Author: communications

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

• Romeo and Juliet (Grades 3-12)
• The Dream (Grades 1-12)
• The Nutcracker (Grades K-12)
• Peter Pan (Grades 1-12)
• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Grades 2-12)
• West Side Story Suite (Grades 4-12)
• Choreographic Special: Spotlight Utah! (Grades 4-12)

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

Further information may be found at Ballet West Student In-Theatre Performances and in the flyer below.

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

Transportation fees and bus scheduling are covered by individual schools. Neither Ballet West nor the Teaching and Learning Department will cover transportation costs.

• Ballet West Student In-Theatre Performances Flyer

Attention Elementary Math Teachers
Get ready to add some real-world fun to your math lessons!  We've created an exciting new math worksheet and career story for your elementary students, directly related to the monthly career banner hanging by your cafeteria. This month's resource connects math concepts directly to the job of a school counselor.

Each month, you'll find a new worksheet and career story, helping you show students how math is used in different jobs. You can find this month's lesson and all future ones by visiting the Elementary Career Exploration Lessons page at cte.jordandistrict.org. We can't wait to see how you use these fun new resources in your classrooms!

• CTE Elementary Math Career Exploration Lessons

Language & Culture Services is providing another opportunity for you to become certified as a District Interpreter. This course is for employees at the school level that have been hired to be interpreters in the front office, classroom, or for conferences. Through HB 302, a legislative bill passed in Utah to strengthen family engagement in education, this bill focuses on the need for schools to effectively communicate with parents and guardians so they can fully participate in their child’s education.

In this course, you will develop skills needed to handle complex school interactions with professionalism and accuracy. You will discuss interpretation in the contexts of ethics, cultural awareness, special education, parent-teacher conferences, language access laws, and learn best practices for interpretation.

• Date: Friday, Sept. 26
• Time: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
• Location: To Be Determined

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• Register for the Interpreter Certification Course

Important Reminder for URS Members
Be cautious of any outside advisor who claims to represent URS or have expertise in URS benefits.

URS doesn’t discourage members from using third-party advisors. However, be cautious of any non-URS advisor or financial planner who claims to represent URS or have expertise in URS benefits. URS does not contract with or otherwise outsource investment advising to any third-party for any reason.

Don’t confuse third-party advisors with URS employees. URS Advisors (who are employees of URS) will only meet with you at URS, at your agency, or a nearby agency, during business hours. URS Advisors will not visit your home or set up evening/weekend appointments.

To make sure you’re acting in your best interests, talk to us first before making any decisions about your retirement benefits or moving your money out of URS Savings Plans. Schedule a free URS Individual Retirement Planning Session at www.urs.org/us/irps.

URS is a nonprofit trust, and our low fees reflect that. Our advisors never earn commissions.

Remember...

• URS Advisors can explain the basics of claiming your Social Security benefits. Be careful of advertisements that create “fear of missing out” (FOMO) of thousands of dollars by warning of a supposed “incorrect” Social Security decision.

• A URS pension benefit is like an “annuity” in that it provides lifetime income. You likely also have a second “annuity” called Social Security (more lifetime income). Do you really need a third? Commercial annuities can have much higher costs than URS and Social Security and can be too complex to easily understand.

You can keep your funds in URS Savings Plans throughout your retirement. You’re never required to move your funds.

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• URS Outside Advisors Warning Flyer

In order to maintain a professional work atmosphere for students and staff members, respect staff time, and to avoid ethical and fraudulent conflicts of interest with vendors, building administrations are asked to abide by the following:

1. Vendors are not allowed into District schools/facilities to solicit business from employees during business hours. Building administrations may allow vendors to leave promotional materials (e.g. brochures, business cards, posters, etc.) with the front office and request these materials be placed in an area, such as the employee break room or bulletin board, so staff may view them and take one, if they so choose. Materials may not be placed in staff boxes. Vendors are not allowed to make sales pitches during faculty or staff meetings. Vendors are not to provide a snack, treat, or meal for employees in the break rooms while the vendor remains to solicit business. Building administrations may allow a vendor to leave a snack, treat, or meal along with promotional materials and a note indicating who brought the items and who employees should contact if more information is desired. Employees, including building and district leadership, should never feel like they are required to meet with vendors and hear their sales pitches.
2. Decision makers are advised to avoid gifts from vendors in order to guard against the appearance of misconduct. A vendor providing a gift or meal for the staff or large groups is a very nice gesture of thanks and support. A vendor providing a special, private gift or lunch to only the decision maker(s) can create an ethical conflict of interest that can influence decision making.
3. Vendors must follow the same protocol expected of all other visitors to District buildings by checking in at the front office and proceeding beyond the front office only after being invited to do so.
4. If an employee desires to meet with a vendor at a District location to discuss services the vendor may offer to them personally, the employee and vendor must meet outside of normal business hours for that building. For schools, this means no contact between one-half hour before school starts and one-half hour after school ends, including lunch time and prep time. These hours are considered work hours and must be respected by the employee and vendors.
5. The District’s finance system is not to be used to pay for employees’ personal business (e.g. mortgage payments, utility payments, insurance payments, donations to churches, credit card payments, etc.). Payroll deductions are not permitted for non-Jordan District purposes unless the funds are tax sheltered through a District-allowed plan (see #6 below). It is not appropriate for the District to engage in employee personal bill pay at taxpayer expense. Any payment arrangements made by employees with vendors should be done using the employees’ personal financial institution.
6. As a taxpayer funded subdivision of the State of Utah, Jordan School District participates in the Utah Retirement Systems (URS). While employees have the private option of authorizing financial advisers or others to manage their retirement funds, there are inherent risks associated with any investment strategy. Jordan School District and Utah Retirement Systems does not and has not endorsed, contracted out, authorized, advocated, recommended, sponsored, or vetted other entities, including 403b agents, to represent them in these matters. Instead, URS employs retirement advisors, with a URS email and phone number, who will meet with and advise JSD employees free of charge. URS is a nonprofit trust and their advisors never earn commissions. If you want help with URS questions, please contact URS and if you choose to go outside of URS, please compare commissions and fees.
7. As a taxpayer funded entity, Jordan School District, its departments and schools must only work with businesses that have first gone through the proper procurement process. Competing vendors are to be treated fairly without personal preference or bias.

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• Guidelines For Vendors Soliciting Sales From Jordan District Employees

The District will be excluding the following dates in its application of DP354B NEG - Attendance Incentive - Education Support Professionals. Therefore, employees will not be penalized for absences taken on these dates when the District calculates the July 2026 Low Absence Incentive payments.

For the 2025-26 school year, these exclusion dates will only apply to our ESP employee group.

• Elementary Schools Professional Development Day - Sept. 26, 2025
• Secondary Schools Professional Development Day - Oct. 3, 2025
• Health and Wellness Day - Feb. 6, 2026
• Professional Development Day - March 6, 2026
• Professional Development Day - April 17, 2026

The following are new administrative assignments:

New Administrative Internships for 2025-26:

• Sarah Burton, instructional coach at Copper Canyon Elementary assigned administrative intern at Bastian Elementary.
• Tori Domaleski, teacher in Canyons School District assigned administrative intern at Columbia Elementary.
• Kimberlee Hill, instructional coach in Granite School District assigned administrative intern at Heartland Elementary.
• Addie Lund, teacher at Hawthorn Academy assigned administrative intern at Majestic Elementary Arts Academy.

Fall Recess Critical Day Annual/Personal Leave Lottery Request
If you are a contracted employee and need to take Annual/Personal Leave on a Critical Day before or after Fall 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
Fall Recess Licensed	Oct. 21-24, 2025	Oct. 17 and 27, 2025	Sept. 6 – Sept. 16, 2025
Fall Recess ESP	Oct. 23-24, 2025	Oct. 17 and 27, 2025	Sept. 8 – Sept. 18, 2025

• 2025-26 Licensed Annual/Personal Leave Taken on a Critical Day
• 2025-26 ESP Annual/Personal Leave Taken on a Critical Day

Join us for a fun, engaging, and interactive EdCamp. Learn, get new ideas, and network with teachers and administrators from all over Utah!

Never been to an EdCamp? Come find out what makes these non-conferences the best way to add a spark to your school life.

• Saturday, Sept. 13
• 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
• Timpanogos High School in Orem
• Keynote Speakers: Utah Teacher Fellows
• You can include as part of your 32 hours PD plan!

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• Register for UCET EdCamp Utah 2025

Effective Teacher Training (ETT) is available for a Fall 2025 cohort! Seats are capped at 50 and are only available to licensed educators who have never taken ETT previously. This course is not currently available to ESPs. Please register on Canvas Catalog to save your spot.

This course is designed for: All general education and special education teachers
Also welcome: Specialists, interventionists, and mental health providers
(Not available to ESPs)

Topics include:
Antecedents, behavior basics, class-wide and individual interventions, increasing academic effectiveness, data-based decision making, students with unique needs, and personal wellness.

Format:
This 7-week course will be offered online in an asynchronous format. Learners will engage with content and activities via Canvas. *Although pacing is flexible, participants must successfully complete the first module within the first week or their spot will go to someone on the waitlist.

1 USBE credit and a stipend is available to licensed employees who successfully complete the course. ETT stipend is $500.

Cohort	Dates	Register by	Registration Link
Fall 2025	Sept. 17 - Nov. 12	Sept. 11	ETT Fall 2025

Note for instructional coaches: You can request to be an observer in the course instead of registering as a learner. Please email Melanie Dawson or Katie Mintiloglitis if you are interested.

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• Effective Teacher Training Fall 2025 Memo & Flyer

Check out the attached PDF for the latest updates from Teaching & Learning for September. Learn Tips and Tricks, Sign Up for Upcoming PD, and Learn about Important Updates from the T & L team.

• Digital Discovery
• Secondary Math
• Elementary Math
• Secondary Science
• Secondary ELA
• PE
• World Languages
• Elementary Science
• Elementary ELA
• Health
• Gifted & Talented
• Secondary Social Studies
• Elementary Social Studies
• Elementary Library
• Fine Arts
• High School Data & Assessment
• Middle School Data & Assessment
• Elementary School Data & Assessment

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• Sept. 2025 Teaching & Learning Newsletter

The JSD Teachers for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Team has created a monthly newsletter.  The full newsletter for this month can be found at the link below. Stories include:

Using Amplification in Your Classroom - It isn’t about how loud your voice carries, it is about the student’s ability to process the frequency of your voice. When you notice a DHH student is having trouble focusing on your instruction, take a moment to make sure you are connected and that the system is working. Watch Tips for Working with Deaf & Hard of Hearing Students below to get a better idea of how the system works for a DHH child. Your instruction is important, please make sure it is accessible.

Un-amplified Comments - Allow the speaker to use the mic if possible Identify who is speaking so the DHH student can face them Repeat the comment or question again using the amplification system.

Closed Captioning - Just a friendly reminder to make sure all videos are accessible by turning on closed captioning or subtitles.

• Sept. 2025 Incidental Learning Newsletter

Human Resources is pleased to announce the launch of the SHiNE program for Jordan School District teachers. SHiNE stipends will be awarded to teachers in designated high-need areas identified by Jordan School District. These areas will be reviewed annually and may change from year to year. The total award amount for each teacher will depend on the number of courses taught in the qualifying subjects and the number of applicants for the grant. Award amounts will be distributed based on the total grant amount received by USBE. Teachers will be notified of their award amounts via email by October 13, 2025.

Please see the information below regarding the qualifying subjects and application process for the 2025-26 school year.

The application for the Salary Supplement for Highly Needed Educators (SHiNE) will be open August 28, 2025 and will close September 11, 2025. The application will be in Skyward Employee Access. Please see the attached tutorial below.

• 2025-26 Qualifying Course Subjects:
  • Special Education
  • Deaf Education
  • Mathematics
  • Science areas (specifically Physics, Chemistry, and Integrated Science)
  • Computer Sciences
• Eligibility Requirements:
  • Only teachers are eligible for this funding per Utah Code 53F-2-504.
  • Teachers must hold a bachelor's, master's, doctoral degree or have taught as a Utah teacher for 10+ years in one of the content areas listed to qualify for the supplement.
  • Teachers must have a passing JPAS on their last 3 evaluations.
  • Those working less than full-time in these courses may receive a partial award adjustment.
• Payment Information:
  • The SHiNE award amount will be included in each eligible teacher’s monthly paycheck as a stipend, divided equally across the remaining pay periods for the 2025-2026 school year.

Before submitting an application, please review Policy DP382 regarding program details and qualifications.

• Salary Supplement for Highly Needed Educators (SHiNE) Tutorial

DP324 NEG- Sick Leave- Licensed and DP326 NEG- Sick Leave- Education Support Professionals

Welcome to the 2025-2026 contract year! As an annual reminder, in accordance with DP326 NEG I. 1. and 2. and DP324 NEG I. 1. and 2., participation in the Employee-Funded Sick Leave Bank requires a contract employee to annually donate one day of accumulated annual leave into the Sick Leave Bank. The Employee- Funded Sick Leave Bank is not intended to be used for in-and-out absences, elective medical procedures or other medical care that could be scheduled during non-contract time.

Each year, contract employees wishing to opt out of participation in the sick bank must annually complete the appropriate online form in Employee Access no later than September 1 for current employees and October 1 for first-year licensed employees, including administrators. This opt out request must be submitted annually. Prior to completion of this form, it is strongly encouraged to review all District Leave Policies.

1. Log in to your Skyward Employee Access. (If you do not know your login and/or password, contact the Information Systems Help Desk at 801-567- )
2. Select “Task Manager” under the Jump to Other Dashboards
3. Under “Task Processes” select “Sick Bank Opt ”
4. Open the Sick Bank Request form, enter information in all required fields and then click the “Save” button.
5. Click the “Next” button and enter Notes, as
6. Click the “Next” button past Attachments; no attachments are
7. Click the “Next” button until you reach the final step “Choose Next Task.” Click the “Submit Sick Leave Bank Opt Out” button to submit the Sick Bank Opt Out Request. An email will be sent to your District email account confirming the Sick Bank Opt Out submission.

Sick Bank Opt Out Processing
Please note that the submission needs to be submitted by September 1 (current employees)/October 1 (for first year employees). The automatic Sick Bank Donation from your annual leave balance will not be returned until after all Sick Bank Opt Out Deadlines have passed.

Questions regarding Sick Bank should be directed to the HR Generalist at leaves@jordandistrict.org or 801-567-8249. If you need additional assistance with the completion or submission of this form, contact the Administrative Assistant at your location or the HR Generalist.*Education Support Professionals who are considered ‘provisional’ as of July 1 and hourly employees (non-contract), are not eligible for sick bank benefits that year, therefore, a sick bank donation will not be deducted (if applicable). Please be aware that policies and eligibility requirements for Licensed (DP324 NEG) and Education Support Professionals (DP326 NEG) employees are different. These and other District policies are available for review at policy.jordandistrict.org.