordan High School
  • Date: March 4, 2026
  • Time: 9:45 a.m.
  • Performance Duration: 45 minutes

 Logistics:

  • Student Participation: Each school is allowed to send up to 60 students.
  • Supervision: Each school must ensure sufficient adult supervision, with a minimum of one adult chaperone per 30 students.
  • Funding: School-based budgets will cover the cost of substitute teachers (if needed), while the Teaching and Learning Department will handle busing fees.

Action Required:

  1. Google Form Submission: To participate, complete the attached Google Form by October 15, 2025.
  2. Transportation Request: Your school’s administrative assistant should submit a transportation request via Skyward. Include the number of teachers and chaperones in your school's final count. Ensure your bus request includes the correct group name (e.g., South Hills, 115 Curr) to facilitate coverage of the bus fee by the Teaching and Learning Department.

Preparation: Utah Symphony will provide study materials to help prepare students and enhance their experience. We strongly encourage utilizing these resources to maximize the educational value of the performance.

For any further information or assistance, please feel free to reach out. We look forward to your school’s participation in this enriching musical experience.

 

Published on

TO:
All Administrators
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
Jane Olsen, HR Specialist

Exciting News for Critical Need/Hard to Fill Positions!

We are thrilled to announce that positions identified as Critical Need or Hard to Fill are now eligible for submission, with postings going live in January! This is an incredible opportunity to showcase your open roles and attract top talent.

Important Action Required! Please ensure you complete the Date Position Available field on your Requisition. This crucial step aids us in accurately identifying positions available for the 2026-2027 school year and bolsters our nationwide recruitment efforts. Your attention to detail will help us connect the right candidates to your team!

Need Assistance? Don't forget, there are tutorials available to guide you through completing requisitions and navigating all things Frontline. Simply follow the link on your Frontline Message Board for step-by-step assistance. Should you have any questions or need further support, our friendly HR Recruiting Team is just a call away!

Let's make this recruitment season a success together!