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Google has limited the amount of cloud storage that is allocated to the district. As a result of this change, Google Photos for Jordan School District Google accounts will be discontinued this summer. This does not affect the use of Google Photos with a personal account.

To determine if this affects you, go to google.com or mail.google.com on a district device and log in with your Jordan School District credentials. Click on the “waffle” icon in the top, right corner of the screen, then select “Photos” from the available applications. If you find photos and want to keep them, you will need to move those photos to a different account or location.

If you have any questions, you can call the Information Systems Help Desk at 801-567-8737.

The following are new administrative assignments:

  • New Assignments and Transfers effective July 1, 2023:
    • Bryan Veazie, principal at Copper Hills High appointed the District Athletics and Activities Director (new) at the District Office.
    • Rae Garrison, principal at West Jordan Middle appointed principal at Copper Hills High, replacing Bryan Veazie.
    • Eric Price, principal at Fort Herriman Middle appointed principal at West Jordan Middle, replacing Rae Garrison.
    • Glen Richins, assistant principal at Herriman High appointed principal at Fort Herriman Middle, replacing Eric Price.
    • Sonja Burton Juarez, principal at JATC-South assigned principal at JATC-North & South Campuses.
    • Brady Bartholomew, assistant principal at Mountain Ridge High assigned assistant principal at Riverton High, replacing Matt Tranter.
    • Marni Davis, assistant principal at West Hills Middle assigned assistant principal at Riverton High, replacing Dave Tilby.
    • Russell Stephenson, administrative intern at Joel P. Jensen Middle and Oquirrh Hills Middle appointed assistant principal at West Hills Middle, replacing Marni Davis.
    • Brittany Andersen, administrative intern at Copper Hills High appointed assistant principal at Copper Hills High, replacing Rich Price.
    • Jentry Johnson, assistant principal at Mountain Ridge High assigned assistant principal at Herriman High, replacing Julie Scherzinger who was announced previously.
    • Jane Harward, consultant in the Teaching & Learning Department assigned assistant principal at Mountain Ridge High, replacing Jentry Johnson.
    • Raimee Jensen, assistant principal at Hidden Valley Middle assigned assistant principal at West Jordan Middle, replacing Georgia Wing.
    • Tyler Jones, assistant principal at Valley High assigned assistant principal at Hidden Valley Middle, replacing Raimee Jensen.
    • Jack Pay, administrative intern at Sunset Ridge Middle and West Hills Middle appointed assistant principal at Valley High, replacing Tyler Jones.
    • Chris Titus, principal at JATC-North assigned assistant principal at Herriman High, replacing Glen Richins.
    • Stewart Hudnall, assistant principal at Bingham High assigned assistant principal at JATC-North & South Campuses.
    • Vaega Toilolo, administrative intern at Bingham High appointed assistant principal at Bingham High, replacing Stewart Hudnall.
    • Michelle Love-Day, consultant in Language & Culture Services appointed Director of the Department of Language & Culture Services.
    • Ami Shah, consultant in Equity, Diversity & Inclusion appointed Officer in Equity, Diversity & Inclusion.
  • New Secondary Administrative Intern Assignments effective July 1, 2023:
    • Britnee Eng, teacher at West Jordan High assigned administrative intern at Herriman High.
    • Kirt Davis, teacher at Riverton High assigned administrative intern at West Jordan High.
    • Austin Howarth, teacher at Scott M. Matheson Junior High in Granite School District assigned administrative intern at Riverton High.
    • Katelyn Jenson, teacher at Riverton High assigned administrative intern at Copper Hills High.
    • Julianna Wing, CTE Coordinator at Herriman High assigned administrative intern at Bingham High.
    • Kyrstin Wingert, teacher specialist at South Hills Middle assigned administrative intern at Mountain Ridge High.
    • Karen Moore, instructional coach at West Jordan Middle assigned administrative intern at Joel P Jensen Middle.
    • Annie Orton, instructional coach at Olympus High in Granite School District assigned administrative intern at Copper Mountain Middle and Mountain Creek Middle.
    • Ethan Walsh, teacher at Mountain View High in Alpine School District assigned administrative intern at Sunset Ridge Middle and West Jordan Middle.
    • Samantha Robinson, instructional coach at Corner Canyon High in Canyons School District assigned administrative intern at West Hills Middle and Oquirrh Hills Middle.
  • New Elementary Administrative Intern Assignment effective July 1, 2023:
    • Kasey Dahl, teacher at Mountain Shadows Elementary assigned administrative intern at Ridge View Elementary, replacing Tim McConnell who is resigning.

Spring has arrived, and with it comes a sense of renewal and hope for a brighter future. As we move into the month of May, we have much to look forward to in our schools and within our community. Enjoy our newsletter as you learn about Asian and Pacific Island Heritage Month, gain some teaching tools to assist students in reading in a different language other than their native language, and celebrate our bilingual psychologists with us.

The full newsletter can be found at the link below. Stories include:

Student Monitoring - After students score proficient on their WIDA test, they are monitored for four years. If you have any students in monitoring, you will be asked to complete a monitoring form each quarter for them. This quick check-in allows you to communicate any concerns you might have with students who have exited EL services but who continue to be monitored for four years after their exit date. When you log into ELLevation, you will see a red flag above the "Monitoring" tab on your screen. This tells you how many forms you need to complete, and when you click, it will take you to your unfinished forms. Make sure you complete these before the year ends!


Immersive Reader in Canvas - The Immersive Reader is an add-on in Canvas that students can set up to help them understand your Canvas content. Immersive Reader will do the following:

  • Translate text (show students how to do this--they'll have to adjust each time they open immersive reader) If they click a word, a picture will pop up
  • They can adjust font size, background color, and have it highlight line-by-line reading.
  • It will read text to them, can speed or slow audio, change audio to male/female voice, and has different dialects or accents students can choose.
  • Here are the instructions for students to add it the Immersive Reader button to their Canvas page. It might be helpful to walk them through it by doing it on your own:
  • Go to "Account" on left side of Canvas screen. Click "settings"
  • Scroll down to the list of "Feature Options"
  • Click the red X next to "Microsoft immersive reader," click "enabled," and turn it to a green check.
  • Bonus: Students can also turn on auto-captions for Canvas Media in the "Feature Options" list

Culture Corner - May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a time to celebrate and recognize the contributions and achievements of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. This month is an opportunity to learn about the rich history, diverse cultures, and significant contributions that AAPI individuals and communities have made throughout our country's history. It's a time to reflect on the challenges faced by AAPI people, including discrimination and racism, and to promote inclusivity, understanding, and respect for all individuals, regardless of their background. As a district community, let's take this month to celebrate the AAPI heritage and continue to work towards a more inclusive and equitable society.


Reflective Questions - As we end the year, think about the following:

  • How can I build a stronger community that encourages and engages ALL students in my classroom?
  • What went well this year? What do I want to improve?
  • How can I use ELLevation in August to help me prepare for the new group of students I will teach?
  • What can I do for me this summer that helps me decompress and relax after my busy teaching year?
  • What can I plan for next year to help me support my and my student's social and emotional health as the year goes on?

Celebrating our Bilingual Psychs this year! - We have 747 ML's in our district who have IEP's. To help with testing, we have two wonderful bilingual psychologists working nonstop to help test our multilingual students throughout the district. Monica Amador and Angie Mar Velez Matias have had their busiest year yet trying to get students tested for special ed services.
They've tested nearly 300 students this year between the two of them. They do new student referrals and re-evals for students from out of district, state, or country. They are a valuable connection between Special Ed and Language and Culture, and we couldn't do it without them!


The Special Education Summer Conference for the 2023-24 school year will be held on Tuesday, August 8, 2023 at West Jordan High School. Check in begins at 7:30am and the conference begins at 8:00am. Attendees will receive a $200 stipend.

All Certified/Licensed Special Education staff and school administrators are invited to attend. Please register on JPLS before August 6th. Course and Session information are on the attached flyer. If you have any questions or concerns please contact your teacher specialist.

For those who are new this year and will not have access to JPLS to register prior to the conference, Susan and Robin, the New Teacher Induction Specialists will provide us with a list of who will be attending. Please work with them to ensure you are on their list.

We can't wait to see you there!

Our pilot with School AI will allow us to have 100 participants dive in to their programs and see how teachers can utilize AI as part of their classrooms.

We are looking for each school to recommend a teacher to serve as a "power user" who will test School AI this summer during June and July.

There will be a virtual training offered in both June and July to help users maximize School AI. Participants may be asked to participate in a user group to provide suggestions and other feedback.

If you would like to be considered as an additional pilot participant please let us know below.

School AI Pilot Recommendations Form

DATE: 
May 10, 2023

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 below need attention as you prepare to close out the 2022-23 school year.

 

Effective Teacher Training (ETT) will be offered this summer. Spots are limited and fill quickly, so learners need to register on JPLS as soon as possible. Pacing is flexible in this online course, so learners will be able to complete the content even with summer vacations.*

For: All general education and special education teachers

Also Welcome: Specialists, mental health providers, ESPs

Note for instructional coaches: You can request to be an observer in the course instead of registering as a learner.

Please email Melanie Dawson or Katie Jarvis if you are interested.

Fall Mentor Training will be available online through Canvas from July 31 to September 5, 2023. Mentor Training will be provided to new mentors based on the administrator's recommendation. After checking with potential mentors, please complete the Google form to add names of mentors you would like to have complete mentor training. We have a limited number of seats. Educators will be added first come, first served. You may add up to three mentors per form. Teachers will get paid $150 stipend for completing the mentor Canvas training.

Google Form Link

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU…

The HR TEAM values you and your opinion regarding HR practices and procedures. Therefore, we invite you to complete the following brief survey. Names are optional.

Survey LINK

THANK YOU for taking the time to complete this survey. Your feedback is important to us.

Beginning July 2023, Skylert will have an updated look! From the new interface you can create templates, view the success rate of recent broadcasts, quickly access favorite broadcasts, and create one message to go out via phone, email, and text. Take a sneak peek at the new Skylert!

Skylert: New User Interface

DATE:  
May 5, 2023

TO:  
All Principals and Directors

FROM:   
June LeMaster, Ph.D., Administrator of Human Resources
Brent Burge, Human Resource Administrator

SUBJECT: 
Education Support Professionals (Non-Exempt) Employee Overtime Reminder


Please see the memo below.

The administration of the Jordan School District, in consultation with the Board of Education and employee groups, is pleased to begin observance of the official state holiday for the Juneteenth National Freedom Day. This year, Juneteenth National Freedom Day will be observed on Monday, June 19, 2023. District offices and locations will be closed on this day. This change will impact the current year calendar for contracted and hourly employees on 242- and 245-day contracts, as well as CTE Coordinators on 207-day contracts.

Utah Code 63G-1-301(1)(f) outlines the scheduling of Juneteenth in Utah:
(f)(i) The Juneteenth National Freedom Day holiday is on June 19, if that day is a Monday.
(ii) If June 19 is on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, the Juneteenth National Freedom Day holiday is on the immediately preceding Monday.
(iii) If June 19 is on a Saturday or Sunday, the Juneteenth National Freedom Day holiday is on the immediately following Monday.

Updated employee calendars may be accessed at https://planning.jordandistrict.org/calendars/. Employees should direct questions to their immediate supervisors.

Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 9:00 AM is the 8th Annual JEF CHALLENGE RUN at Veterans Memorial Park in West Jordan. Cost per person is $20 (Teachers are free!)

THE CHALLENGE OBSTACLE RUN is a family-friendly obstacle course run open to all ages and created to make a difference in Jordan District Classrooms. Thanks to our generous sponsor GENESIS DENTAL, 100% of proceeds go directly toward Classroom Grants benefiting students & teachers in Jordan District!

Open to the community and fun for all ages, the run ends with a fun family festival with lots of free giveaways. Come see what all the fun is about! For more details and to register online, visit: www.jefchallenge.org

National School Nurse Day was established to foster a better understanding of the role of school nurses in the educational setting.

Administrators: How do you celebrate National School Nurses Day? Please help our School Nurses know that they are loved and appreciated for all they do for you and our students!

Federal Regulations require the district to certify the payroll of any employee being paid with federal funds. Accounting identifies employees that meet this federal criteria and prepare certification forms by location. Principals and department heads please review the attached instruction memo and look for your payroll certification email the week of May 1, 2023. Certifications are due Friday, May 26, 2023. Please review your certification ASAP and contact Natalie Grange if you have any questions or concerns. natalie.grange@jordandistrict.org, ext. 88312

22,000 students responded to the winter Panorama SEL Survey and reflected on belonging, self-management, social awareness, emotion regulation, and self-efficacy. The attached document highlights the results for the District. You may access your school's results directly in the Panorama dashboard. See the District highlights attached. 

DATE:
May 4, 2023

TO:
All Principals / Department Directors / School Administrative Assistants

SUBJECT:
Requests for 2023-2024 Special Calendars – Licensed Only


Your assistance is requested, as the Human Resource Department is preparing special calendars for the 2023-2024 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 2022-2023 contract year will be emailed to you for review on Friday, May 5, 2023. 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 wee (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 Senior- Lisa Garner, 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. Attached is an optional email template that can be modified to fit each employee; however essential information should remain unchanged.
  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 link.  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 19, 2023 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 Lisa Garner, HR Assistant Senior, at (801) 567-8226.

An abbreviated version of this memo was included in the May 2023 HR Connections, which can be viewed at https://employment.jordandistrict.org/hr-connections-newsletters/.

JL/jo