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DATE: 
Thursday, December 7, 2023

TO: 
All School Administrators

FROM:  
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability
Michelle Love-Day, Director of Language & Culture Services

SUBJECT: 
WIDA ACCESS 2.0 Test Administration Training for Schools

School administrators are asked to pass this information on to anyone who will be proctoring or coordinating the WIDA Access testing in your school this year.

As part of a federal requirement and the state’s accountability system, districts are required to administer the WIDA Access 2.0 annually to all ML students who have earned a Language Proficiency Level (LPL) of less than 4.2 and a Speaking score of less than 3.5. The 2023-24 WIDA test administration window begins on January 8 and ends on March 8, 2024.

All school personnel who will assist with WIDA Access test administration are asked to attend a mandatory test administration training. Participants may choose to attend any one of six training sessions, including one online training. Training participants will need to bring a device. Please note that if schools choose to send a classroom teacher, principals will need to cover the cost of the substitute teacher. Test pool hours may also be used for this.

Those who are to be trained to administer the WIDA should register in JPLS so that we may create their accounts in the testing and training platforms prior to their selected training date. Following are the training dates and times:

Date Time Location Additional Information
Wednesday, Jan. 10 8-11 am  

Presentation Room

 

Entrance C

 

Auxiliary Services Building (7905 S. Redwood Rd)

 All participants should register on JPLS – Course #102001.

 

Participants should bring a laptop/device.

 

If schools choose to send a classroom teacher, principals will need to cover the cost of a half day sub.
1-4 pm
Thursday, Jan. 11 8-11 am
1-4 pm
Tuesday, Jan. 16 8-11 am
1-4
Wednesday, Jan. 17 8-11 am
1-4 pm
Friday, Jan. 12 8-11 am Zoom

Please contact JoLynn Snelgrove in Evaluation, Research & Accountability with questions about the WIDA Access test administration and training.

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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.

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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.

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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.

 

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Published on

DATE:
November 30, 2023

TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals

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

SUBJECT: 
Safe Routes to School Updates

Safe Routes Utah very recently created a new website, Safe Routes Utah. The designated contact for Safe Walking Routes that each school had on file should have been sent an email on November 14th with a new username and login information to access the new site. If you or your designee for safe walking routes did not receive this email or if there is a new contact or person assigned to safe walking routes at your school, please contact Kristen Hoschouer at khoschouer@utah.gov as soon as possible to request the login information.

All 2023-24 Safe Route to School maps, regardless of their last approval, must be re-approved by the district on the new site by December 22, 2023. Any changes that were made to your schools 2023-24 Safe Routes to School map after July 10th of 2023 were not included in the new site transfer and will need to be updated on your school’s map on the new mapping site and submitted for approval on or before December 22, 2023.

Schools should begin the Safe Route to School process for the 2024-25 school year as soon as possible. Your schools Safe Routes to School map for 2024-25 must be entered on the new site on or before Friday, January 26, 2024 for approval.

The mapping process on the new website has been updated as well. Instructions on the website state that schools should:

  1. Identify their Safe Routes Committee
  2. Create/update their Safe Routes Map and submit for district approval
  3. Once the map is approved, they will create/update their Safe Routes plan report

All of this information, including guides and video tutorials, can be found on the new Safe Routes website.

The updated district Safe Routes To School Form can be found on our Jordan School Safety website or click this link for direct access. The document requires you to make a copy. Please change the title to reflect your school and share it with the district School Safety Coordinator, Matt Alvernaz, once it is complete and ready for review.

Please reach out to Matt Alvernaz (matt.alvernaz@jordandistrict.org or 801-567-5623) with any questions.

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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.

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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

ESP Annual/Personal Leave Taken on a Critical Day 2023-2024

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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.

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Published on

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.

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Published on

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.

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Teaching & Learning is offering an exclusive PD for licensed P.E. teachers which will provide guidance and time to create Proficiency-Based Curriculum for their unique classrooms. Please share the attached flyer with your licensed P.E. teachers for information on how to sign up for this PD opportunity. *Substitutes covered by the District

This opportunity is being advertised to Administrators first in order to provide this support to those teachers who need it most. It will be opened to teachers to sign up on their own on Dec 1, 2023.

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Published on

DATE:
November 20, 2023

TO:
Principals
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Daniel Ellis, Director of Accounting and Audits
Natalie Grange, Accounting Administrator

SUBJECT:
District Allocations by School - October 1 Adjustments

District allocations for individual schools were updated in Skyward on November 15. Adjustments were made based on the October 1 headcount. Carryforward balances and transfer requests are included in the total allocation. See the following attachments:

1) Student estimate compared to October 1 headcount.

2) Estimated District Allocation compared to October 1 adjustment.

Please review these adjustments and contact Natalie Grange (801) 567-8312 with any questions or concerns.

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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.

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Registration for the 2024-2025 Instructional Coaching Endorsement - Cohort 2 is open to principals and teachers. Principals may submit the names of those teachers they would like to participate. This is only for teachers interested in future coaching opportunities. Current coaches will continue to attend training during contract time. See the enrollment form for more details.

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