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November is Native American Heritage Month.  Our newsletter will include some literacy activities that you can do in honor of this month.  In addition to Thanksgiving we have another important holiday, Veteran’s Day.  This is a great opportunity for elementary teachers to teach about patriotism and love of the country as we take time to honor the Veterans who defend and protect us.  This Veteran’s Day is also the 100th anniversary of Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  We have a fun lesson activity in the newsletter based off of a brand new picture book about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

This month you will find informational texts on Soldiers (1st Grade), Fry Bread (2nd Grade), Arctic Tundra (3rd Grade), Navajo Code Talkers (4th Grade), The Sugar Act (5th Grade), and WW1 Poppies (6th Grade). There is also a list of picture books that you could use to talk about the anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Veteran’s Day, and Native American Heritage Month. Teachers can find a visualization activity, an image analysis activity, and a comparing viewpoints activity that are tied to your literacy standards and a social studies picture book.

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Cyprus Mini-Grant FlyerCyprus Credit Union Mini-Grants are now available for teachers to fund innovative and creative classroom projects that enrich standard curriculum and enhance learning opportunities for students. Funds may also be used to purchase supplemental supplies.

Cyprus will fund up to $250 per teacher/educator. The grants can be combined for use toward a larger grant amount if specified. For example, four teachers can combine and apply for a $1,000 grant for a group project with each teacher submitting a separate application for their $250 allotment. Applications are limited to one $250 grant per teacher for the school year and two applications per school per month, either individually or with a team.

Mini-Grant applications will be accepted from Monday, August 9, 2021 through Thursday, April 15, 2022. Up to eight Mini-Grants will be awarded each month, and all applications must be received prior to the 15th of the month to receive funding the following month.

Restrictions: The following categories are not eligible for funding: Salaries, professional development, honorariums, stipends, and educator travel.

The Mini-Grant program is exclusively available to licensed educators in Davis, Salt Lake, Utah and Tooele counties.

If you have any questions about the application or funding process, please call the Relationship Development Department at (801) 260-7600, ext. 5951 or ext. 5952

Apply online at the Cyprus Credit Union Educators Mini-Grant Site.

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Oct. 2021 Be Well Newsletter CoverCheck out the Oct. 2021 Be Well newsletter from EMI. Stories include:

  • Wellness Checklist - Why care about wellness? Going well beyond lack of illness, personal wellness is pivotal to protecting your mental health, staying physically sound and maintaining balance in everyday life. Ultimately, wellness can help you build resilience against serious challenges, maximize your personal potential and enjoy your life to the fullest.
  • One-Dish Meals - Saving time in the kitchen — but still getting a nutritious meal on the table — is a goal for many people. One quick solution is to make sheet pan dinners or one-pot meals. The idea is simple: All of the ingredients are conveniently cooked at the same time. It means fewer pots and pans, which leads to less cleanup.
  • Home Office Ergonomics - Ergonomics is the way your body fits and functions in your workspace. Whether you are telecommuting or catching up on work at home, good ergonomics are important for productivity and your health.
  • Helping a Family Member Who’s Depressed - Though it can be distressing to see a family member suffer from depression, there are many ways to help. First, learn about depression to better understand the symptoms and treatment. Surprisingly, some people don’t even recognize that they are depressed. Some feel ashamed or believe that they need to recover through sheer willpower.
  • October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month - A reminder to learn how to protect your identity, passwords and other information when you shop, bank, socialize — everything you do online. The internet makes life easier but sometimes unsafe. Learn more about reducing your risk of becoming a cybercrime victim at cisa. gov/cybersecurity.

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

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Online Anxiety Group FlyerIf you are experiencing Anxiety, Nervousness, Stress, OCD or PTSD, Blomquist Hale has a wonderful program for you! This program is a research based program that involves some class and group work that will give you the tools you need. The therapist that is running the program will also meet with you individually to set up a plan for you. Group members will better understand anxiety in a closed, confidential and structured program. Members will also gain understanding of their own personal target issue, triggers, and coping skills through DBT and CBT techniques. The online Anxiety Group is open to all employees and their family members.

Each week, Group #1 and Group #2 will cover the same information. Participants only need to register for one group, but have access to attend either one that week (whichever is more convenient for their schedule).

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The District website will be down for scheduled maintenance on Saturday, Oct. 9 from 1 - 10 p.m. This maintenance will only affect the main District website. Department and school websites as well as online services such as Skyward will not be effected.

You can go to websites.jordandistrict.org to access most of the features of the website. The full site, including documents and forms, will be available when the maintenance has concluded.

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Oct. 2021 Benefit Education FlyerUtah Retirement Systems is offering one-hour presentations, via video conferencing, regarding retirement for Tier I and Tier II.

After the one-hour presentation, URS representatives will be available to answer questions.

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September-October Elementary Social Studies Toolbox Newsletter
September 15-October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month.  Our newsletter will include some literacy activities that you can do in honor of this month.  October is also the 135th anniversary of dedication of the Statue of Liberty.  Many of the Utah State Social Studies Core Standards for the younger grades teach about symbols of the United States.  October would be a great time to teach about the Statue of Liberty.  October is also the 160th anniversary of the transcontinental telegraph.  You could teach students about Samuel F. B. Morse, the invention of the telegraph, and Morse Code.  This topic would be a great time to do some cross curricular activities with social studies, science, and literacy.

This month you will find informational texts on Ellen Ochoa, the first Female Hispanic Astronaut (1st Grade), The Salad Bowl Theory (2nd Grade), The Telegraph (3rd Grade), Paiutes (4th Grade), Samuel F.B. Morse (5th Grade), and the Hammurabi Code(6th Grade). There is also a list of picture books that you could use to talk about the anniversary of the Statue of Liberty, the transcontinental telegraph, and Hispanic Heritage Month. Teachers can find a comparing and contrasting activity, a personification activity, and an inference game that are tied to a social studies picture book.

October Elementary Social Studies Toolbox Newsletter

LETRS In-person Sessions
Schedule for LETRS Unit 2 in-person sessions is now available on MIDAS!! Use #60077

Update from USBE
Unit 2 in MIDAS is now available and is ready for enrollment, please use course #60077.    Sections are still being added - this unit will run through December 17th.  When sharing this information with your participants kindly remind them of the following:

  • Unit 1 face-to-face training must be completed prior to attending unit 2.
  • Online work for Unit 2 must be completed prior to attending their face-to-face training.
  • When participants enroll through MIDAS, they must:
    • Search for course ID #60077
    • Complete their registration (Check Out) from their MIDAS Cart
      • Participants must enroll for ONE section only - If a participant chooses to attend on a different date other than the one they originally enrolled in, they must first unenroll from the previous section before enrolling on to another.
      • Once a section has filled up to the max of 40, no additional participants will be allowed.
      • If a participant received an email stating they are Waitlisted, they are not enrolled and must find a different date to attend. No exceptions.
  • Participants must NOT SHARE ZOOM LINKS.  Every participant must be logged in to Zoom from their own laptop.  No sharing screens, or zoom links is allowed.
  • To be awarded USBE credit a participant must be successfully enrolled in MIDAS, being waitlisted does not count.

LETRS Update
Please check the LETRS Information web page often, as this is how we can communicate the most updated information as changes happen. Look through the various tabs. The two that get updated most frequently are the FAQs page and our new newest tab, “Information from USBE”. You’ll also find links to the unit completion form, teacher survey, and more!! Access the page from the Teaching & Learning Home page. 

Most importantly, THANK YOU for the time and effort you are putting into LETRS and the other literacy initiatives this year!! What a positive life-changing difference you can make in the lives of our students!! 

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Q3 Blomquist Hale Newsletter CoverThe Blomquist Hale Newsletter for the 3rd Quarter has arrived.  In this issue, you will find articles on:

  • Get Better Sleep: Can’t put that racing mind to bed? Whether it’s stopping you from quickly falling asleep or staying asleep, there’s no question an unsettled mind can be a major obstacle to slumber. Insomnia can occur in anyone, given the right circumstances. Particularly during periods of stress or anxiety, difficulty falling or staying asleep may manifest.
  • How to Use ‘Scheduled Worry Time’: If you have a major project due at work in two weeks, this may cause you to have increased stress. It may seem insurmountable. Rather than being overwhelmed, break it down into manageable chunks—and then get to work.
  • Stop a Racing Mind: Don’t Stay in Bed, Calm Your Mind and Keep it Positive.
  • Focus on Your Senses: Create a Wind-Down Routine for your senses of Sight, Smell, Touch, Taste and Sound.
  • Falling Asleep Quickly: Tips include - Lower the Temperature, Eat a Healthy Dinner, Focus on Breathing Exercise Daily, Get on a Schedule, No Electronics, Practice Meditation Limit Caffeine, and Avoid Naps Read Something.

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Fall 2021 Course Offerings FlyerLooking for a great class to help you blend technology and learning?  Sign up in JPLS today for a Digital Teaching and Learning Fall Course starting Sept. 27. Learn about Canvas, Nearpod, Google and more. Search DTL in JPLS to see the summer catalog of courses.

  • Nearpod
    • Nearpod Certified Educator
  • Canvas
    • Canvas for Elementary Teachers
    • Canvas for Secondary Teachers
  • Google
    • Google Certified Educator Level 1
    • Google Certified Educator Level 2
  • Tech Tools Cafe
    Explore a variety of tech tips for teachers

    • Especially for Digital Coaches
    • Get ideas for Tech Tuesdays
  • Graphic Design Basics For Secondary
    • Explore basic principles of graphic design
    • Explore tech tools (Spark, Canva, Photoshop/Illustrator)
    • Make classroom and content visually appealing
  • MasteryConnect
    • Mastering MasteryConnect

To register for a course, use the following link or go to JPLS and search for "DTL"

Questions?  Contact Jared Covili at 801-567-8191 or jared.covili@jordandistrict.org

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Utah State University is excited to announce a recent redesign of their Instructional Leadership coursework which allowed them to compact the curriculum and reduce the credit requirements for the M.Ed. in Instructional Leadership and the Administrative/Supervisory Concentration (ASC) Licensure Programs.

If you're interested in learning more, you can find most of your answers on the USU Instructional Leadership website.

You may also email Alison Lavigne at alyson.lavigne@usu.edu.  She would be happy to answer any questions you may have after reviewing the website.  If you decide to apply for the program, the deadline for Spring 2022 is Oct. 29, 2021. The deadline for Summer 2022 is March 4, 2022.

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Dear Teachers,

Thank you for your enthusiastic participation in LETRS training! You are a pleasure to work with!! We look forward, with you, to see your efforts pay off as students reach their full potential in reading.

In order to help us with the tracking of the completion of Units for compensation, we’re asking each participant to fill out a google form (available on LETRS Information web page) for EACH Unit completed.

Completed forms will be submitted at the end of each month for compensation in the following month’s paycheck.

Please reach out to Ronna Hoffman 801-567-8242 or ronna.hoffman@jordandistrict.org with any questions you may have.

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UEN Plan Tool Transition PageGreat news! UEN is updating how we support hosting and sharing lesson plans. The new method uses Open Author on eMedia to provide better flexibility and features such as comments, core alignments and more.  

As we say hello to a fresh new way to manage lesson plans online, we’ll be saying good-bye to the old Lesson Plan tool this November, so please be sure to download any lesson plans and attachments you wish to keep by November 30. Use the following link for detailed instructions.

  • UEN Lesson Plan Tool Transition

If you’d like to add them to the new platform, it’s ready to go right now, with dozens of new lesson plans and a template you can customize with your content. 

Please contact Jared Covili, Digital Teaching and Learning Consultant, with questions at jared.covili@jordandistrict.org

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Dear Employees,

Jordan Years of Service PinsWe recently sent a notice to all schools and departments requesting information regarding individual employee years of service. We are using this information to recognize individuals for their time spent working here, with Jordan School District “Years of Service” Pin Sets.

The pin sets are being given to every employee based on the number of years they have worked for the District.  We are asking employees for their years of service so that we can be as accurate as possible.  Remember to include part-time and full-time years!

Thank you for your assistance as we recognize all of you, our valued employees, for your years of service in JSD. Enjoy your pin sets!

Samples of years of service pins

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2021-22 FOSS Training MenuALL THE TRAININGS BELOW ARE AVAILABLE FOR YOUR SCHOOLS! PLEASE REACH OUTTO ONE OF THE SCIENCE SPECIALISTS TO SCHEDULE A TRAINING!

PLANNING & MATERIALS - This working training will provide participants with guidance on how to navigate a FOSS manual in order to plan a lesson. Guidance and support will be given in pulling supplies for upcoming investigations and insuring teachers are ready to jump into teachingFOSS when the training is complete. (3 hours)

DIGITAL SUPPORTS WITH FOSS IN THE CLASSROOM - Designed for teachers who have not yet delved in to the FOSS digital resources, this training will review all the instructional supports available for both teachers and students. (1 hour)

FOSS & SEED STANDARDS ALIGNMENT - One of the most significant questions about theFOSS curriculum is how it aligns with the Utah SEEdStandards. This training will address that question, as well as review cluster questions from the RISE test and discuss how the FOSS curriculum helps students understand cluster question expectations. (1 hour) 

FOSSMAP ONLINE TESTING - In this training participants will explore the FOSSmap online testing platform. Setting up individual classes, assigning assessments, grading, and navigating the reports will all be included. Teachers will come away with the ability to use FOSSmap for online assessment in the upcoming school year. (1.5 hours)

INTRODUCTION TO FOSS - Offered specifically for teachers new to teaching or new to Jordan School District, this training will review the SEEd Standards, provide background for why the district has chosen FOSS, review a lesson, and explore the resources available. This is the 2020-21 initial FOSS training. (1.5 hours)

USING SCIENCE NOTEBOOKS AND ASSESSMENTS IN K-2 - Ever wonder how K-2 students could navigate a science notebook? Puzzled about what a good lower-grade notebook entry would look like? Come to this training to understand more about how to get K-2 students really doing and recording science. (1 hour)

CUSTOMIZED SCHOOL TRAININGS - The science specialists would be more than happy to tailor ANY training time to best meet the needs of your faculty. They will gladly come to meet with individuals, PLC teams, or entire faculty groups.

SCIENCE SPECIALISTS
RACHAEL COLEMAN - RACHAEL.COLEMAN@JORDANDISTRICT.ORG
LYNN GUTZWILLER - LYNN.GUTZWILLER@JORDANDISTRICT.ORG

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Blomquist Hale has three workshops scheduled for the month of September! See attached for workshop flyers and details outlined below.

  • Topic: Team Building
    Date: Sept. 14
    Date: 12 – 1 p.m. MT
    Location: Online!
    Register at: blomquisthale.com/workshops/
  • Topic: Parenting – Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
    Date: Sept. 14
    Date: 2 – 3 p.m. MT
    Location: Online!
    Register at: blomquisthale.com/workshops/
  • Topic: Parenting – Divorce & Coping With Change
    Date: September 28th
    Date: 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. MT
    Location: Online!
    Register at: blomquisthale.com/workshops/

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LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling)
In an effort to help everyone be aware of everything they need to know about LETRS, we have added a page on the Teaching & Learning site that is dedicated to keeping you up-to-date on all things LETRS. If there are things you’d appreciate being added to the page, please reach out to Ronna Hoffman at 88242 or ronna.hoffman@jordandistrict.org. This page is intended to be a helpful resource. Check it out!!!

Kindergarten Night Out
Kindergarten Night Out will be held on Sept. 8 from 4:15 - 5:15 p.m. in the ASB auditorium.  Please invite all kindergarten teachers to attend.  We will be learning some tips and tricks to use in Walk to Read for students who are above level.  This is a time to collaborate and get some freebies for the classroom.

HD Word Plus Weekly Road Map
There is a new curriculum planning tool available for third-grade teachers who are using HD Word Plus called the HD Word Plus Weekly Road Map.  This map will help guide teachers through the resources available in HD Word Plus and it serves as a helpful day-to-day planning guide.  This resource will continue to be developed throughout this school year.

Literacy Q&A
The literacy department is hosting a weekly literacy Q&A every Thursday in September from 3:30-4:30.  An updated link to this meeting is included. Please share this information with your teachers and coaches and feel free to join us if you have any literacy questions. Please be sure to use the link below to access the meetings.

  • Literacy Q & A

Literacy Launch Session
Another make up session of the Literacy Launch has been added for anyone who still needs to attend the training.  The new dates are September 27th and 29th and these dates are now available in JPLS.

Heggerty and MSRC Training
Two additional dates for Heggerty and MSRC training have been scheduled for September 7th and 14th for anyone still needing this training.  The classes are available for sign up on JPLS.

Really Great Reading
We are expecting the additional Really Great Reading teacher manuals and student workbooks to arrive this Friday, September 3rd by 7:00 pm.  They will be sent out to schools next week as long as they arrive on time.  The student workboards are still on backorder.

Phonics Decodable Readers
Each school should have received or should be receiving shortly, a shipment of phonics decodable readers from High Noon Books/Academic Therapies Publications. These were mentioned during Literacy Launch training.  These books are perfect for upper-grade students who are working on building decoding skills.  These books should be stored in a central location where all teachers can have access to them.  The set of books will include 8 different series with a total of 86 books.  The series are listed below:

    • Magic Belt Series (12 books)
    • Alba Series (12 books)
    • Totem Series (12 books)
    • Talisman Series One (10 books)
    • Rescue Series (10 books)
    • Titan's Gauntlets Series (10 books)
    • Talisman Series Two (10 books)
    • Amber Guardians Series (10 books)

USBE Survey
USBE has requested that teachers participate in a brief survey.  This survey will be sent out to teachers through Canvas and participation in the survey is encouraged.

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Sept. 2021 Be Well Newsletter CoverCheck out the Sept. 2021 Be Well newsletter from EMI. Stories include:

  • Grains: The Whole Truth - If you love oatmeal, brown rice and whole-grain bread, you’re in luck. Whole-grain foods are fiber- rich, loaded with vitamins and good for overall health. However, most Americans choose refined grains (such as white bread or white rice) instead of nutrient- dense whole-grain options.
  • Get ready for the 2021-2022 flu season - Everyone should receive a yearly flu vaccine starting at age six months. Vaccination not only protects you from potential serious illness — it also helps reduce the strain on our health care systems. The safety of flu vaccines is backed by 50 years of extensive research. Get updates at cdc.gov/flu/prevent/vaccinations.htm.
  • Food Close to Home - Supporting local farmers has gained momentum in the past ten years. Here’s what you need to know about buying locally grown food. Local food doesn’t always have a predetermined distance, but it’s generally accepted that it’s produced within your area or state. From fresh produce to locally raised meat, choosing local has several benefits. It helps create jobs and economic growth in your community, helps the environment by decreasing the carbon footprint, and builds relationships between food growers and consumers.
  • Understanding Teens - Teenagers go through massive changes, and their developing brains don’t fully mature until their mid- twenties. Check out a quick guide to what constitutes typical teen behavior, and red flags for serious problems.

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

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Grant Writing FlyerJoin us on Monday, Aug. 30 from 4  - 6 pm. at the ASB Hub (South end - Entrance D). The district STEM consultants and specialists will be on hand to work through the Jordan Educational Foundation grant writing process with you!

The Open House format will allow you to come and refine ideas, get support, and leave with your grant application complete and submitted for approval.

Questions?
Lynn Gutzwiller
lynn.gutzwiller@jordandistrict.org
Rachael Coleman
rachael.coleman@jordandistrict.org