Jordan School District
As approved by the Utah State Legislature, Education Support Professionals will receive up to a $1,000 bonus in their November paychecks. The Jordan School District Board of Education approved additional funds so more employees are eligible for the bonus.
The $1,000 bonus is per FTE, so half-time employees would receive $500. Miscellaneous employees are not eligible for this bonus.
The Jordan Ethnic Advisory Committee and Language and Culture Services cannot wait to see you at the annual What I Wish You Knew Conference. This year, the theme is "Our Stories Matter."
This year the conference will be highlighting and showcasing leadership from our wonderful District departments. Please come to learn from our Keynote from author, Kyle Reyes, Author of Lenses of Humanity.
Dear Faculty and Staff,
Information Systems wants you to be aware of upcoming, essential maintenance that will affect the availability of internet and core Skyward systems from Sunday, Dec. 28 until Wednesday, Dec. 31.
Technicians will be performing a major equipment upgrade at the District Office data center to ensure continued system performance and reliability.
The following systems will be intermittently inaccessible during the entire maintenance window:
Please know these systems will not be accessible until the upgrade is fully completed and systems are verified as operational.
We recommend all users ensure they have collected any critical information, reports, or documentation needed for year-end or beginning-of-year tasks prior to the start of the upgrade on Dec. 28.
Thank you for your understanding and patience as Information Systems completes this critical infrastructure upgrade to improve the performance and stability of our systems.
Due to popular demand, and in accordance with Title III laws and policy, Language & Culture Services would like to hold another interpreter training to get staff and paraeducators certified. LCS will provide this free training if there is enough interest. LCS is considering a March 6 training, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants will receive 7 relicensure points.
Please fill out the form at the link below by Dec. 12, so that LCS can plan accordingly.
Language & Culture Services will be starting new ESL Endorsement cohorts in Jan. 2026. It takes one school year to complete (Jan. - Dec. 2026, not including summer break) and is competency-based.
Jordan School District has recently purchased MyVideoSpot, an online content management tool that allows teachers to upload and share videos with students from a variety of platforms, including YouTube. This will allow your school to block YouTube for students, should your school make that building-level decision. There is no immediate deadline, however, all student YouTube access will be blocked starting in July 2026.
MyVideoSpot allows teachers to upload important curricular videos from sources like YouTube and create a unique URL that can be shared with students in Canvas, Nearpod, Google Slides, and more. MyVideoSpot removes unwanted ads from YouTube videos and allows teachers to select the start and end times of videos. You'll also find options for screencast recordings of up to 60 minutes. Attached you'll find a Quick Start guide to help you get started with MyVideoSpot. Please contact Digital Teaching and Learning for additional help and to schedule a training.
Human Resources is pleased to announce this week's new openings for Education Support Professionals (ESP) positions across the District. We will be posting weekly highlights in JEM.
Please share this information with anyone you think may be interested in these positions. This does not reflect all ESP positions posted within the last week, only a select number of featured positions.
Featured New ESP Positions
Here is a brief description of the new ESP vacancies posted this week:
How to View and Apply
Each posted position has specific criteria and due dates. To see the complete list of vacancies and to apply, use this link:
Thank you for your continued dedication to Jordan School District students and families!
AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon all offer discounts to Jordan School District employees. Please check out the latest deal flyers below.
The JATC South Greenhouse is holding a winter sale from Nov. 17 - Dec. 19. Poinsettias are available in red, white, pink, marble, red glitter, and winter red rose. Most of the varieties are available in 6” and 8” pots. The 6” pots are $7.00 and the 8” pots are $13.00. Discounts are available for orders of more than more than 25 plants and JATC South can deliver them to your school. The plants will be delivered on Dec. 1 and 2 unless you would like them sooner.
To purchase poinsettias please fill out the google form below.
JATC will then send you an invoice and email about how to purchase through jordandistrictpay.com.
Thank you for supporting the agriculture students at JATC South.
Principals Note
A huge thank you to every principal, coach, teacher, secretary, and school staff member who participated in Planet Kindergarten! We saw principals become astronauts, aides transformed into aliens, upperclassmen tutoring kindergarteners, secretaries wearing letter stickers, and coaches testing letters and sounds. Achieving this goal wouldn’t be possible without the collective effort of our entire school and district teams.
This year’s kindergarten letter and sound data is higher than it’s ever been! While we celebrate as a team, we know our work doesn’t stop here. We’ve just taken the first step toward our end-of-year goal: having every kindergartner read 20 whole words on Acadience. Please remember, you are not alone on this journey.
To support you, we’ve lined up several more classes to provide instruction and support for your coaches and teachers. You can also reach out to a literacy specialist at any time. In your envelope, you’ll find an invitation to the Sound Explorers class and the latest Planet Kindergarten newsletter. Assistant principals, coaches, and teachers have also received this information. Each of your teachers received a certificate celebrating their success on the November goal, and we’ve included a copy of the certificate for you as well.
If your school would like extra support with letter and sound mastery, phonemic awareness, or with next steps like blending, please reach out to your literacy specialist, explore the Planet Kindergarten Toolkit, review the latest newsletter, or connect with principals from top-performing schools for inspiration.
Thank you to you and your staff for your dedication and hard work helping kindergartners master their letters and sounds this year. There’s a strong movement happening across our district, and it’s exciting to see it grow! If there’s anything else we can do to support you, please let us know. We’re here to help.
With appreciation,
The Literacy Team
We Did It!
Thank you all for your incredible dedication and hard work in pursuing our goal of 100% of your students knowing all their letters and sounds by November 7th! This is a huge accomplishment, and it’s time to celebrate!
We didn’t just meet our goal, we crushed it! We more than doubled the number of teachers who achieved 100%, and even more teachers are now in the 90% range. This outstanding growth will set our students up for reading success and a strong start in first grade. Your efforts are making a real difference!
Let’s keep this momentum going! Check out the upcoming classes below. If you can join us, we’d love to see you.
Sound Explorers - Nov. 14 or 21, 2026 1:30 - 3:30
Join us for an interactive session to help kindergarten students strengthen their phonemic awareness and begin reading CVC words before MOY Acadience. There will be pizza and dessert. All teachers who attend will receive PA games & supplies. Sign up at pd.jordandistrict.org.
Rocket Readers - Jan. 30, 2026 1:30- 3:30
Together, we’ll share strategies, discuss challenges, and develop actionable plans to achieve our end-of-year goal of 20 whole words read. Sign up at pd.jordandistrict.org.
Planet Kindergarten Top Schools and Teachers
To show our appreciation for everyone’s hard work, we’re throwing a pizza party at our Sound Explorers Class with tons of prizes. Don’t miss out on the fun, you’ve earned it!
Next Steps for Students that Haven’t Met the Goal Yet...
As a partner of the Jordan Education Foundation, America First Credit Union is offering District employees $200* when they become a member, open a checking account, enroll in Direct Deposit and use it to deposit $500 within the first 60 days.
If you're looking for the financial products and services you need to make the most out of every dollar you earn, save, or spend, there's no better partner than America First. Become a member today, get some free cash, and discover all the reasons why America First is one of the top credit unions in nation.
*Membership, eligibility, terms, conditions & creditworthiness apply. Subject to change & requirements. Visit americafirst.com for details. Federally insured by NCUA.
The following are new administrative assignments:
New Assignment effective October 31, 2025:
Teachers, School Counselors, and Aides...
November's CTE Career Banner Spotlight is a Social Media Marketing Manager.
You can find this month's CTE Career Exploration lesson and math worksheets, and all future ones, by visiting the Elementary Career Exploration Lessons page at cte.jordandistrict.org.
Please reach out to angie.pommerening@jordandistrict.org if you need help with implementing these lessons or with career readiness activities at the elementary level. We are happy to help. We can't wait to see how you use these fun new resources in your classrooms!
Information Systems and Teaching & Learning are beginning the process of rostering classrooms for the new Class Tools from Google (Classroom Management System). This will require creating a Google Classroom for each class and populating those classrooms using Clever.
NOTE: We are NOT moving to Google Classroom in lieu of Canvas, rather Google Classroom is the most efficient method for rostering students into Google Class Tools.
As a reminder, Class Tools is a possible replacement for GoGuardian or LanSchool. This tool provides teachers with the ability to control student browsing, create a lockdown browser, and provide students with live captioning or translations.
What you need to know:
Schools wanting training on Google's Class Tools can contact Digital Teaching and Learning. For more information, check the following article:
CPR Training is codified as 53G-10-408 and is written into USBE Rule as R277-465. This requires LEAs to provide CPR instruction to all students consistent with the Health Education Core Standards and as required in Subsection 53G-10-408(5).
An LEA shall provide hands-on CPR instruction using the following ratios as closely as possible: a student to instructor ratio of no greater than 15:1; and a mannequin to student ratio no greater than 1:6.
Health students do not need to be CPR certified, but are required to receive CPR training as outlined below.
There are options for JSD principals and health teachers to choose from to meet the criteria at your school:
Teaching & Learning will be utilizing a state grant to reimburse the costs of local EMS/Third Party services at a maximum of $6/per student. Contracted teachers are not eligible for this reimbursement.
Funds from this grant will expire at the conclusion of the 2025-26 school year.
If you have questions please reach out to Nate Foster, the Jordan School District Health and PE Specialist.
During the 2025 legislative session, Utah passed HB104, which requires firearm safety instruction to be provided three times in K-6, once in middle school, and once in high school. Jordan School District will meet this requirement by providing firearm safety instruction in 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades, Health I, and Health II, aligned with Health Education standards.
Instruction may be delivered through live lessons, videos, online materials, or as part of health or physical education curricula. Before instruction, schools must notify parents or guardians and offer an opt-out option, with alternative educational activities provided as needed.
For details, resources, and curriculum materials to support this requirement, please review the attached HB 104 Implementation Document and visit the linked resources.
Please reach out to our JSD Health and PE Teacher Specialist, Nathan Foster, with any questions: nate.foster@jordandistrict.org.
Check out the links below for the latest updates from Teaching & Learning for the month. Learn Tips and Tricks, Sign Up for Upcoming PD, and Learn about Important Updates from the T & L team.
We're excited to welcome Jordan School District teachers to our monthly Teacher Tinker Time sessions!
What is Tinker Time? It's a fantastic opportunity to explore and learn new skills, including:
This month, we'll be touring the lab and focusing on 3D printing to create fun holiday projects that you can take back to your classroom!
When & Where:
We look forward to seeing you there for some hands-on innovation! For all remaining dates this year, please see the attached flyer.
Questions? Contact traci.rindlisbach@jordandistrict.org or kelli.cannon@jordandistrict.org
Valued Paraprofessionals:
Utah Valley University has developed a 2 year program designed for working paraprofessionals to obtain a Special Education Professional Educator License. Courses would be in the evening or during the summer to accommodate working paraprofessionals and scholarships are available.
If you are a paraprofessional interested in becoming a Special Education educator here in Jordan this is one of many opportunities for you to explore.
Please review the attached flyer for details.
A Special Education License Within Reach! Meet With An Advisor Today!
Are you an experienced paraeducator who would like to earn your special education teaching license?
At UVU School of Education you can:
To begin the program you need to have completed your general education requirements and/or have an associates degree. If you are close we can help you figure out how to complete the rest of your classes.
Advisor: sheila.jacklin@uvu.edu
Department Chair: trevor.warburton@uvu.edu
Valued Educators:
Please see the information below and the attached flyer regarding Ph.D. programs available to you through Utah State University. Your continuing education is valued in Jordan School District. To see how investing in a Ph.D. would impact your salary, please review the current salary schedule:
Utah State University’s School of Teacher Education and Leadership (TEAL) invites applications for our doctoral programs, the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). Both doctoral degree programs are designed for educators who aim to deepen their expertise, apply research methods, and expand their impact.
Our Ed.D. in Teacher Education and Leadership is a 46-credit, Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED)-aligned professional doctorate designed degree for working educators and leaders. The program is practice-driven, allowing participants to address real-world “problems of practice” while maintaining their careers. Learn more here:
Our Ph.D. in Education is a 60-credit, research-intensive program focused on theory and academic scholarship. Through coursework, professional experiences, and research, participants are prepared for higher education, curriculum designers, and researcher, with concentrations in cultural studies, school leadership, literacy education, mathematics education, and science education. More information is available here: