Check out the attached flyer and use the links for the latest updates from Teaching & Learning for December. Learn tips and tricks, sign up for upcoming PD, and learn about important updates from the T & L team.
Category: Other Administrators
2023 Destruction of Special Education Records
DATE:
December 1, 2023
TO:
High School and Center-Based School Principals
High School Special Education Team Leaders
FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
SUBJECT:
Destruction of Special Education Records
As of January 31, 2024, such notice will have been advertised to parents for students whose birthdates are prior to September 1996 (i.e., students who are 27 years of age). Any records for students over the age of 22 will be stored off site until they are ready to be destroyed when the student turns 27 years of age.
See the full memo below.
December 2023 Special Education Newsletter
See the attached newsletter.
Standard Response Protocol (SRP) Drill Schedule and Trainings 2023
DATE:
November 30, 2023
TO:
All Administrators
Principals
Assistant Principals
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Matt Alvernaz, School Safety Coordinator
SUBJECT:
Standard Response Protocol (SRP) Schedule of Drills/Evacuations and Trainings 2023-24
A uniform, planned, and practiced response to any incident is the foundation of a safe school. Effective school safety measures require schools to anticipate the unthinkable and practice how they will respond, react, and behave when a crisis occurs. Consistent ongoing emergency safety training and practice is required to adequately educate students, staff, and parents.
Beginning January 2024, monthly SRP emergency safety drills will be implemented district-wide at each school. Each month a different SRP safety drill will be assigned by the District and conducted by the school. Schools will schedule the specific date and time the drill will be conducted during that month. (i.e. If “HOLD” is assigned for the month of February, the school will schedule the date and time during the month of February to conduct the dill.) Currently schools are required to conduct four (4) emergency evacuation drills annually – the number of evacuation drills will not increase unless the school chooses to do so (see March below).
Training will be provided monthly to assist schools in implementing the monthly SRP safety drill. Beginning Wednesday, January 3, 2024 – and every first Wednesday of the month, two (2) virtual training sessions will be held (3pm and 3:30pm) to train on the monthly SRP safety drill (links will be provided in a JAM prior to the first Wednesday of each month). Administrators over safety and School Safety Specialists should attend. Following the monthly virtual training, the resources used in the training will be shared with schools to train their staff and students. Schools should communicate frequently with patrons about emergency safety drills and procedures. It is expected that the School Safety Specialist will assist in all safety training and education efforts.
After school staff and students are trained, the school should conduct the assigned SRP safety drill for that month. (i.e. – If ‘Fire Drill’ is the drill assigned to January, then the administrator/school safety specialist will attend the training on Wednesday, January 3, 2024 at either 3pm or 3:30pm. After the Zoom training the administrator and school safety specialist will receive the materials to train school staff – the school staff will then be trained. School staff will then educate and train their students. After school staff and students are trained the school will then conduct the drill.)
The schedule of SRP safety drills & trainings for the remainder of the 2023-24 school year is as follows:
Month | SRP Safety Drill | Virtual Training
(1st Wednesday at 3 or 3:30pm) |
January | Fire Drill (10 days after winter break) - Evacuation | Wed. January 3 |
February | Hold | Wed. February 7 |
March | Lockdown – Evacuation Optional | Wed. March 6 |
April | Great ShakeOut – Evacuation
April 18, 2024 |
Wed. April 3 |
May | Shelter | Wed. May 1 |
Schools should adjust their current plans to match the schedule provided.
The updated District safety manual, printable posters, and other SRP materials may be found on the Jordan School Safety webpage. Additional resources including printable signs, guidebooks, videos, and parent handouts may be found on the I Love Your Guys website.
Please contact Matt Alvernaz (matt.alvernaz@jordandistrict.org) or 801-567-8623 should you have any questions or would like any help or training.
PEHP Healthy Utah Testing Sessions 2024
Please see the attached brochure for all the details!
New West Jordan Family Engagement Center Open House – December 6, 2023
Language and Culture Services is excited to open our second Family Engagement Center for Jordan District.
Please join us as we celebrate the opening of our West Jordan location on Dec. 6 at 3 p.m. in the Joel P. Jensen media center.
Upcoming ELD Meetings
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.
FREE! 2024 Well-Being Course with Practical Strategies & College Credit
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.
Policy Update: DP 380 – Maternity/Paternity Leave
Update to policy DP380 Maternity/Parent Leave
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.
2024 MLK Critical Day Annual/Personal Leave Lottery Request
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
Educator Licensing Grant Funds Opportunity
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.
Safety Talk: Holiday Decorations Safety Reminder 2023-24
Holiday decorations add a joyous and festive mood to the holiday season, but when holiday decorations are not used properly they can turn from festive to fiery in a split second.
Jordan School District would like everyone to follow a few safety tips when decorating to avoid a tragic holiday and keep everyone safe.
See the flyer below for more information.
Payroll Newsletter December 2023
Please see the attached newsletter.
Standard Response Protocol (SRP) Training – REQUIRED
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.
- Wednesday, December 6th, 2023
8:00 AM to 9:00 AM at the ASB Presentation Room
Sign up here - Wednesday, December 6th, 2023
3:00 PM to 4:00 PM at JATC South
Sign up here - Wednesday, December 13th, 2023
3:00 PM to 4:00 PM at JATC South
Sign up here - Thursday, December 14th, 2023
8:00 AM to 9:00 AM at JATC South
Sign up here
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.
Unemployment Insurance Fraud Alert
Administrators,
Please take note of this information regarding Unemployment Insurance Fraud. This was previously posted in JEM on Jan 27, 2022.
2023-24 Reminders Regarding Purchases of Gift Cards
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.
2023-24 Field Trip Sack Lunch Reminder
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.
2024-2025 Sabbatical and Educational Leave
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.
December 2023 Guidance Meeting
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
Department FTE Audits
Department Administrators:
The FTE Audit process is critical in ensuring employees are paid accurately and out of the appropriate budgets. Like last year, the FTE Audit will be electronic. Below is the process we will follow for the audits:
Electronic FTE Audit Process:
- November 15, 2023 – HR will share with directors and administrative assistants the FTE Audit Report via Google Sheets. Please review the report with your administrative assistant. The report will include verification of faculty/staff, FTE, title and budget code(s). Please refer to the “Instructions” sheet in the document for assistance in completing the audit.
- November 30, 2023 – DUE DATE for the FTE Audit Report to be completed for HR to process. Check the “yellow” box on the front page to indicate audit completion.
- THE BEST NEWS OF ALL – All corrections made on the FTE Audit Report will be made by HR upon return. Change forms will not be required; however, new hires not listed on the report will require the submission of a hire sheet to HR in Frontline.
- If you are interested in meeting with HR to review/assist with your audit, please contact Brent Burge (88224) to schedule an appointment. We ask that you review the audit and come prepared to the meeting with needed changes to your audit.
Thank you for your time and assistance.