Skip to content

Author: communications

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. Use the link below for your copy of 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

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

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

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

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.

Published on

Feb. 2023 Language & Culture Services NewsletterThe full newsletter can be found at the link below. Stories include:

Celebrate Black History Month!
Taking a month out of the year to celebrate and recognize Black History, does not mean it's not important the other 11 months of the year. February is given to us to truly reach out and learn something new that we hadn’t known before. American and World history is so vast that as Dr. John Henrik Clarke states, “What we call Black history truly is the missing pages of world history.” The fact that many countries celebrate Black History demonstrates the many perspectives that should be honored when sharing pieces of the story in the History books. I always find myself in the habit of reading a historical story and wondering, “I wonder what was happening with the rest of the country during this time? What were the families from other cultures doing during that time? People suddenly don’t disappear when the Great Depression happened, but the schoolbooks certainly omitted a lot of people.”

Black History Month isn’t just for Black People to learn and engage with information. It’s for everyone. Half of the things we interact daily with were and are created by Black People: gas masks, protective mailboxes, the stoplight, automatic elevator doors, blood banks, home security systems, refrigerated trucks, the super soaker, tissue holders, clothes dryer, folding chairs, golf tea…. I could go on, Google can help you finish this exhaustive list. Because of that fact, everyone should take the time to learn about the people and culture behind the inventions.

The one thing I do each year is find an area that I want to learn more about surrounding Black History. The information is so vast, and I always received the Civil Rights information in school that I wanted to learn more beyond the struggle of gaining our alienable rights that were already bestowed upon Americans. Each year, I find a focus: famous Black poets, Black entrepreneurs, eras like the Harlem Renaissance or Motown.. each time I learn something new. I challenge everyone to do this. What do you not know too much about? With the amount of information on Google and YouTube, the possibilities are endless. If it still overwhelms you, simply go through the National Museum of African American History and Cultures website. This national treasure that is seated in DC has a plethora of information. Learn, grow, and know Black History is American History.

Culture Corner Set up a culture consultation!
Contact our Culture, Diversity, and Parent Outreach specialists to set up a consultation for you, your PLC, or your school. The CDO team can support you in the following ways:

  • Support for critical conversations (You are planning on a lesson that you anticipate will include critical conversations)
  • Training on critical conversation facilitation
  • Have the culture and diversity team come teach a lesson
  • Small group pull-out (no more than 10)

ELLevation Tips & Tricks
Teachers can easily add Activities to their Favorites folder for future viewing and lesson planning. There are two ways to favorite an Activity:

  1. While browsing: click the Favorite button located at the bottom left of each Activity card.
  2. In an Activity: click the Favorite button found on the left of the top bar.

After an Activity has been favored, you can access it by clicking on the left navigation slide-out menu.

ELD Lead Celebration
This month we are highlighting Angie Larson with Kelsey Peak Virtual Middle school! She is in her first year as an ELD lead and has done an excellent job of creating online content accessible to all students. She makes sure every student at the virtual middle school is getting the support they need to find success through their online learning. Thank you, Angie for being such a great example to your students and to our district!

Reflective Questions

  • What helps my students feel cared for and appreciated?
  • What can I do to show them how they are cared about?
  • How are my students represented in my curriculum and classroom?
  • How do I celebrate my student's diverse backgrounds?

Published on

Educational Opportunities on Your Retirement Benefits » Come join URS for an informational webinar on your retirement benefits.

  • Tier 2 Choice
    This overview, for employees within their first year of URS-eligible employment, will help you understand your two retirement choices.
    February 7, 2023 | 10 a.m. | Register
  • Understanding the Tier 2 401(k) Option
    An overview of your benefit if you have selected the Tier 2 401(k) Option and have more than one year of service.
    March 7, 2023 | 10 a.m. | Register
  • A Closer Look at Purchasing Service Credit
    Are you thinking about purchasing additional service credit to enhance your retirement benefits or retire a little early? Come learn more about the opportunities of purchasing service credit.
    March 21, 2023 | 10 a.m. | Register
  • A Closer Look at Purchasing Service Credit
    Are you thinking about purchasing additional service credit to enhance your retirement benefits or retire a little early? Come learn more about the opportunities of purchasing service credit.
    March 21, 2023 | 10 a.m. | Register
  • Applying for Retirement
    Are you ready to retire? In this webinar, we show you how to apply for retirement every step of the way.
    April 5, 2023 | 4 p.m. | Register

Published on

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

  • Life’s Essential 8 - Getting enough sleep? A duration of seven to nine hours daily for adults, and more for children, is considered necessary for good health, according to the American Heart Association’s (AHA) new Life’s Essential 8. Because of sleep’s importance to our well-being, the AHA has added healthy sleep to its previously seven key components of heart health.
  • Snacks vs. Treats - Three daily meals may not keep you energized all day, but snacks help fill the hunger gap. Despite criticism from the dieting community, snacks are a good idea science supports.
  • Focus on Your Food - Instead of scarfing down copious amounts of food between meals, choose nutritious snacks and eat them mindfully. That means enjoying snacks without distractions, such as your TV, smartphone or computer screen. Choose a snack- sized bag or serve yourself a portion on a plate or bowl, rather than eating out of a family-size box or bag, which may cause you to mindlessly overeat past your fullness cue. Serving yourself helps with portion control. Remember to enjoy every bite.
  • Lessons in Monotasking - Do you often have trouble focusing on mental tasks without getting distracted? You’re not alone: Harvard Business has reported that the average person is mentally distracted or interrupted every 40 seconds while working a computer. Social media, shopping, videos, games and other online options are designed to hold your attention — with a major cost to your focus and productivity.

Published on

Dear Employees,

Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication supporting students and their education in Jordan School District. To promote personal wellness for our employees, Friday, February 10, will be our second annual Health and Wellness Day for employees, students, and families. You can review all the Health & Wellness Day information at wellness.jordandistrict.org/day.

2023 Employee Health & Wellness Day PosterWhat is Wellness Day?

An opportunity for JSD employees to prioritize their personal wellness by being: 

  • Curious: using the day to try something new or learn a new strategy that could enhance your personal and professional wellness.
  • Intentional: proactively planning to meet your unique wellness needs.
  • United: spending time building relationships and strengthening work connections.

Please know the District will be providing a Health and Wellness curriculum directly  to parents and students so employees can take the day to focus on their own Health and Wellness. For information on this curriculum, visit wellness.jordandistrict.org/resources. 

As an employee, you can choose to participate in Health and Wellness Day in one of three ways. 

  • You can use the time to catch up. There will be no required meetings or student interactions on February 10. School meals and busing will not be provided
  • We will have optional resources available throughout the day to help you focus on your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. We will be sponsoring both virtual and in-person activities designed to help you connect with other employees and focus on your wellness. There will be a Wellness Day Challenge sheet provided with suggestions for personal wellness activities. Participants who submit their challenge sheet will be entered into a drawing for great prizes including a vacation from GetAway Today!
  • You can choose to access annual leave or vacation time to take the day off without worrying about getting a substitute. Absences will not count against no-pay-day limits and low absence incentive thresholds.

The Health and Wellness Day is for every employee. The Board has allocated funds for each school and department to provide a breakfast or lunch for employees during the week of February 6 - 10.

In addition, between February 10 and February 16, we have arranged with SWIG for each employee to receive one free menu item when you show your badge at any SWIG location in Jordan District boundaries. If you prefer a hot beverage like coffee or hot chocolate, fill out the request form at: wellness.jordandistrict.org/coffee.

Thank you for your continued hard work and dedication to students and education.

Published on

Swig FlyerAs part of the 2023 Health & Wellness Day, Swig week will run from Feb. 10-16. Every JSD employee will be able to receive one free menu item when you show your Employee ID badge at the location of your choice.

Participating Locations:
Oquirrh - 11528 S 4000 W #101, South Jordan
Trail Crossing - 5462 W Daybreak Pkwy., Ste H1, South Jordan
South Jordan - 1573 W 11400 South, South Jordan
West Jordan - 3173 W. 7800 South W, West Jordan

Hours of operation for all four locations:
Mon. - Fri. 7:30 a.m - 9:30 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m. - 10:30 p.m, Sunday - Closed

Substitutes may obtain a JSD Honorary ID badge from a receptionist at the District Office from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Soft drink not your thing? 
Sign up for a free coffee or hot chocolate from 7-Eleven at wellness.jordandistrict.org/coffee

Published on

Many career roles require a working knowledge of the law, but 3 years of law school may be out of reach. The University of Utah Master of Legal Studies (MLS) program offers a cutting-edge curriculum that immerses students in the law and the intricacies of the U.S. legal system without investing three years to earn a J.D. Bolster your legal acumen and advance in your current role or expand your employment prospects in a wide range of professions. Priority application deadline is April 1st. Final application deadline is June 30th.

The University of Utah college of law also offers "microcredentials" in specific skills areas, including STANDALONE MEDIATION TRAININGS. We currently offer two microcredential courses in mediation that qualify individuals to be court-rostered mediators. Information can be found here.

Watch the informational videos below to learn more about this exciting program! Questions? Contact us at mls@law.utah.edu.

View Our Past Webinars:

Sign up for future informational webinars

Published on

Each year, the Utah Association of Elementary School Principals (UAESP) gives the Jordan Association of Elementary School Principals (JAESP) the opportunity to celebrate elementary principals for the great work they are doing in their schools. Principals may be nominated for awards in the following categories:

  • Rookie of the Year
  • Innovator of the Year
  • Community Leader of the Year
  • Student Advocate Principal of the Year
  • Instructional Leader of the Year
  • Principal Mentor of the Year

Recipients of the National Distinguished Principal of the Year and Assistant Principal of the Year have already been chosen and will be recognized soon.

If you feel that a principal has done exceptional work in one of these areas, we invite you to nominate them for an award through this survey. 

All nominations are due Feb. 10, 2023. Please remember this is for elementary principals only. The following principals are ineligible to be nominated, because they have received an award during the last three school years:

Garett York, Theresa Christensen, Tiffany Smith, Ross Menlove, Megan Cox, Cherie Wilson, Odette Desmarais, Buddy Alger, Shauna Worthington, Courtney Titus, Bobbie Nixon, Jennifer Ludlow, Ann Pessetto, Laurie Goodsell, Suzie Williams, Ken Westwood, Aaron Ichimura, Amanda Edwards, Nick Hansen, Joel Pullan, Ronna Hoffman

After all nominations have been received, the JAESP board will present the awards to each recipient at their own school. Recipients will then be eligible for state level awards in the same category through UAESP.

Thank you for taking time to nominate exceptional elementary principals!

Published on

ParaPro Assessment FlyerHow To Become “Highly Qualified” and Receive a Lane Change Increase

ParaPro Testing is optional for most school locations but required for all Title I school locations. Applicants/Employees interested in working at a Title I school may contact the Title I school principal for additional testing options.

Published on

Tank you to principals/assistant principals, directors, JESPA volunteers, HR assistants and the Office of Communications for promoting and participating in the first Jordan School District Job Fair! It was a great success, as it resulted in the hiring of numerous new applicants for open positions throughout the District. A total of 207 households were in attendance and a total of 59 applications were completed in Frontline during and after the Job Fair. We are certain there will be more applications completed in the near future as a result of the Job Fair.

A special thanks to Oquirrh Hills Middle for hosting this event and also to those who served as interpreters. The success of this event was due to the efforts of many individuals and groups. Thank you all again for your contributions.

Published on

Feb. 2023 Moreton & Company Health Insights NewsletterThis month’s newsletter focuses on heart health through positive habits and informed decision-making. We’ll take a look at hypertension and the damage that smoking can do, and give you helpful tips through our Healthy Habits Calendar. Take charge of improving your health with our 4-week walking challenge and a heart-smart Kale & Red Quinoa Soup recipe. Click below for your copy of February’s health insights.