Category: Information Items

Check out the Aug. 2021 Be Well newsletter from EMI. Stories include:

• Positive Body Image - Many Americans are dissatisfied with their appearance. Girls, and children of parents who diet or have poor body image, are more likely to develop a poor body image. The intense societal focus on how girls and women look, combined with unrealistic media standards of beauty, may contribute to body image issues; boys and men can be affected as well. Being underweight or overweight, or being teased or bullied about your appearance, can also lead to a negative self-image.
• Tanning is skin damage - a reminder during Summer Sun Safety Month to protect your skin and health with sunscreen, now and any time of year you are outdoors exposed to sunshine for extended periods. The best prescription: Apply one ounce of broad- spectrum sunscreen with a sun protective factor (SPF) of at least 30 to your exposed skin and reapply every two hours. Healthy skin is protected skin.
• Fish and Seafood - Add fish and seafood to your menu at least twice a week, especially if you have a history of vascular disease. A recent study shows that having two servings (175g total) of fish — especially oily fish, such as salmon, trout, oysters and albacore tuna — help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke, especially if you have pre-existing heart disease.
• Keto Diet: Pros and Cons - The most-searched diet trend in 2021 to date is the ketogenic diet, casually known as keto. This diet plan is very low in carbohydrates but is very high in fat (keto is about 75% fat, and the USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend only 25% fat). The goal of the diet is to get your body into a state of ketosis, where you burn fat as energy instead of carbohydrates.

To receive the monthly Be Well Newsletter via email and check out back issues, please visit the EMI Hope Health Newsletter page.

• Aug. 2021 EMI Be Well Newsletter

New teachers to Jordan District that would like a Zoom account, please fill out this short form and Digital Teaching and Learning will work with the Utah Education Network to set up your access.

• Request for Zoom Account

For teachers who may be unsure if they activated their Zoom account last year, they can find out if they have an active account by following these directions:

1. Go to zoom.us and log in using Google.  
2. Check the Profile and look under the Meeting section.  The Personal Meeting ID should be similar to the image below.  
3. If you cannot log into Zoom or if the Personal Meeting ID does not show UETN, that would indicate that you do not have an active Zoom account.
4. If you want a Zoom account, you can then fill out the above form.  If you do not want a Zoom account, then no action is required.

If Digital Teaching and Learning can be of any help with teachers regarding their Zoom account, please contact Bonnie Muir, Digital Learning Specialist.

Each month a newsletter will be added in elementary teacher Literacy Launch Canvas courses. You will be able to get some quick and easy ways to include social studies in your classrooms. Each newsletter will include several social studies informational texts that are based on the grade level core. There will also be ideas and lesson activities that are tied to the literacy standards.

This month you will find informational texts on School (1st Grade), Helen Keller (2nd Grade), Geography (3rd Grade), Longitude and Latitude (4th Grade), Indian Peter: an Indentured Servant (5th Grade), and Sophie Scholl (6th Grade). There is also a list of picture books that you could use to talk about the 20th anniversary of 9-11 or to celebrate Constitution and Citizenship day on Sep 17th. Teachers can find a vocabulary game, a summarizing activity, and a retelling activity that are tied to a social studies picture book.

• Aug./Sept 2021 Elementary Social Studies Toolbox Newsletter

The following are new administrative assignments effective for the 2021-22 academic year:

• Tami Pyfer, Chief of Staff for Unite and former Education Advisor to Governor Herbert, appointed part-time Community Engagement Specialist.
• Kenneth Auld, former principal of Logan High, appointed Human Resource Administrator.
• Sally Wilde, Language Arts teacher at Herriman High, assigned to Bingham High as an Administrative Intern.
• Chad Stolle, Geography/Spanish teacher at Mountain Creek Middle, assigned to Sunset Ridge Middle and Southpointe Adult High as an Administrative Intern.
• Trudy Jack, Director at Franklin Discovery Academy, assigned to Ridge View Elementary and Rosamond Elementary as an Administrative Intern.
• Paulina Labra, Instructional Coach in Granite School District, assigned to Oquirrh Elementary as an Administrative Intern.
• April Thompson, Instructional Coach at Butterfield Canyon Elementary, assigned to Aspen Elementary and Terra Linda Elementary as an Administrative Intern.
• Veronica Holyoke, Instructional Coach at Aspen Elementary, assigned to Bastian Elementary and Butterfield Canyon Elementary as an Administrative Intern.

In order to increase security to Jordan School District computer systems, password requirements for both Active Directory (the account used to log in to Windows and Mac computers) and Google accounts will be updated. You may be required to change these passwords to meet the new requirements.

If you have any questions, please contact the Information Systems help desk at 801-567-8737.

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As a reminder, Information Systems will NEVER ask you for your password over the phone or via email. If you receive a phone call or email asking you to provide your login information, it is most likely a phishing scam and should be reported.

Phishing is the practice of sending emails or phone calls purporting to be a trusted source in order to trick victims into revealing sensitive information such as passwords, credit card details, etc. In general, you should never respond to emails or phone calls seeking this type of information. Don’t click on anything in an unsolicited email or text message. If you suspect an email is a phishing attempt look up the company’s phone number on your own (don’t use the one a potential scammer is providing), and call the company to ask if the request is legitimate. If you receive a suspected phishing email through the district’s email system report it to Information Systems. For more information visit www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/spoofing-and-phishing or www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams#protect

Check out the July 2021 Be Well newsletter from EMI. Stories include:

• Sun Safety: Get the Facts - When it comes to protecting yourself from sun damage, do you know fact from fiction? Review the basics from the American Cancer Society and CDC.
• Food Waste No More - Ready for a shocking statistic? It’s estimated that between 30% to 40% of the U.S. food supply is wasted — that’s more than $240 billion worth of food. About a third of this food waste could be rescued and sent to communities in need. While this problem includes waste at the farm, factory, restaurant and grocery level, there’s also plenty of food wasted in homes across North America. The average family wastes $1,866 worth of food each year.
• When Adult Kids Move In - Grown children moving in with their parents is no longer unusual. In fact, the number of young adults living with one or more parents has surpassed the number living in multi generational households during the Great Depression, according to Pew Research. There are numerous reasons why adult children return home, including a job loss, apartment woes or a relationship breakup. While the new living situation may be fine for a while, it can disrupt the parents’ home life and cause stress for all family members.
• Smartphone Tendonitis - Smartphones help make work and personal lives easier in multiple ways, but it can be a pain — literally. Specifically, it can cause smartphone tendonitis: pain in your hand, wrist and thumb. Tendonitis is inflammation of tendons connecting muscles to bones. It’s not an uncommon condition and typically occurs in people who do repetitive activities, such as playing tennis or certain musical instruments. Now daily use of smartphones, tablets and other handheld devices has been added to that list.

To receive the monthly Be Well Newsletter via email and check out back issues, please visit the EMI Hope Health Newsletter page.

• July 2021 Be Well Newsletter

Jordan School District has an immediate opening for a Human Resource Administrator supporting Licensed employees.   Please refer to the details below:

General Function:
The Human Resource Administrator – Licensed is responsible for the recruitment, employment, placement, retention and licensure of licensed personnel and for the management of related personnel services.  Will provide guidance and assistance to administrators and employees regarding employment, recruitment, employee discipline, training, leaves, policy interpretation or other related areas.  Will assist in the development, implementation and direction of programs under the supervision of the administrator.

Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in human resources, business or an administrative license in education with an interest in human resources.
• Five years of administrative or leadership experience in human resources, business or education.
• Knowledge of USBE licensing guidelines preferred.

Position Closes July 2, 2021 or until filled.  Selected applicants will be interviewed.

• If you are interested in this HR Administrator opening, apply using the link below.
• Apply today!
• Frontline application tutorial

We hope you’re enjoying your summer and getting some much needed and deserved rest. In preparation for the 2021-22 school year, we wanted to make you aware of a couple of items.  As you know, Jordan School District will no longer have any year-round schools this fall. As a result, it becomes possible to align calendars at all levels to provide clarity and consistency for families and employees.  In order to accomplish this, elementary schools will be adjusting from a trimester to a quarter calendar. We will continue to have parent teacher conferences twice a year at approximately the end of first and third quarter. An updated 2021-22 calendar is available on the Planning & Enrollment Calendars page. More details will be provided at the beginning of the school year.

Thank you for your dedicated work on behalf of students.

The following are new administrative assignments effective July 1, 2021:

• Jarom Airhart, administrative intern at Academy Park and Plymouth Elementary in Granite School District, appointed assistant principal at Aspen and Terra Linda Elementary.      
• Aubri Moench, teacher at Fox Hollow Elementary, appointed assistant principal at Riverton and Jordan Hills Elementary.

While you may be taking a vacation this summer, the NEED for blood donations is not.

Blood Donations have fallen to their lowest point ever this summer. Donating blood takes less than 1 hour and can help save up to 3 lives. An ARUP Blood Services blood donation center is only 20 minutes away.

Your Blood Donation is needed NOW! Please schedule your appointment to donate blood by calling 801-584-5272 or logging onto arupbloodservices.org.

URS Individual Retirement Planning Sessions are now available through video conferencing or over the phone.

Meet one-on-one with a URS Retirement Planning Advisor for custom retirement guidance. The format will be identical to in-person sessions previously offered throughout the state.

We can answer questions and provide advice about your retirement benefits such as:

• Which Tier 2 benefit should I choose?
• How much should I save?
• Which retirement savings plans (401(k), 457(b), IRA, Roth IRA) are right for me?
• Which investments are right for me?
• How much will my pension pay me in retirement?

Go to www.urs.org/us/counseling for more information about Individual Retirement Planning and how to sign up for a session.

URS now offers a brand-new program designed to improve your financial wellness and lower your financial stress. All employees are eligible to participate. These new sessions are separate from the one-on-one retirement planning sessions that URS also currently offers. 

What can you expect? In these free, confidential sessions conducted via videoconferencing, the goal is to assess and improve your overall financial wellness. URS advisors do this by reviewing and addressing three key areas: 

• creating a debt management plan, 
• building an emergency savings fund, and 
• developing a workable spending plan. 

As there are opportunities to make improvements, your advisor will give you specific recommendations. URS advisors can address other financial topics with you as well. If you have any questions about the URS financial wellness program, you can call the URS Retirement Planning Advisor line at 801-366-7470. 

As part of the financial wellness program, you also now have access to a variety of financial wellness calculators. These calculators are great tools for doing “what if” scenarios on different topics, such as refinancing a mortgage, calculating a car payment, etc. The calculators can be accessed at fwcalculators.urs.org. 

How can you sign up for a personal financial wellness appointment? URS provides this service at no cost to you. You register online through your myURS account at www.urs.org. Once you are logged in, click on the Education tab, and then click on Individual Financial Wellness Sessions. You can then choose a date and time that is convenient for you via a videoconference. These sessions typically last one hour. 

The Board of Education has reached negotiated agreements with JESPA. Details of the agreements can be found below:

• Steps will be given for education support professionals for the 2021-22 school year.
• A cost of living adjustment of 3.13% will be added to all steps for education support professionals.
• Employees will cover fifty (50) percent of any future insurance premium increase and the District will cover fifty (50) percent of any future insurance premium increase; however, there is no insurance premium increase for the 2021-22 contract year.
• The statement in DP344 Vacation Schedule for Twelve-Month Personnel II.B. stating: “After September 30, the vacation allowance may not exceed the days accrued for the current year” will temporarily, for the 2021-22 year only, be adjusted to “After December 31, the vacation allowance may not exceed the days accrued for the current year.” The intent is to move the deadline of September 30 for using vacation days to December 31 for the 2021-22 year.
• Due to the moratorium placed on DP354B NEG – Attendance Incentive-Education Support Professionals last year for the current year, the funds normally used for this incentive were instead used to pay those individuals who would not have otherwise qualified for the State COVID Stipend. As a result, no attendance incentives will be paid in July 2021.
• DP354B NEG – Attendance Incentive-Education Support Professionals will be revised to allow Education Support Professionals who have up to four qualifying absences to receive the full absence incentive amount.

The Board of Education has reached negotiated agreements with JEA. Details of the agreements can be found below:

• All salary levels on the traditional licensed salary schedule will be increased $1,875 (base salary of $50,500).
• Employees will cover fifty (50) percent of any future insurance premium increase and the District will cover fifty (SO) percent of any future insurance premium increase; however, there is no insurance premium increase for the 2021-22 contract year.
• Teacher Legislative funds will be distributed at a standard rate per qualifying teacher regardless of years of service or the school level of the employee.
• Notification from Human Resources will be sent on October 1 and February 1 informing applicable employees that a seventh period has been authorized and approved but is subject to change.
• The 187th contract day will remain as a flexible work day, not specified on the calendar but must be worked by Thanksgiving of each year.
• Due to the moratorium placed on DP354 NEG -Attendance Incentive-Licensed last year for the current year, the funds normally used for this incentive were instead used to pay those individuals who would not have otherwise qualified for the State COVID Stipend. As a result, no attendance incentives will be paid in July 2021.
• DP304 NEG Teacher Transfer policy suspended through September 30, 2020.
• Two policies will be updated.
  • Policy DP354 NEG Attendance Incentive will be revised to allow teachers who have up to four absences to receive the full absence incentive amount.
  • Policy A5 NEG Released Time for Licensed Employee Agent Group President will be revised to include clarifications and updates that reflect current practices.

The following are new administrative assignments:

New Assignments effective July 1, 2021:

• James Groethe, assistant principal at Copper Hills High appointed assistant principal at Bingham High School, replacing Kenneth Damron who resigned.
• Sterling Hunt, assistant principal at West Jordan High appointed assistant principal at Copper Hills High, replacing James Groethe who was transferred.
• Noelapoomaikala (Noelani) Ioane, teacher specialist in Teaching & Learning appointed assistant principal at West Jordan High, replacing Sterling Hunt who was transferred.
• Josh Sullivan, assistant principal at Channing Hall, appointed assistant principal at Bluffdale and Antelope Canyon Elementary.
• Aubri Moench, teacher at Fox Hollow Elementary, appointed assistant principal, on an open contract, at a location to be determined.

During the 2021-22 school year, Jordan School District will offer coursework for a gifted and talented (GT) teaching endorsement in partnership with Southern Utah University.

How will a GT teaching endorsement benefit me?

• A GT endorsement will build a knowledge base about an important sector of education.
• A GT endorsement will help teachers build a repertoire of strategies to challenge all students by adding depth, complexity, higher-order thinking, and creativity to daily instruction.
• A GT endorsement will help teachers develop differentiation strategies to better meet the unique needs of high-ability learners in all classrooms.
• A GT endorsement will qualify educators to teach in an ALPS classroom and to hold other positions in gifted and talented programming.

What are the credit requirements for a GT endorsement?

• Four core classes are required for the Endorsement:
  • EDUC 5400 3 Credit Hours Learning, Development, and Individual Differences in Gifted Education
  • EDUC 5440 3 Credit Hours Learning Environments for Gifted Students
  • EDUC 5430 3 Credit Hours Curriculum and Instructional Planning in Gifted Education
  • EDUC 5420 3 Credit Hours Assessment in Gifted Education
• A “professional learning activity” is also required. Examples of this include participation in an additional class, webinar, or conference, specific to gifted and talented education. A wide variety of opportunities at local, state, or national levels will satisfy this requirement.

What are the current costs for a GT endorsement?

• SUU Recording Fees: $23 per credit hour / $69 per 3-hour core class.
• Books: $50.00 (approximate) per core class.
  • Some books can be borrowed from the GT department.

What format will be used for instruction? When and where will the classes be held?

• Jordan School District instructors teach classes in a blended format with two sessions each week:
  • One session will be in a live format: face-to-face or online.
  • One session will be virtual/asynchronous and may include practical classroom applications.
• Live classes: Tuesdays from 4:15 - 7:15 p.m. at the ASB or online via Zoom.
• Asynchronous classes: three-hours of instruction/activities via Canvas.
• Each core class will last approximately eight weeks.
• Using a hybrid of a live and virtual format, the four core classes can be completed in one school year.

Are you interested in joining the 2021-22 GT Endorsement cohort?

• Please attend one of the following information meetings:
  • Monday, June 14, 10 -10:30 am.
  • Monday, July 12, 10 -10:30 am.
  • Zoom link
• Pre-Register for the 2021-22 Cohort on the linked Google Form.
  • We will notify you of registration status by July 31. (There will be a cap on enrollment.)

Contact for questions you may have: Rebecca Smith rebecca.smith@jordandistrict.org / 801-567-8368.

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Gifted and Talented (GT) Endorsement / 2021-22 Cohort

• Live sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 4:15 - 7:15 p.m.
• Live sessions will be held at the ASB or through an online format.
  • A detailed schedule will be included with each class.
• Virtual / asynchronous classes will be completed between the live sessions.

	Learning, Development, and Individual Differences in Gifted Education EDUC 5400  (3 Credit Hours)	Learning Environments for Gifted Students EDUC 5440  (3 Credit Hours)	Curriculum and Instructional Planning in Gifted Education EDUC 5430  (3 Credit Hours)	Assessment in Gifted Education EDUC 5420  (3 Credit Hours)
Instructors	Rebecca Smith, Taryn Cox & Frankie Walton	Rebecca Smith, Taryn Cox & Frankie Walton	Rebecca Smith, Taryn Cox & Frankie Walton	Rebecca Smith, Taryn Cox & Frankie Walton
Session 1	Live - Aug. 24, 2021	Live - Oct. 26, 2021	Live - Jan. 4, 2022	Live - March 15, 2022
Session 2	Virtual / Asynchronous	Virtual / Asynchronous	Virtual / Asynchronous	Virtual / Asynchronous
Session 3	Live - Aug.31, 2021	Live - Nov. 2, 2021	Live - Jan. 11, 2022	Live - March 22, 2022
Session 4	Virtual / Asynchronous	Virtual / Asynchronous	Virtual / Asynchronous	Virtual / Asynchronous
Session 5	Live - Sept. 7, 2021	Live - Nov. 9, 2021	Live - Jan. 25, 2022	Live - March 29, 2022
Session 6	Virtual / Asynchronous	Virtual / Asynchronous	Virtual / Asynchronous	Virtual / Asynchronous
Session 7	Live - Sept. 14, 2021	Live - Nov. 16, 2021	Live - Feb. 1, 2022	Live - April 5, 2022
Session 8	Virtual / Asynchronous	Virtual / Asynchronous	Virtual / Asynchronous	Virtual / Asynchronous
Session 9	Live - Sept. 21, 2021	Live - Nov. 23, 2021	Live - February 8, 2022	Live - April 12, 2022
Session 10	Virtual / Asynchronous	Virtual / Asynchronous	Virtual / Asynchronous	Virtual / Asynchronous
Session 11	Live - Sept. 28, 2021	Live - Nov. 30, 2021	Live - Feb. 15, 2022	Live - April 26, 2022
Session 12	Virtual / Asynchronous	Virtual / Asynchronous	Virtual / Asynchronous	Virtual / Asynchronous
Session 13	Live - Oct. 5, 2021	Live - Dec. 7, 2021	Live - Feb. 22, 2022	Live - May 3, 2022
Session 14	Virtual / Asynchronous	Virtual / Asynchronous	Virtual / Asynchronous	Virtual / Asynchronous
Session 15	Live - Oct. 12, 2021	Live - Dec. 14, 2021	Live -March 1, 2022	Live - May 10, 2022

Open Enrollment Tips

FSA and Dependent Care
If you wish to participate in Flexible spending or dependent care, you must elect new amounts for your flexible spending account each year using the InfinityHR online enrollment tool.

Benefit Statement Confirmation
Be sure you receive a Confirmation Statement after you review and confirm your elections.

H.S.A. Contributions
H.S.A. direct deposits can be made through the payroll department, not through the InfinityHR online tool.

• HSA Direct Deposit Authorization

It has been previously announced that Weebly and Wix websites would be blocked by the iBoss Content Filter. This action has been cancelled. Wix and Weebly sites will continue to be available to employees.

This is your last chance to request reimbursement for eligible STEM courses taken between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021. If you want to see a complete list of courses that qualify, or have questions about this program,  please look over the Frequently Asked Questions Document.

In order to qualify for the reimbursement, you must complete the Google Form and include all requested attachments. Read the Google Form carefully to make sure you provide the necessary documentation. Please submit your completed Google Form by June 7 @ 5:00 PM.

• STEM EIP Google Form

The 2021-22 True Time Calendars and deadlines are now posted on the Payroll Department's Website for viewing and/or printing.

• Payroll Department Calendars page