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DATE:
May 1, 2025

TO:
Principals
All Certified Special Education Staff

FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education

SUBJECT:
Year-End Checkout for Special Education


The items listed in the attached memo need attention as you prepare to close out the 2024-25 school year. Any questions or concerns that arise should be directed to your school’s Teacher Specialist for clarification.

TO:
Administrators

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


Check out the attached PDF for the latest updates from Teaching & Learning for the month. Learn tips and tricks, sign up for upcoming PD, and learn about important updates from the T & L team.

TO:
Administrators

FROM:
Michelle Love-Day, Director, Language and Culture Services


This endorsement program is open to K-12 contracted licensed personnel in Jordan School District. This does not include substitute teachers or paraprofessionals who are licensed.

IMPORTANT: As of August 2024, the JSD ESL Endorsement program has been updated to a competency based endorsement that aligns with TESOL standards and USBE requirements. This means the endorsement has undergone some changes and is formatted differently than in previous years. You will earn an endorsement with the Utah State Board of Education. A university credit option through SUU is available at your own expense. Language & Culture Services will not be paying for university credit.

NOTE: Your employee email that ends with "@jordandistrict.org" will be used for ALL correspondence.

Applicants will be placed in the order in which applications are received.

You can sign up for the endorsement using the link below. For more information, please contact your Language Teacher Specialists.

Request for Participation in the ESL Endorsement

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Scott Thomas, Administrator of Auxiliary Services
Brandon Conti, Risk Management Coordinator


Distracted driving is any non-driving activity a person engages in that has the potential to distract him or her from the primary task of driving and increases the risk of crashing. While all distractions can endanger drivers’ safety, texting is the most alarming because it involves all three types of distraction.

See the flyer below for more information.

TO:
School Principals
Administrators

FROM:
Katie Bastian, Director of Nutrition Services


When we say school nutrition professionals are heroes, we mean it! That's why we celebrate them every spring with the National School Lunch Hero Day. Join schools across the country that are recognizing the difference these team members make for every child who comes through their cafeteria.

DATE:
April 24, 2025

TO:
All Principals
Department Directors
School Administrative Assistants

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources

SUBJECT:
Requests for 2025-2026 Special Calendars – Licensed Only


Your assistance is requested, as the Human Resource Department is preparing special calendars for the 2025-2026 academic year for licensed employees. Special calendars are essential to ensuring appropriate contract pay, time entry, emergency protocols and temporary employee tracking. Employees who meet certain criteria, as listed below, should have a special calendar on file with the Human Resource Department.

A list of licensed employees at your school/department location who are currently on a special calendar for the 2024-2025 contract year will be emailed to you for review on Monday, April 28, 2025. If needed, please make all appropriate additions, corrections, or other changes by submitting an online Hire/Change form in Skyward to the Human Resource Department. Please follow the additional instructions below.

Criteria for determining if an employee requires a special calendar:

  • 187 Modified/207 Modified-educator who is less than a 1.0 FTE working a schedule that is modified by hours per day or number of days during the week (i.e., .50 FTE working 8 hours every other day, for example)
  • Multiple Location Employees- employees split between two or more locations.
  • Elementary Job Shares

If you have an employee you would like to review to determine if they may need a special calendar, you may contact the Human Resources Department, HR Assistant Seniors, for assistance. If a list is not included, there are currently no employees on a special calendar at this location. However, if you anticipate a special calendar for a licensed employee, please follow the instructions below.

Instructions for Special Calendar Requests:

  1. Principals set up a meeting with employee(s) who meet the criteria for a special calendar.
  2. Collaborate with each employee and complete the appropriate calendar for any/all licensed employee(s) on a special calendar found on the HR Connection These calendars are fillable and will self-calculate.
  3. Print the completed calendar, sign and obtain signatures from the employee(s).
  4. Return the original calendar to the Human Resource Department by May 2, 2025 for processing.
  5. If a licensed employee will not continue on a special calendar, an online change form must be completed at the school/department and submitted to the Human Resource Department in Skyward.

Important Reminders:

  • Special Calendars may only be changed twice per contract year. Revisions must be pre-approved and signed by the principal/director.
  • Special calendars must be followed as outlined. If a calendared day is missed, the appropriate allocated leave time must be entered in Skyward for that day. (The calendar has a calculator to assist with time entry.)
  • Trade days are problematic and require a change to the employee’s special calendar, written approval by the supervisor, and notification to an HR Administrator, prior to taking leave or modifying their calendar.

Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter. Failure to follow these procedures may cause an employee to be paid incorrectly. Any questions about this procedure or completing a special calendar should be directed to Julie Sharp, HR Senior Asst Elementary, at (801) 567-8230 or Lisa Garner, HR Senior Asst Secondary, at (801) 567-8226.

AG/bb

TO:
Principals and Department Heads

FROM:
Mike Haynes - Director, Jordan Education Foundation


Outstanding ESP nominations are open! Is there someone in your school or department who goes the extra mile? Someone who works behind the scenes making everyone else's job easier? Nominate them today for Jordan Education Foundation's annual ESP Awards. To submit a nomination, go to our website: Education Support Professional Recognition

Nominations close on April 30th, so get your nominations in today!

DATE:
April 14, 2025

TO:
All Principals
All Budget Directors

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Daniel Ellis, Director of Accounting, Budgets & Audits
April Gaydosh, Administrator, Human Resources
Steffany Ellsworth, Manager, Information Systems
Bonnie Brennan, Director of Insurance Services
Sarah Palmer, Director of Payroll
Kurt Prusse, Director of Purchasing

SUBJECT: 
Year-End Processing Deadlines


Please observe the attached critical deadlines regarding the financial year-end processes for the 2024-25 year. Please review these dates as they could have a major effect on your location’s ability to operate.

TO:
All Administrators
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Mike Haynes - Director, Jordan Education Foundation


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 Run is open to the community with participation from all of our schools. Teachers can run free by registering with the promo code "Teacher2025."

The run begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 10 and ends with a (free), 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! Bring your family, friends, and neighbors for a super fun day!

  • Saturday, May 10
  • 9 a.m.
  • Veterans Memorial Park, West Jordan
  • A T-shirt is included in registration

Come see what all the fun is about!  For more details and to register online, please visit jefchallenge.org.

TO:
Middle School Principals
High School Principals

FROM:
Jason Skidmore, CTE Director


It's time to celebrate the remarkable achievements of the Jordan School District! The "Jordan At-A-Glance 23-24" report showcases impressive graduation rates and highlights the district's robust Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. These initiatives empower students with valuable certifications in fields like Health Science, Engineering, Computer Science, and Digital Media. Dive into this data to see how our Jordan District CTE sets the stage for student success and leads the way in educational excellence.

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 April 2025.

DATE: 
April 10, 2025

 TO: 
Jordan District Administrators, Directors

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Administrators of Schools

SUBJECT:
Time Schedule for the Last Day of School


Please review this memo carefully for your school dismissal time, and convey this information to your students and parents.

DATE:   
April 9, 2025

TO:    
School Administrators
School Safety Specialists

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

SUBJECT:   
April Safety Drill – Great Utah ShakeOut 2025


On Thursday, April 17th 2025, at 10:15 A.M. a million Utahns will “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” in the annual Great Utah ShakeOut Earthquake Drill.

All schools are encouraged to participate in this drill during the designated time, 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 Jordan School District has registered as a whole to participate in the Great Utah ShakeOut. You can find more information at: www.ShakeOut.org/Utah.

Please review the Jordan School District Safety Manual - Earthquake Action Plan and Standard Operating Guidelines on pages 28-31 for planning, drilling and responding to an earthquake.

For additional information or guidance please contact the District School Safety Coordinator, Matt Alvernaz at matt.alvernaz@jordandistrict.org or by phone at 801-567-8623.

DATE:    
April 7, 2025

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: 
DSPD Training


Special Education is partnering with the Department of Services for People with Disabilities (DSPD) and the Utah Parent Center to host a virtual information session on April 15, 2025. This event is for anyone with a student that has a disability. DSPD provides community resources to students with disabilities. It is important that students get on the waitlist early!

The training will include information such as: What exactly is DSPD, and why should I be on the waitlist? What are the benefits for people waiting for services? Join us to answer these questions and more! Hosted by Amber Beck, Jordan School District Parent Consultant, and Calleen Kenney, Family to Family Network Coordinator, with guest Anna Dees DSPD Intake Specialist.

Please distribute the attached flyer to your community.

For more information or questions about the event, please contact Ashley Calhoun at 801-567-8208 or ashley.calhoun@jordandistrict.org

 

JSD DSPD Training Flyer - English

JSD DSPD Training Flyer - Spanish

DATE:
April 7, 2025

TO:
Principals
All Certified Special Education Staff

FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education

SUBJECT:
End of Year SCRAM Detail Report


All Special Education providers will receive a copy of this memo to review for year-end SCRAM procedures. Please read it carefully as several items have been modified/updated to include new procedures implemented with our Embrace program. The SCRAM report will be sent to the team leader for each school via District Mail. Once you have read through the memo, use the process you have in place at your school to include all service providers to share the report and make the necessary corrections. Scram reports and corrections are due no later than Friday, May 2, 2025.

Please work together as a team and only return one copy of the report with all corrections for each school.

NEW PROCEDURE AS OF APRIL 2025:
For the remainder of this school year and going forward our procedure will be to submit SCRAM electronically through Embrace only. It is no longer required to continue to submit the paper version. If there are inconsistencies in the submission of Embrace SCRAM we will once again need to implement the paper SCRAM.

Please read the attached Memo and tip sheet for more information before you proceed with the SCRAM report.

Submit all SCRAM changes and/or corrections AND the signed SCRAM report to Jen Warkentine at the District Office.

If you have questions, please contact the Teacher Specialist assigned to your school or Jen Warkentine at (801) 567-8207 or jen.warkentine@jordandistrict.org.

All SCRAM reports and SCRAM document changes must be received by the Special Education Office no later than Friday, May 2, 2025.

 

TO:
All Administrators
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources


If you are a contracted employee (Benefit eligible) and need to take Annual/Personal Leave on a Critical Day before or after Memorial 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 Impacted Days Window
Memorial Day May 26, 2025 May 23 and 27, 2025 April 12 – April 22, 2025

Licensed Annual/Personal Leave Taken on a Critical Day 2024-2025

ESP Annual/Personal Leave Taken on a Critical Day 2024-2025