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The Business and Auxiliary Services Training is helpful for office and administrative staff of schools and District departments.

The final session of the optional training for office and administrative staff of schools and District offices will be held Thursday, October 12, 2023, beginning at 8:00 a.m. There is space available for an additional 50 attendees. If you would like to participate, please send an email to Lisa LeStarge at lisa.lestarge@jordandistrict.org and let her know you would like to sign up to attend. Attendees will receive an email the day prior to the training with instructions for connecting to the Zoom meeting. The agenda is attached.

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DATE:
Thursday, September 14, 2023

TO:  
All School Administrators and District Department Directors/Consultants

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

SUBJECT:  
2023-24 Required Testing Ethics Professional Development Procedures for Education Support Professionals

Just a reminder from the August 17th JAM:

Licensed teachers will do their testing ethics training as part of their annual crucial policies and procedures review. School administrators do not need to train their teachers on testing ethics for the 2023-24 school year; however, administrators will need to conduct a training for any education support professionals (classified employees) who will assist with district, state or federally-mandated testing. This will include computer lab assistants who function as the school’s test coordinator, any classroom aides that assist with testing, literacy aides who assist with Acadience Reading testing or progress monitoring, or any office staff that assist test coordinators with district, state or federally-mandated testing.

The three required procedures for completing this testing ethics professional development are listed on the “2023-24 Principal’s Testing Ethics Checklist for ESPs” form, which is due to the Evaluation, Research & Accountability Department by Friday, September 22, 2023.

As has been done in the past, administrators may provide in-person training on testing ethics using the pdf slide deck attached with this memo. Alternatively, administrators may refer education support personnel to the YouTube video that provides the same ethics training. Once education support personnel have been trained, either in-person or using the video, they are required to sign the “2023-24 Standard Test Administration and Testing Ethics Policy Training Signature Form.” Administrators are asked to keep these signed forms on file at the school.

There are several materials attached with this memo for your use:

  • 2023-24 Principal’s Testing Ethics Checklist or ESPs – This form needs to be filled out and sent to Evaluation, Research & Accountability by Friday, September 22, 2023.
  • Testing Ethics Presentation, 2023-24 – This is the slide deck if principals choose to present the training in-person.
  • 2023-24 Standard Test Administration and Testing Ethics Policy – This document should be distributed to every Education Support Professional that assists with state or federally-mandated testing.
  • ESP Testing Ethics Video – This is the training video that may be used in lieu of in-person training. The video may also be found at this link:     ESP Testing Ethics Video
  • Standard Test Administration and Testing Ethics Training Signature Form, 2023-24 – Administrators should retain a signed copy of this form for all Education Support Professionals who assist with district, state or federally-mandated testing.

Please contact Ben Jameson or Gaylene Miller in Evaluation, Research & Accountability with any questions.

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DATE:
September 8, 2023

TO:
All Principals

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

SUBJECT:
10th Day Enrollment vs. the Estimate for All Schools

See attached memo. Please note that with the release of 10th day numbers, enrollment information on school dashboards will only be updated monthly for the remainder of the year. Schools should anticipate a "Done.0" allocation memo shortly.

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DATE:   
September 14, 2023

TO:   
Elementary School Principals

FROM:  
Paul Bergera, Director of Transportation
Kathy S. Jones, Trainer/Risk Coordinator of Transportation

SUBJECT:   
“Safety in the Schools” – Bus Safety Video

Utah State Standards for school buses require students to receive annual bus safety instruction.

Bus safety instruction and awareness for students in grades K-6 will come in the form of a video. The videos are available via YouTube for each individual teacher to present to his or her class.

The link to the video for students in grades 2-6:  Click HERE

The link to the video for students in grades K-1:  Click HERE

When every teacher in grades K-6 has shown the video to his or her class, please send a quick email confirmation to tammy.spearman@jordandistrict.org indicating that your school has completed this process.

Feel free to contact Tammy Spearman in the Transportation Training Department at (801) 567-8807 with any questions you may have.

We would like to have this completed and turned into the Utah State Office by October 30, 2023.

Thank you for helping Jordan School District achieve “Safety in the Schools”.

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DATE: 
September 6, 2023

TO:    
All Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
McKinley Withers, Health and Wellness

SUBJECT: 
Wellness Representatives Training 9-19-2023

The wellness team is excited to announce the in-person Educator Wellness Training for your school or department’s designated Educator Wellness Representatives on September 19, 2023 at JATC-S from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Administrators are invited to attend with their school wellness representative, if you plan to attend, please RSVP using this link. Schools will need to cover the cost of a sub for their rep, if required.

The Wellness Rep Training will be full of great information that you won’t want to miss! We’re excited to welcome Amy Miner, Founder and Owner of In Focus Education Group as our guest speaker, as well as presentations from PEHP, JSD Insurance Services, and Blomquist Hale. Lunch will be provided and attendees will participate in practical workshops where they’ll connect with other Wellness Reps and work together to build an Employee Wellness Plan for your school. Let’s start the year off WELL!

Review the attached flyer and share it with your school or department’s representative so they can RSVP!

Still need to designate a rep for your school or department? No problem! Fill out this brief form and send them to the training! Keep in mind the following:

  • It’s recommended that principals choose a licensed, non-administrative, non-mental health team staff member as their designated rep. Also, we recommend they work with a leadership team or social committee at your school.
  • The purpose of these representatives is to encourage employee wellness initiatives.
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Optional training will be provided by the Business and Auxiliary Services Departments on September 19 (1:00-4:00 pm) and October 12 (8:00-11:00 am) via Zoom. 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 one of the sessions, please send an email to Lisa LeStarge at lisa.lestarge@jordandistrict.org and let her know which date you prefer to attend. The total number of participants in each session will be capped at 80 (plus presenters). Because we want the sessions to have the same interactive environment as in-person sessions, attendees will be able to submit questions via Zoom Chat. Attendees will also be provided with a link to handouts 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.

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DATE:  
September 5, 2023

TO:  
All Elementary Principals
All Secondary Principals

FROM:    
Mike Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Jill Durrant, Administrator of Elementary Schools
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Elementary Schools
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Elementary Schools
Becky Gerber, Administrator of Elementary Schools
Travis Hamblin, Director, Student Services
Stacee Worthen, Counselor Consultant

SUBJECT: 
September/October 2023 School Counselor Trainings

See the attached memo for the details.

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Reminder: School FTE Audit's DUE Monday, October 2, 2023

School Administrators:

The School 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:

  • September 20, 2023 – HR has shared with principals 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.
  • October 2, 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, a link will be available on the Instructions sheet in your audit documents. You are welcome to invite your administrative assistant and Assistant Principal. You can schedule a time to meet. 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.

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Writable PD - Presented by Writable Developers and Staff
Sept. 22, 2023 ~ 1:00-3:00 PM
Virtual Training
Register in JPLS:
JPLS Course #101966
Section #127761

*Writable has been purchased by the district with licenses available for all secondary students*

This is an optional PD for all secondary teachers to learn more about Writable and how it can be integrated into any class in order to strengthen students’ writing. Below is a description of the PD:

Getting Started: In this initial session, participants will learn how Writable fits within their core curriculum and become prepped and ready to begin using the program as they continue through the learning path.

Learning Objectives:

  • Explore the key features and uses for Writable, including the new AI Feedback feature
  • Identify how Writable fits within your core instruction
  • Learn how to incorporate Writable into both informal and formal writing assignments

Essential Question: What do I need to know to get started with Writable and how will I continue learning?

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Published on

DATE:
August 30, 2023

TO:
Elementary Principals

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator, Teaching and Learning
Norman Emerson, Instructional Support Services/Fine Arts Consultant

SUBJECT:
JSD-Arts Representatives for 2023-24

This year we will continue to invite two District Arts Representatives (DARTS) to represent your school throughout the 2023-24 school year, and we are pleased to be able to continue this program which received the Sorenson Legacy Exemplary Program Award in 2023. We have appreciated the work of past DARTS representatives and how they have helped strengthen arts instruction in your schools. Meaningful progress toward a greater level of arts integration has been made, and we wish this to continue.

DARTS meetings will be held on the following dates: September 13, October 18, November 15, January 17, February 28, March 20, and April 17. The meetings will be held at the Auxiliary Services Building Auditorium from 4:30-5:30 p.m. 

Please assign two classroom teachers to serve as your school’s DARTS representatives. The DARTS representatives will meet once a month for one hour to learn and collaborate. Teachers will be paid at the inservice rate and will earn relicensure points (Note: In addition to the two regular classroom teachers, your school's BTS arts educator will also be attending the DARTS sessions). 

Please email the names of your choices for the JSD DARTS Team for the 2023-24 school year to jana.shumway@jordandistrict.org or jacquelin.webster@jordandistrict.org by Tuesday, September 12, 2023 if possible.

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DATE:  
September 1, 2023

TO:   
All Jordan School District Principals (with bus route students)

FROM:  
Scott Thomas, Administrator of Auxiliary Services
Paul Bergera, Director of Transportation
Kathy Jones, Transportation Trainer/Risk Coordinator

SUBJECT: 
State Required Bus Evacuations and School Bus Safety 2023-2024

State required semi-annual school bus evacuations have been scheduled for this fall. This applies to those students that ride the bus daily to and from school.

The evacuations will be conducted during the week of:

Monday, September 11 through Friday, September 15, 2023

Your school’s regular bus drivers will perform this evacuation as they drop your students off in the morning, one day during that week. This drill will take place at the school and within the students’ regular bus drop off/pick up zone. All professional school bus drivers that transport students are required to perform evacuation procedures in case of an emergency. Bus evacuation will be through the rear door, side door, front door or any combination of the three. Students will then, under the direction and supervision of the bus driver, evacuate and meet in a safe place approximately 100 feet away from the bus.

Your assistance is welcome but not mandatory to complete this required evacuation drill quickly, safely and effectively.

We appreciate all you do to help us safely transport your students.

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Dear Principals,

Please share the following Strategic Planning Participation Survey with all of your parents. The survey can be sent separately or as part of other communications to your community tomorrow, Friday, September 1, 2023. The survey closes Wednesday, September 6th at midnight.

Thank you.

=====================

Strategic Planning Participation Survey for Employees, Parents & Students

We are excited to partner with parents and community members to make Jordan School District the very best it can be for the families and students we serve. As we begin work on updating the District’s comprehensive strategic plan for the future, we invite you to be a part of the process.

The strategic planning process will help define our vision and prioritize our resources. We are committed to developing a plan that is inclusive of the strengths, hopes, beliefs, and values of our community.

Please take a moment to share your thoughts and experiences through the survey below, which should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Additionally, students in grades 7-12 will have the opportunity to take the survey at their school buildings.

Thank you for your continued partnership as we embark on this important process.

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DATE:   
August 31, 2023

TO:  
Secondary Principals
Elementary Principals

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

SUBJECT:   
Ballet West 2023-24 Student In-Theater Presentations

Ballet West is again providing free presentations of the following ballets in the Capitol Theater:

  • Dracula (Grades 5-12)
  • The Firebird (Grades 1-12)
  • The Nutcracker (Grades K-12, One and Two-Hour Presentation Available)
  • Swan Lake (Grades 1-12)
  • Fairy Tale Theater (Grades 1-12) 

Each program begins with an educational introduction and is followed by a portion of the repertoire currently being performed for the general public. 

The link to Ballet West’s website with further information (including dates and times) on all of the student performances is Ballet West Student In-Theatre Performances .

If any of your teachers are interested in having their classes attend any of the performances, please have them contact Susy Peterson at susanlyn.peterson@jordandistrict.org or 801-567-8296. Seating is limited and performance slots will be filled on a first come first serve basis.

Please be aware that transportation costs must be covered by individual schools. Neither Ballet West nor the Teaching and Learning Department will be covering the costs of transportation.

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Published on

DATE:    
August 30, 2023

TO:    
All Principals

FROM:    
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Mike Trimmell, Ed.D., Special Education Administrator

SUBJECT: 
Optional Unique & Inspire Professional Development

We are excited to be able to provide two new curricula for our special education teachers this year. Unique provides a convenient, cloud‑based platform for educators to deliver differentiated, standards‑aligned content enhanced by powerful assessments, data tools, and evidence‑based instructional support. Inspire provides a research- and evidence-based intervention curriculum to supplement the core curriculum. There are two optional trainings available on our September 22 Professional Development Day.

  • Unique is for all self-contained classrooms (all grade levels)
  • Inspire is for elementary resource classrooms (secondary content to come soon).

Unique Professional Development (all grade levels for self-contained teachers)

  • Friday, September 22, 2023 at Valley High School from 1:00 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.

Inspire Professional Development (All elementary resource teachers)

  • Friday, September 22, 2023 at River’s Edge School from 1:00 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.

Please sign up on JPLS to confirm your attendance.

Unique:
Course- 101963
Section- 127735

Inspire:
Course- 101964
Section- 127736

 

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