Jordan School District
TO:
All Administrators
FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
Rebecca Lee, HR Administrator, Evaluations
The Beginning of the Year Interim is due by October 31, 2025. Remember that this includes a self-evaluation, three required goals, and administrator approval.
Please see the attached flyer.
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 before or after Thanksgiving on a “Critical 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 |
| Thanksgiving Recess
(Licensed) |
Nov. 26-28, 2025 | Nov. 25 and Dec. 1, 2025 | Oct. 12 – Oct. 22, 2025 |
| Thanksgiving Recess
(ESP) |
Nov. 27-28, 2025 | Nov. 25 and Dec. 1, 2025 | Oct. 13 – Oct. 23, 2025 |
*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 Annual/Personal Leave Taken on a Critical Day 2025-2026
TO:
Administrators
Teachers and Staff
FROM:
Michelle Love-Day, Director of Language and Culture Services
Language & Culture Services wants to celebrate our 2025 WIDA graduates. Our students work hard and we want to celebrate their linguistic greatness in reaching level 4.2 overall and level 3.5 on the speaking section in WIDA.
Come and watch our students receive awards and see them perform. Find out about parent resources, information about WIDA and get a free dinner.
Please come out and celebrate with your students and their families.
TO:
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
Attached is the Special Ed Newsletter for October 2025.
DATE:
October 1, 2025
TO:
Administrators
Licensed Personnel
FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
Brittany Bauer, HR Specialist
SUBJECT:
Transition from CACTUS to USIMS
Dear Educators,
Starting November 30th, 2025, educators will no longer be able to access the CACTUS (Educator Licensing) platform. Instead, all licensing information will be available in the new USIMS platform.
To ensure a smooth transition, it is essential that you take the following steps:
For detailed instructions and support on setting up your USIMS profile and managing the transition, please visit the following link: USIMS Support and Instructions.
We understand that changes in systems can be challenging, and we are committed to supporting you throughout this process. Should you have any questions or require further assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Brittany Bauer
HR Specialist, Licensing
801-567-8214
brittany.bauer@jordandistrict.org
TO:
Directors
Principals
Administrative Assistants
FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
Rebecca Eastman, HR Generalist, Leave Benefits
Please see the attached overviews for Administrative, Licensed and Educational Support Professionals leave policies.
TO:
All Administrators
FROM:
Curtis Jenson, Administrator at South Jordan Middle
BYU CITIES School Partnership
Centering Student Joy: Stop Surviving, Start Thriving
Don't miss the Learning Edge Annual Administrator Conference, themed "Centering Student Joy: Helping Them Thrive, Not Just Survive". This essential professional development opportunity for Elementary, Secondary, District Administrators, Teachers, Teacher Leaders, and Student Support Providers is designed to provide actionable strategies for educators.
The conference is scheduled for November 11, 2025, from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Provo Marriott Hotel and Conference Center.
You'll hear from keynote speakers including:
Registration is only $99 per person, and includes both breakfast and lunch. Register today, and bring a few teachers with you! The conference is a collaborative event held by the Center for the Improvement of Teacher Education and Schooling (CITES) at Brigham Young University, and features some of our own JSD all-stars like Jared Covili, Marianne Johansen, and Melanie Dawson.
TO:
All Administrators
FROM:
Scott Thomas, Administrator of Auxiliary Services
Brandon Conti, Risk Management Coordinator
What are some facts you should know about extension cord use and limitations? Check out the document below for all the details!
TO:
Administrators
Administrative Assistants
FROM:
Sarah Palmer, Director of Payroll
Please see the document below.
TO:
Administrators
FROM:
Jared Covili, Digital Teaching and Learning
As previously mentioned, in order to make the most of the available features in our district-wide Canva deployment, we are migrating to a new Canva structure on Friday 9/26. No content has been lost; as part of this migration you have been added to one or more new Canva teams, corresponding to the school(s) with which you’re associated (or a “Staff & Admin” team, for staff not based at a school).
Here’s what you need to know:
We have re-labeled our existing district team to “Archive: Jordan School District”. You’ll always be able to access this content by toggling between teams. You’ll also be able to access your new school-based team by toggling in the same way. See attached guide for information on switching between teams.
We recommend you copy your content from this Archive team over to your new school-based team. You’ll get the best Canva features in these new teams, and will best able to collaborate in your school team with the students and staff associated with that school. View attached guide for instructions on how to copy Canva content to your new team.
District-wide staff: you may not have been automatically added to your new Staff & Admin team. Please log out and log back in to Canva in order to be added to this team.
If you encounter any other issues with Canva, please contact our Digital Teaching and Learning Team or the Canva Support team.
TO:
Administrators
FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Director Teaching & Learning
Kaye Rizzuto, Social Studies Consultant
As we approach America 250, the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, we have a unique opportunity to engage students in meaningful learning and memorable celebrations throughout the 2025-2026 school year.
Activities and Engagement
We encourage each school to incorporate America 250 into the curriculum and school culture, making this milestone year unforgettable for all students.
Student Award Opportunity
Students also have the option to participate in a special America 250 Award program, designed to recognize student engagement, research, and creativity related to the anniversary. Details and how to participate can be found HERE.
Let’s work together to make America 250 a vibrant and inclusive celebration in every school. Thank you for your leadership and support in creating memorable learning experiences for our students.
If you have questions or want to share your school’s plans, please reach out.
Kaye Rizzuto
Social Studies Consultant
Carolyn Gough
Director Teaching & Learning
TO:
Office and Administrative staff of schools and District departments
FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
The agenda for the optional Zoom training session for office and administrative staff of schools and District departments is attached. The October 9 session will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. via Zoom. This meeting is a refresher course that will go over any changes in district departments this year, offer clarification on broad-based issues, and general reminders.
If you would like to participate, please send an email to Lisa LeStarge at lisa.lestarge@jordandistrict.org. Attendees of each session will receive an email the day prior to the training with instructions for connecting to the Zoom meeting.
TO:
New Administrators and anyone who wants a complete overview of Business and Auxiliary Services department information
FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Training will be provided by the Business and Auxiliary Services Departments on October 7, 2025 from 8:00 a.m. to noon at the Auxiliary Services Building Presentation Room. This training opportunity is for school or department personnel including principals, assistant principals, administrative assistants, clerks, aides or others with responsibilities correlating with the Business or Auxiliary Services Departments. The draft agenda is attached.
If you would like to participate in this session, please send an email to Lisa LeStarge, at lisa.lestarge@jordandistrict.org. The total number of participants in this session will be capped at 60 (plus presenters). Attendees will be provided with a link to hand-outs provided by the presenters so they can be viewed during the training or downloaded for future use.
We hope you will take advantage of this training opportunity.
DATE:
September 25, 2025
TO:
All Administrators
FROM:
Steffany Ellsworth, Support Services Manager, Information Systems
SUBJECT:
Introducing the iBoss Parent Portal App for Parents/Guardians
As we settle into the 2025-26 school year, Information Systems is excited to announce a new tool for our families: the iBoss Parent Portal App. This application is designed to give parents and guardians more control and visibility over their student’s internet use on their school-issued Chromebook. The application can be downloaded from either the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, simply search for “iBoss Parent Portal” to find it.
The iBoss Parent Portal App will allow parents to guide their student’s internet use in two primary ways:
Attached to this memo, you will find a copy of the iBoss Parent Portal Quick Start Guide. This guide will be sent to parents from the office of Communications in the coming weeks. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with this guide.
Should parents have questions, they should be instructed to contact the school directly. For any questions you are unable to answer, please contact the Information Systems help desk at (801) 567-8737 or extension 88737. You can also reach out to your school’s assigned tech for assistance with the app. We are here to support you in helping our families with this new tool.
The following are new administrative assignments:
New Administrative Internships for 2025-26:
TO:
Principals
FROM:
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 September 2025.
DATE:
September 4, 2025
TO:
All Principals
All Licensed Staff
FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Melanie Dawson, Program Administrator of Behavior
SUBJECT:
ETT: Cultivating Classroom Management Skills
Effective Teacher Training (ETT) is available for a Fall 2025 cohort! Seats are capped at 50 and are only available to licensed educators who have never taken ETT previously. This course is not currently available to ESPs. This course is designed for: All general education and special education teachers. Also welcome: Specialists, interventionists, and mental health providers
(Not available to ESPs) Please register on Canvas Catalog to save your spot. See the attached memo for information.
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 Fall 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 |
| Fall Recess Licensed |
October 21-24, 2024 | Oct. 17 and 27, 2024 | Sept. 6 – Sept. 16, 2024 |
| Fall Recess ESP |
October 23-24, 2024 | Oct. 17 and 27, 2024 | Sept. 8 – Sept. 18, 2024 |
Licensed Annual/Personal Leave Taken on a Critical Day 2025-2026
TO:
All Administrators
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
The following professional development days have been added to this year's calendar.
Professional Development Day (No Students Attend)
Friday, September 26, 2025 (Elementary)
Friday, October 3, 2025 (Secondary)
Friday, March 6, 2026 (Elementary & Secondary)
Friday, April 17, 2026 (Elementary & Secondary)
All employees should work in the building on these days. As you are planning Professional Development in your schools and departments please plan as follows: Principal-Directed School Level Professional Development will be held in the morning hours and optional District-Level Professional Development may begin at 1:00 pm.
Please provide these dates to your employees.
If you have any questions please contact your Administrator of Schools.
DATE:
September 2, 2025
TO:
All Administrators
FROM:
Scott Thomas, Administrator of Auxiliary Services
Paul Bergera, Director of Transportation
Kitt Soumpholphakdy, Field Trips Coordinator
SUBJECT:
Transportation Activity/Field Trip Fee Schedule 2025-26
As you make plans for your school’s or department’s field/activity trips this year, please refer to the revised Transportation Activity/Field Trip Fee Schedule 2025-26, which can be found at Jordan Auxiliary Services - Field Trips and will become effective on September 15, 2025.
The Field Trip Office is committed to maintaining fees that reflect current personnel and fuel costs while still providing affordable trips to schools and departments.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Kitt at 801-567-8851, Mike at 801-567-8809 or Michele at 801-567-8804.
