Skip to content

Published on

Employees doing yoga

Dear Employees,

As part of Jordan School District’s commitment to prioritize the wellness of employees, we are proud to announce the opening of an all new Employee Wellness Center this spring.

The purpose of this wellness center will be to expand opportunities for all JSD employees to improve and maintain their personal and professional wellness. The center will offer a single touch point for employee wellness information and services, mental wellness consultations, staff support groups for grief and stress management, yoga and meditation classes, and classes on strategies for enhancing workplace wellness.

For more information about the Employee Wellness Center can be found on the Health & Wellness website.

Yoga has already started and happens every Wednesday at South Hills Middle School’s Dance portable and there is plenty of parking right in front, so you don’t have to walk through the school.

Support groups begin April 5 and sign-ups are happening now.

On-demand wellness content is maintained on the site. Check us out! More to come because we care about you.

Published on

Paycheck iconSpring Recess

  • Traditional, 206-day contracts March 28-31
  • 242, 245 contracts - March 30-31

As Per DP335(B) and DP335 NEG:  Contracted employees who have not been approved by Human Resources for using an annual/personal day before or after a holiday may be docked (licensed $144 or ESP 40% of their daily rate) unless the leave reason is listed as an exception in policy.

An explanation of exception must be written in the time off description box. Please refer to policy for further clarification.

  • Payroll Due March 2
  • Direct Deposit Changes by March 9
  • View Paycheck - March 22
  • Pay Day - March 24

True Time Deadlines | Date Range Feb 6 – Mar 5

  • Employee Submittal - March 8
  • First Approval - March 10
  • Final Approval - March 14

Grade Transmittal Day

  • All Levels - March 27

*All 206, 242 and 245 employees must record a leave day if not in attendance.

Published on

2023 Transition Fair FlyerSpecial Education is excited to announce an in-person, Special Education Transition Fair for 2023 and would love for you to join us! There will be over twenty community resources attending to help answer any post-secondary questions for our students and families.

The Transition Fair will be held on Monday, April 10 from 4 - 7p.m. at the Auxiliary Services building. We hope that you will be able to attend! For questions please contact Ashley Calhoun at 801-567-8208 or
ashley.calhoun@jordandistrict.org.

Published on

March 2023 Literacy Matters NewsletterThe Literacy Matters Newsletter has the latest literary updates. Be sure to read this edition to stay connected with literacy. This newsletter includes:

  • 2023 Updated District ELA Daily Time Allotments - Check out the updated English Language Arts Daily Time Allotments for each grade level. The total ELA time has not changed, but we've clarified our recommendations for how much time should be spent on specific ELA areas of instruction. Find them on our website under Standards - K-6 Information or on specific grade level pages.
  • Fluency Routine - Blast Decodable Passage 5-Day Routine - We've created a 5-day fluency routine for first graders! There are detailed lesson plans for each Blast decodable passage. Available on our Elementary Literacy website under programs - Really Great Reading - Blast Fluency Routine. Lesson plans coming soon for 2nd grade HD Word decodable texts too.
  • Oral Reading Fluency Development Plan - For any grade level and any kind of text, try this easy Fluency Development Lesson (FDL) from Timothy Rasinski.

Published on

America's Freedom FestivalAmerica’s Freedom Foundation is hosting a variety of contests that allow youth to learn about and create projects centered around the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights. There are speech, essay, art, and video contests.

These contests are an incredible opportunity allowing students to showcase their talents in real world settings. Links to some of the opportunities and prizes awarded to winners of the video contest and information for the other contests can be found below:

If you have questions, please feel free to contact Ashley Ondoua at 703-332-1902.

Published on

Dear Employees of Jordan School District:

We invite all school employees to participate in completing the Utah School Climate Survey (district employees do not to take this survey).  This survey includes questions about student learning, school safety, and interpersonal relationships, as well as your attitudes about the institutional environment and your work environment at the school. Your responses will be very helpful in improving student relationships, learning conditions, and the overall school environment.

The survey is completely confidential and brief.  Please submit your responses no later than Friday, May 5th.

Survey results will only be reported as group responses. There are no right or wrong answers. We just want to know about your personal experiences. Responses are housed securely in an anonymous format with the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) for evaluation and research purposes. All evaluation research projects are in compliance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, (343 CFR 99.31 (6)) and human subjects regulations (Protection of Human Subjects 45 CFR 46).

As you respond to each item, think about your role and responsibilities at your school.
Please answer all of the questions.

We hope you will take the time to provide us with this valuable information. Each school’s total survey results will be used to inform and develop appropriate strategies, procedures, and/or programs to enhance school climate.

Thank you for your time and participation!

Published on

The date for the Jordan School District High School Graduation exercises is Thursday, June 1, 2023.  Valley High School graduation exercises are scheduled for Wednesday, May 31, 2023.  School graduation plans and times will vary from school to school.

Principals and Directors are encouraged to provide flexibility to parents or grandparents requesting the opportunity to attend the graduation ceremonies of family members.

Licensed employees are responsible for requesting a substitute through the Frontline Absence Management System, if applicable.  In the blue “Notes to Administrator” box, the employee should add “graduation” along with his/her relationship to the graduate.

For additional assistance, please contact the Sub Office at 801-567-8219.

Published on

March 2023 Moreton & Company Insights NewsletterMarch’s Health Insights examine your sleep habits and the relationship they have with your physical and mental well-being. Use the Healthy Habits calendar and 30-Day Lights Out Challenge to get your sleep on the right track to lighten or avoid the problem’s outlined in this month’s articles. Click below for your copy of March’s Health Insights. Use the link below for your copy of February’s health insights.

Published on

We are excited to announce that in response to teacher requests there are some updates and improvements to the ELA Instructional Minutes Daily Time Allotment documents. The recommended times have not changed, but more detail has been added to provide clarity around the recommended use of the allotted ELA time.

Published on

March 2023 Language & Culture Services NewsletterMarch is here, which means St. Patrick's day, spring, and (hopefully) warmer temps. It is also Women's History Month, which began the week of March 8th, after President Jimmy Carter declared it Women's History Week. Then, in 1987 congress passed Public Law 100-9, designating March as “Women’s History Month.”

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

Culture Corner
St. Patrick's day is coming up. Remember that many of your ML students may not know the holiday or why they celebrate in class (if you plan on doing this). Teaching about the holiday, informing parents about your plans, and giving them some information about the day is incredibly helpful to those students and their families who have never celebrated.

Teaching Strategies Small Groups

  • Why? More time to talk encourages oral language growth (speaking & listening). It gives students a small, safe group to practice with Builds classroom community.
  • For Success - Teach students how to work in small groups. Assign roles so they know what to do. Give sentence stems for language support (bonus points for helping them practice saying those things out loud in the hallway). Guiding questions or printed out steps can help guide them.

Reflective Questions
At this point in the year, what have I learned about: my students’ lives, families, and past experiences? my colleagues? my school community? my local community? myself?

What more do I want to learn as we end 3rd quarter (March 24) and move into 4th?

ELLevation Tips and Tricks
You can use the Student List to make targeted instructional recommendations for students who meet specific criteria. To batch recommend Activities for multiple students at once from the Student List, found in the full newsletter below.

ELD Lead Celebration
Melanie Nixon is both the coach and ELD Lead at Mountain Point Elementary. She has established great relationships with both teachers and students. Not only does she know what is happening at her school, she knows students by name. She is a great resource for teachers who need language and culture support for MLs as she helps teachers with RtI, language strategies and data. Melanie is very organized and on top of things and the MLs at Mountain Point are lucky to have her as an advocate.

Published on

March 2023 EMI Health NewsletterCheck out the March 2023 EMI Health newsletter. Stories include:

  • Unplug and Unwind - How would you feel about spending 24 hours away from your electronic devices? The National Day of Unplugging (NDU), observed every first weekend in March, has a message for us: Consider living an entire day, from sundown to sundown on March 3 to 4, without the static of technology. It’s a chance for you and your family and friends to fully disconnect from your phones, computers, streaming — and kick back and enjoy some relaxation together.
  • Personalized Nutrition - Nutrition advice is often standard for healthy adults — eat more vegetables, choose whole grains and consume less sugar. But what if you could get advice unique to your health needs?
  • Are You a People-Pleaser? - People-pleasers are often well liked because they pay so much attention to making others feel at ease and happy. But in the extreme, this pattern can make your own needs and welfare secondary.
  • Decompression 101 -  Do you often get home from work and feel tense? Whether it’s a long commute, constantly facing deadlines or feeling revved up all day at a job you love, it can sometimes be hard to truly decompress and relax after work — which you need to do.

Published on

March 2023 Workshop FlyersBlomquist Hale as four events scheduled for the month of March! You’ll notice that they have added a Spanish speaking workshop this month! See attached for workshop flyers and details outlined below.

  • Topic: Women in the Workplace
    • Date: March 13
    • Time: 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. MT
    • Location: Online!
  • Topic: Parenting Your Adult Children
    • Date: March 14
    • Time: 2 – 3 p.m. MT
    • Location: Online!
  • Topic: Monthly Divorce/Separation Support Group
    • Date: 3rd Thursday of Every Month – Next group is March 16
    • Time: 6:30 – 8 p.m. MT
    • Location: Online!
  • Topic: Concientización sobre la Salud Mental
    • Date: March 29
    • Time: 7 – 8 p.m. MT
    • Location: Por Línea!

To register for any of our upcoming workshops, please visit our website at https://blomquisthale.com/workshops/

Published on

If you are a contracted employee and need to take Annual/Personal Leave before or after the mid-spring 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.

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 Window
Mid-Spring Recess April 24, 2023 Mar. 10 – Mar. 20, 2023

Published on

March 2023 Incidental Learning NewsletterThe JSD Teachers for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Team has created a monthly newsletter.  The full newsletter for March can be found at the link below. Stories include:

  • Common Requests for Self-Advocacy - I can't hear you if you cover your mouth. I can't hear you if you don't face me.  I can't hear you if you mumble. Speak one at a time.
  • Asking for Help is Scary - It can be frightening to ask for what you need. As teachers, we can encourage our DHH students to advocate for themselves. The more comfortable they are making sure their own needs are met, the more efficient their learning will be. We can help them figure out what their needs are and how to ask for appropriate accommodations.
  • Tools for Classroom Success

Published on

The Blomquist Hale Newsletter for the quarter has arrived. In this issue, you will find articles on:

  • Volunteer Work & Your Mental Health - Volunteer work is a great way to give back to your community and make a difference in the lives of others, but did you know that it can also have a positive impact on your mental health? The main reason most of us volunteer is to help out those in need, but we don’t usually think of how it can benefit ourselves as well. There are many opportunities for you to feel the benefits of volunteering your time in any community from being an official volunteer for a well-known organization to just spending quality time with a friend or relative.
  • Volunteering Makes You Happy - When you volunteer, you are able to see the impact you are making and the difference you are able to make in the lives of others. This can increase feelings of self-esteem and personal satisfaction, as you are able to see the positive impact you are having on your community.
  • Donating to Charity - An alternative way to donate your time when life’s responsibilities make it hard to volunteer work, would to be donate to a charity. You may not directly be doing the actual work while donating to charities, however, you are providing resources that make these organizations’ missions possible whether you are donating money, clothes, or any other supplies. There are a wide range of charitable organizations to choose from.

Published on

BYU is looking for high school teachers or course authors who can help us write online middle school and high school courses for a domestic and worldwide audience. This is meaningful, important work that requires existing curriculum development skills. Course authors must be able to simplify educational content and make it relevant through writing, finding, or creating short instructional videos, graphic organizers, activities, and other tactics ensuring student engagement, all while adhering to content standards.

BYU's online students won’t always have a cohort of students and a teacher guiding them through their courses. Sometimes BYU students sign up and complete a course independently, with access to a teacher or TAs who can help them as needed. This means BYU content must be scaffolded well and easily digested by students of various scholastic levels and backgrounds.

Requirements
The basic role requirements include the following:

  • You have taught or authored a high school or middle school academic course (required).
  • You have taught the subject online or authored an online high school or middle school course (preferred).
  • You are able to keep a worldwide student in mind, including students of all academic levels and backgrounds.
  • You are culturally sensitive in the content you author, mindful of more than a US-centric audience.
  • You can write high school content at a fifth- to eighth-grade reading level.
  • You are skilled at making content relevant and purposeful through real-life examples.
  • You are skilled at writing with a “teacher voice,” so students feel supported and guided.
  • You are skilled at giving students choices in their assessments so they can choose how to demonstrate they have met the standards.
  • You are skilled at scaffolding content into cognitively manageable pieces so students are not overwhelmed, especially in an online setting.
  • If selected, you would be able to work as an independent contractor.

For more information or to apply, please visit the BYU Independent Study Online Authors page.

Published on

JEAC Open House FlyerThe Jordan Ethnic Advisory Committee is pleased to announce a Parent, Guardian, and Student Open House event at JATC South, which will take place on March 1st, from 5 - 6:30 p.m. The purpose of this event is to provide a platform for families to share their ideas with administration and teachers, and to engage in meaningful dialogue about the challenges and opportunities facing our students.

Through this event, we hope to foster a sense of community and collaboration, and to work together to build a stronger, more inclusive school environment for all students.

To that end, we would like you to extend an invitation to school communities electronically, and to personally invite four families to participate in this open house. Principals will receive paper invitations in District mail.

We would be honored to have schools support in this initiative, and we believe that your participation will have a positive impact on our district as a whole.

Thank you for your time and consideration. If you have any questions or concerns, please email jeac@jordandistrict.org.

Published on

Jordan School District is offering Elementary and Secondary paid administrative internship openings for the 2023-24 academic year.  Applications are open now through Feb. 28, 2023 at midnight.

Please refer to the details below:

  • Applicants must select level of preference (elementary, middle or high) and submit only one application.
  • Selected applicants will be interviewed.
  • Assignments are for 1-year only, with no guarantee of a permanent administrative position.
  • Internal applicants, if selected, will be treated as an employee on a leave of absence for the current school year. Internal applicants chosen as an administrative intern will have the right to return to a comparable licensed position at the end of the internship.
  • Applicants must:
    1. be enrolled in a university administrative/leadership program, OR
    2. have a current in state or out-of-state administrative license, OR
    3. be in the JSD Administrative Pool
  • Administrative Interns are paid on a teacher salary schedule – 187-day contract plus 20 additional days for elementary and 10 additional days for secondary. A night stipend will be added according to level assignments.
  • Assignment locations are to be determined.

If you are interested in a full time, paid Administrative Internship Position, Apply using the link below.  If you need help, please use the Frontline Application Tutorial document.

Published on

The following are new administrative assignments:

New Assignment effective January 3, 2023:

  • Katie Jarvis, administrative intern at River’s Edge appointed assistant principal at River’s Edge.

New Assignments effective as soon as possible:

  • Steffany Ellsworth, Support Services Lead in Information Systems appointed Support Services Manager in Information Systems.

New Assignments effective February 21, 2023:

  • Derek Bennett, administrative intern at Mountain Ridge High appointed assistant principal at West Jordan High, replacing Howard Griffith who is retiring.
  • Curtis Hagen, Staff Assistant at Auxiliary Services appointed assistant principal at Mountain Ridge High, replacing Derek Bennett.
  • Tim McConnell, retired administrator in Park City School District appointed assistant principal at Ridge View Elementary.

New Assignments effective July 1, 2023:

  • Michael Hutchings, assistant principal at West Jordan High appointed principal at West Jordan High, replacing James Birch who is retiring.
  • Rachel Hill, administrative intern at West Jordan High appointed assistant principal at West Jordan High, replacing Michael Hutchings.
  • Tamara Rajczyk, consultant in Special Education appointed principal at South Valley, replacing Rita Bouillon who is retiring.
  • Jennifer Ludlow, principal at West Jordan Elementary appointed principal at Oquirrh Elementary, replacing Shauna Worthington who is approved for a Sabbatical leave.
  • Abram Yospe, principal at Columbia Elementary appointed principal at Foothills Elementary, replacing Cherie Wilson who is retiring.
  • Keith Klein, principal at Etna Elementary in Lincoln County School District in Afton, WY appointed principal at Columbia Elementary, replacing Abram Yospe.
  • Vaega Toilolo, administrative intern at Bingham High appointed assistant principal at an assignment TBD.
  • Russell Stephenson, administrative intern at Joel P. Jensen Middle and Oquirrh Hills Middle appointed assistant principal at an assignment TBD.
  • Jessica Wilson, administrative intern at South Hills Middle and South Valley appointed assistant principal at an assignment TBD.
  • Jessica Hayes, administrative intern at Child Development Center appointed assistant principal at an assignment TBD.
  • Thyme Meleisea-Vea, administrative intern at Oak Leaf Elementary appointed assistant principal at an assignment TBD.
  • Angela Solum, assistant principal at Riley Elementary in Salt Lake School District appointed assistant principal at an assignment TBD.
  • Janae Young, administrative intern at Aspen Elementary appointed assistant principal at an assignment TBD.