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Published on

DATE:
August 26, 2024

TO:
Elementary Principals

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Teaching and Learning Administrator
Norman R. Emerson, Fine Arts Consultant

SUBJECT:
Assemblies by Artistic Resources for Teachers and Students, Inc. (ARTS, Inc.)

ARTS, Inc., now in its sixty-fifth year of operation, was founded in 1959. It has provided performances in all forty-one school districts in Utah, reaching more than 250 schools yearly with professional arts and education programming. We welcome their artists to our schools again for the 2024-25  school year. 

Click this link to find:

  • The assembly schedule with the date and time the artists will be at your school.
  • The contact information for the performing group coming to your school.

The artists have been instructed to contact you at least two weeks before their assembly to verify starting times and specific needs for their performance. If the date selected for the performing group at your school does not work with your schedule, please contact them as soon as possible to reschedule. The name and phone number of the contact person for each group have been provided.

If you have any questions, please contact Norman Emerson at 801-567-8364.

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Published on

DATE:
Thursday, August 29, 2024

TO:
All School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:
Data Gateway Updates and School Report Card Project Release Dates

Data Gateway Updates

The state’s Data Gateway has been updated with 2023-24 RISE, Utah Aspire Plus, DLM, and ACT proficiency results. In addition, student growth (SGPs/MGPs) have also been updated for the 2023-24 school year. Here are some helpful pages on the state’s Data Gateway:

  • Data Gateway Login Page – If administrators don’t have an account or their account is locked or deleted, please contact Ben Jameson in Assessment, Research & Accountability.
  • Student Proficiency – Administrators can see proficiency by test type (RISE, Utah Aspire Plus, or DLM), grade level, district, or school.
  • Compare Schools Report – Administrators can compare both proficiency and growth (MGP or median growth percentile) for demographically similar schools.
  • Student Growth – Administrators can compare proficiency and growth on a scatterplot.
  • Test Scores by Teacher – Found under My Tools once administrators have logged into their account, this report allows them to see RISE, Utah Aspire Plus or DLM data for their teachers’ 2023-24 classes as well as current year students.
  • WIDA ACCESS Reports – Found under My Tools once administrators have logged into their account, this feature allows administrators to download the 2024 WIDA score reports for their currently enrolled English learners.

School Accountability Report Card Projected Release Dates

USBE expects to release school accountability report cards to the public on September 24, 2024. A secure release to school district officials and school administrators is expected to begin on September 5th and conclude on September 18th.

Targeted School Improvement (TSI), Additional Targeted School Improvement (ATSI), and Comprehensive School Improvement (CSI) designations and exits are expected to be released on September 24th as well. As a reminder, schools designated as TSI are eligible for exit annually. The schools designated as ATSI that are eligible for exit were identified in the fall of 2019 or earlier (cohorts 1 and 2).

For questions about the Data Gateway reports, individual administrator Data Gateway accounts, school accountability report cards, or TSI/ATSI/CSI designations, please contact Ben Jameson in Assessment, Research & Accountability.

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Published on

TO:
All Employees

FROM:
Sarah Palmer, Director of Payroll

URS doesn’t discourage members from using third-party advisors. However, be cautious of any non-URS advisor or financial planner who claims to represent URS or have expertise in URS benefits. URS does not contract with or otherwise outsource investment advising to any third-party for any reason.

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Published on

DATE: 
August 29, 2024

TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
Panorama Survey Coordinators
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services

SUBJECT:
Panorama Student Feedback Survey Opt-In Report

Panorama (Early Warning System) and social-emotional surveys may only be administered to students whose parents have opted-in. Parents are asked to opt-in to the student feedback survey during the registration process. When the online registration process closes on Oct. 1 schools will manually enter the opt-in information into Skyward.

The Survey window is August 30-September 20, 2024. The following information is provided to inform and assist you as you administer student surveys:

  • The list of students who may take the survey (opted-in) will be provided to Panorama prior to the administration of the survey by Student Services. Only opted-in students will be able to log in and take the survey.
  • Schools should print out the list of students who have opted-in and provide teachers with the list of students in their classes that have opted-in. The registration opt-in information can be accessed through Skyward using this data mining report.
  • Using the list provided to them by the main office, teachers will be able to manage the administration of the survey. Using the opt-in list, teachers will be able to identify why students may not be able to log in and take the survey.
  • If there are students wishing to take the survey and they are on the opted-in list, but are having log-in issues – the school survey coordinator should contact Panorama directly for assistance at support+utahjordan@panoramaed.com. Student Services does not have the ability to manage access to surveys.
  • Students may choose to not take the survey even though their parents have opted them into the survey. Student feedback surveys administered through Panorama are never required and are always optional.
  • Parents/Guardians should always be informed/notified regarding the administration of any survey.

Survey coordinators and administrators should view the Administering Panorama Survey presentation for information, instructions, and guidance regarding the student feedback surveys. Other Panorama information may be found on the Student Serves website here.

Should you have any questions please reach out to Travis Hamblin (travis.hamblin@jordandistrict.org) or Michelle Reyes (michelle.reyes@jordandistrict.org).

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Published on

DATE:
August 22, 2024

TO:
All Principals, Jordan School District
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Jordan District Nurses

SUBJECT:  
CPR/First Aid/AED Certification

Jordan School District requires that at least 3 full-time employees in each building be certified in CPR, First Aid, and AED. Most certifications are valid for 2 years. It is also recommended that employees who will have direct responsibility for student health and safety be CPR/First Aid/AED certified. This may include front office staff, playground aides, hall monitors, P.E. teachers, etc. It is also recommended that you keep a list of current CPR/First Aid/AED certified staff members by all main phone lines where calls for emergency help may originate. A template is attached.

CPR, First Aid, and AED training and certification is now available to district employees in an online format through the National Safety Council (NSC). The attached document will outline the steps necessary to complete the online portion of the course. Information can also be accessed by going here: CPR & First Aid. The cost of the course is $29.95 and should be paid by the employee at the time of registration. Schools may provide reimbursement for the course, if funds are available, by following appropriate pre-approval and reimbursement procedures.

Once the online course is completed, employees may sign up to complete their certification by attending a 2 hour skills check session with our district nurses. To sign up for a skill check, you will need to register at Jordan Digital Learning under CPR Alert Course. All skill checks must be completed within 90 days of sign-up for the online course. The dates and times for the skill check sessions are listed on the attached flyer.

Please complete the attached CPR/First Aid/AED certification form and return it to the Nursing Services office (Nadine Page) by November 15, 2024.

 

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Published on

TO:
Middle and High School Administrators

FROM:
Chris Richards Khong, Associate Administrator of Teaching and Learning

As announced to the AP community, the AP Program is accelerating the transition to digital testing to ensure the continued security of AP Exams. All schools must administer these 28 AP Exams digitally. Late-testing exams in these subjects, if offered by the school, are also in digital format.

For the full list of exams going digital, hybrid, and staying paper-pencil, please visit the main announcement page link listed on the resource page attached to this JAM message.

Overview webinars will be held on Thursday, September 12th and Monday, September 15th, 2024. Registration information for webinars is located on the resource page attached to this JAM message.

Action required: Please make certain your AP Coordinator and AP teachers have this exam information and the resources attached to this JAM message.

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Published on

TO:
All Administrators
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Sarah Palmer, Director of Payroll

Important: Annual or Personal Leave During the First Five Days of School
All Licensed and ESP Employees

8/21/24-8/27/24    Elementary Schools
8/20/24-8/26/24    Secondary Schools
8/20/24-8/26/24    District Offices & Auxiliary Services

Per District policy, annual or personal leave days may not be used during the first five days of school, unless the leave reason is listed in policy as an exception. If any of the exceptions do apply, you must provide both the leave reason and the policy exception in the time off description. If these exceptions are not applicable, your annual or personal leave day will be changed to a no-pay day as per policy.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

DP335NEG-Annual Leave-Licensed
DP335B-Annual Leave-Education Support Professionals

  1. Annual leave shall not be taken during the first five (5) days that students are in school except under the following conditions: 
  1. To attend the wedding of a near relative including child, father, mother, brother, sister, grandchild, grandparents or same to one’s spouse or any other person who is a member of the same household as the employee.
  2. To attend to personal or business matters which require the employee’s attendance and scheduling is beyond the employee’s control.
  3. First year employees who notify their supervisor in writing that they are ill.
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Published on

TO:
School Administrators

FROM:
Brad Sorensen, Administrator of Schools
Cody Curtis, Administrator of Schools
Jill Durrant, Administrator of Schools
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Schools
Becky Gerber, Administrator of Schools
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools

A beverage service will be provided at 7:30 a.m. in the auditorium hallway. Lunch will be provided.

LOCATION - PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL START WITH LEVEL MEETINGS AT 8:00 AM
Elementary - Auditorium
Middle/High/Sped - Presentation Room

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Published on

TO:
Assistant Principals

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent

The September Assistant Principal meetings will be held on September 17 (8:00-11:00am) and September 19 (8:00-11:00am). All meetings will be held in-person at the JATC-S. All assistant principals and intern assistant principals are invited. A beverage service will be provided, beginning at 7:30 am at each of the meetings. As a reminder you only need to attend one of the sessions offered. Both sessions will provide the same information. Please CLICK HERE and it will take you to the Google Doc to sign up for which day you would like to attend. If you have any questions please call Nadine Page at 801-567-8182 (x88182).

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Published on

DATE:
August 22, 2024

TO:  
Teaching & Learning Consultants
Secondary & Elementary Assistant Principals

FROM:  
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Sharon Jensen, Student Support Consultant

SUBJECT: 
Safe School Hearing Committee 2024-2025

District Safe School Hearings are essential to a student’s due process. Safe School Hearings are held weekly and are chaired by the Student Support Consultant, Sharon Jensen, and consists of a committee made up of school and district administrators.

Please find your Safe School Hearing Committee assignment(s) at this LINK

Should you have any questions or conflicts regarding your committee assignment(s), contact Janie Hyde, Administrative Assistant, Student Support Services. 801-567-8326.

 

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Published on

TO:
Elementary Principals

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Michelle Lovell, Consultant in Teaching and Learning

Due to a delay in printing, the first Wit & Wisdom book called My Five Senses by Margaret Miller has not yet arrived. However, the literacy teacher specialists have created a digital book which will be used in place of My Five Senses for this year only. The digital book aligns with all the lessons in the teacher manual.

Teachers can use the digital book and the lessons for whole-class instruction to avoid printing and copying the book. The digital book can be accessed directly here, and also on the elementary literacy website under programs, and then under Wit and Wisdom. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Michelle Lovell or Mandy Thurman.

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Published on

TO:
Elementary Administrators
Elementary Teachers

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Michelle Lovell and Mandy Thurman, Consultant, Elementary Language Arts

SUBJECT:
5th Grade Module 1 Workbooks to be Printed

Elementary Administrators and Teachers,

We previously sent instructions and a tutorial on how to access the new Wit and Wisdom 5th Grade Module 1 and Student Handouts. 

How to Access NEW W&W 5th Grade Module 1 Tutorial

Student Handouts (All Pages)

In order to streamline the use of these materials, the Teaching and Learning Department will be printing handouts for lessons 13-35 in Module 1 for use with all 5th grade students. Schools can use the published workbooks that they should have received, for the first 12 lessons of Module 1. 

Module 0 will take approximately one week. The first 12 lessons of Module 1 should take approximately 3 weeks. This schedule should allow 4 weeks to get the materials printed and delivered to schools.

Should you have any questions or need further assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to 

Michelle Lovell - 801-567-8087
Mandy Thurman - 801-567-8276

Thank you for your continued dedication and hard work.

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Published on

TO:
Middle and High School Administrators

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Brandee Bergum, Consultant in Teaching and Learning

The first submission deadline for this year’s Secondary Literature Selection meetings is September 4, 2024. Any full length novel that a teacher would like to use in the classroom must be on the district’s approved list. Teachers may send submissions to the attention of Brandee Bergum in Teaching and Learning. Submission directions and forms can be found here: Secondary Literature Selection Process Our secondary approved lists can be found here: JSD Approved Literature Lists

Lit. Selection Dates 2024-25

Book Submission Deadline Middle School Meetings High School Meetings
Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024 Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024 Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024
Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2025 Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025 Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025
Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 Tuesday, March 4, 2025 Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Wednesday, March 5, 2025 Tuesday, April 29, 2025 Wednesday, April 30, 2025
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Published on

DATE:    
August 22, 2024

TO: 
Building Principals
Elementary Administrative Assistants
Secondary Registrars
Secondary Attendance Secretaries

FROM: 
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director, Student Services
Scott Festin, Planning Consultant, Student Services
Caleb Olson, Enrollment Consultant, Student Services

SUBJECT:  
2024-25 Preparations for Done.0 and 10-Day Drops

As mentioned in a previous memo, 2024-25 Preparations for Done.0 and 10-Day Drops, processing for 10-day drops may begin on September 3 and 4. Planning & Enrollment will begin preparing “Done.0” FTE allocation recommendations for Cabinet shortly thereafter. Please note the following tasks that MUST BE COMPLETED BY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2024.

Administrators:

  • Ensuring hiring totals are updated on your school’s Enrollment Dashboard. Each year, once Done.0 has been issued, multiple schools require adjustments due to forgetting to update hiring totals. This impacts the availability of funds to address critical needs throughout the District. If hiring totals are not accurate on the Dashboard AND in Skyward, the school may need to fund positions through alternative budgets.
  • Ensure that hiring does not exceed the 2.0 allocation issued in February 2024. Even if enrollment has increased above projections, schools are not authorized to hire above 2.0 without the express consent of the Superintendent and Cabinet.
  • Hiring also should not exceed qualified FTE totals based on enrollment as of Day 10.
  • ELEMENTARY: Many schools have not recorded hiring for their BTS instructor. Total FTE for the position should be entered in column E of row 33; budgets paying for that FTE should be recorded in row 76.

Admin Assistants / Attendance Secretaries / Registrars

  • Work with teachers to try to generate accurate attendance for the first ten days. At the secondary level, if a single teachers does not record a student absence during the first ten days, Skyward will not identify the student as continuously absent.
    • The “Suspect or Questionable Attendance Report” (located in Office > Attendance . Reports > Verification Reports) may be beneficial in identifying teachers who are not accurately recording attendance. Run the report for a specific day of school and select the “Validate Limited Student Presence” option. This will identify students who have been marked absent in most periods but have a small number of periods where the student was marked present. The report will also identify the teacher who may not have accurately recorded attendance.
  • Review the previous memo on 10-Day drops, 2024-25 Preparations for Done.0 and 10-Day Drops, and be ready to run reports, withdraw students, and report completion of drops.
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Published on

DATE:  
August 22, 2024

TO:  
Principals
Assistant Principals
Safety Personnel
School Safety Specialists

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

SUBJECT: 
SRP/Incident Command Training – Administrators/School Safety Specialists

To ensure current and best practices in school safety are implemented uniformly across the district, training in both the Incident Command System and Standard Response Protocols is required annually. This training is required for all principals, assistant principals, district administrators, district safety personnel and assigned school safety specialists. This is an opportunity to receive the most up-to-date instruction and gain clarity on how both systems work cohesively to improve safety for students, staff, and guests. Trainings will be held on:

  • Thursday, September 5th, 2024 from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM at JATC South
  • Wednesday, September 11th, 2024 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at JATC South
  • Wednesday, October 9th, 2024 from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM at JATC South
  • Tuesday, October 15th, 2024 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at JATC South

Please sign up for one of the training sessions using this link.

Should you have any questions please contact Matt Alvernaz, the District Safety Coordinator, at matt.alvernaz@jordandistrict.org or by phone at (801)567-8623.

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Published on

DATE:
August 20, 2024

TO:
District Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director, Student Services
Scott Festin, Planning Consultant, Planning & Enrollment
Caleb Olson, Enrollment Consultant, Planning & Enrollment

SUBJECT:
1st Day Enrollment vs. the Estimate for All Schools

Please see the attached document.

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Published on

TO:
Administrators

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Kaye Rizzuto, Consultant in Teaching and Learning

September has been designated by the Utah State Legislature as American Founders Month in HB 179. All public schools are asked to do something to honor the American Founding Fathers and the Constitution. September 17 is designated by Congress as Constitution Day.

Elementary Teachers have access to resources that fit their social studies standards. All 5th and 6th grade students will receive a “Why I Love America” pamphlet that teachers can use as a resource. One of the lessons on the resource page for 5th and 6th grade teachers is a lesson specifically about the pamphlet.

Secondary social studies also have lessons and activities that they can do during the month. The resources for American Founders Month can be found on the district website.

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