Category: Information Items

Please use the link below to learn how Language & Culture Services is helping students with our Student Outreach Specialists in our Winter newsletter. Check out our new Parent and Outreach Bulletin Board (translated version coming soon). Please take a moment to fill out this form and share the activities in your school or classrooms that are occurring in the month of February. We would love to visit, listen, and celebrate with you! If you are not even sure where to start, you can include that in the form and we can come present virtually to your school.

• Language & Culture Services Winter 2021 Newsletter

The recent COVID-19 relief bill passed by Congress provides relief with respect to flexible spending account and dependent care account funds that went unused during 2020.

• For health FSAs:
  • Can allow the carryover of unused FSA funds with no dollar limit from a plan year ending in 2020 and/or 2021 to a plan year ending in 2021 and/or 2022.
  • Grace period can be extended up to 12 months after the end of the plan year for plan year ending in 2020 and/or 2021 instead of the typical two and half months timeframe.
  • Employees can change their FSA contributions for the plan years ending in 2021 without a qualifying event.
• For dependent FSAs:
  • Can allow unused funds to carry over with no dollar limit from plan year ending in 2020 and/or 2021 to a plan year ending in 2021 and/or 2022.
  • Employees can change the FSA contributions for the plan years ending in 2021 without a qualifying event.
  • Reimbursement for expenses can be permitted for children up to age 14 instead of 13.

The following are new administrative assignments:

• New Assignments effective Jan. 15, 2021:
  • April Gaydosh, principal at Westvale Elementary appointed Elementary School Level Administrator of Schools replacing Doree Strauss who retired.
  • Odette Desmarais, assistant principal at Foothills appointed principal at Westvale Elementary and her replacement is to be determined.
• New Assignments effective July 1, 2021:
  • Yajaira Martinez, assistant principal at Bluffdale and Terra Linda Elementary appointed principal at Terra Linda Elementary replacing Karen Gorringe who is retiring and her replacement is to be determined.

Is improved health part of your New Year’s Resolutions? Lighten Up can help! This free, online weight management class led by our registered dietitians can provide you with tools to maintain a life-long healthy weight.

Course topics include:

• Nutrition Basics
• Healthy Cooking and Meal Planning
• Grocery Shopping Basics
• Dining Out and Sensible Snacking
• Behavior Change
• Physical Activity
• Emotional Eating
• The Weight Loss Plateau/Roadblocks and Speed Bumps

Register before the class begins and receive course material by email. Includes live and recorded webinars!

Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) leave has been extended in Jordan School District through March 31, 2021.

Employees are eligible to receive a maximum of 80-hours of FFCRA from March 2020 through March 2021. If you have questions, please contact Jane Olsen at: jane.olsen@jordandistrict.org or 801-567-8249.

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

• Have You Got Your Back? Or has your back got you with ongoing pain? If so, you have lots of company. Back pain is a very common reason people seek health care and miss work or everyday activities.
• What’s the best weight-loss strategy? There’s no single plan that’s right for everyone, since weight control involves many factors including diet, exercise, behavior, hormones, medication, genetics and access to quality care.
• January is Cervical Health Awareness Month. Cervical cancer is largely preventable with vaccination and routine screening.
• Alzheimer’s is not just a disease of old age. About 200,000 Americans under the age of 65 have younger-onset Alzheimer’s, a neurodegenerative disease that weakens the memory and other cognitive and emotional functions, which worsen over time.
• Liquid Meal Replacements: Pros and Cons It’s a busy day and you don’t have time to stop to eat. Is a meal replacement shake the right answer? Meal replacements are liquid drinks or snack bars that are formulated to copy the nutrients found in a meal.
• How do I know if I have depression? We all get sad or down on occasion, but true depression lasts for at least two weeks, with symptoms occurring almost daily.
• Give January a Boost Some people feel a bit blue when the holidays are over and the new year starts.
• COVID-19 and Cold Symptoms Compared Could your sore throat and stuffy nose be a cold, the flu — or possibly COVID-19? If you’re at high risk for complications from the coronavirus or flu, especially if you have a cough and fever, don’t guess. Call your health care provider. However, there are some differences between cold, coronavirus and flu symptoms that are helpful to know.
• HPV Vaccine: Did You Know? Why isn’t the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination routinely recommended for everyone older than 26 years? The HPV vaccine is less beneficial for people older than 26; one reason is adults between ages 27 and 45 usually have already been exposed to HPV.
• January is Blood Donor Month. Blood donations are especially needed this time of year. The American Red Cross requires more than 13,000 blood donations daily to keep the U.S. blood supply ready to meet medical needs. However, cold weather leads to fewer donations.

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

• Jan. 2021 EMI Be Well Newsletter

Dear JSD Educators,

The District will open a new elementary school in South Jordan and a Virtual school at each level beginning in August, 2021.  Applications are now being accepted. For information regarding positions available in Phase A, a position advertising schedule, position descriptions and instructions on how to apply, visit the JSD Job Postings at the New Schools page.

Additional compensated work for certain positions may be required prior to the beginning of the contract year.

JSD educators interested in applying for the positions listed above ​must submit ​an application​ using Skyward "Employee Access".  Please see the attached tutorial for application instructions.  External applications for licensed positions will be accepted after JSD educators have been give first consideration.

For assistance in accessing Skyward Employee Access, please contact the Help Desk at 801-567-8737.  For questions regarding positions at each school, please contact the appropriate principal.

• How to Apply at Jordan School District

Adapting to the safety measures brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic can be overwhelming. If you get infected or were in contact with someone who is infected, chances are you’re required to quarantine.

If you’re struggling to keep up with all the demands, you can talk to a Utah Strong Recovery Project counselor seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Call/text 385-386-2289 or email your first name and phone number to UtahStrong@utah.gov. Video chat and counseling in other languages are available. This benefit is offered by the State and available to all Utah residents.

If you need an immediate response after hours, you can contact the Utah Statewide Crisis Line at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or the SAMHSA Distress Hotline at 1-800-985-5990.

Get clarity for 2021! Focus on your mental and emotional well-being in this challenge and explore how to improve self-care through mindfulness and meditation.

Join PEHP for a 3-week email based “course” and challenge including an intro to Mental Health!

• WEEK 1 Self-Care isn’t Selfish: Learn the importance of self-care and how to put daily deposits into your emotional bank account to increase your overall well-being.
• WEEK 2 Calm Space, Calm Mind, Calm Body: Learn how our environment can influence our mood and ways to create tranquil spaces in your home or office.
• WEEK 3 Tap into your True Self: Learn how to nurture your spirit by becoming mindful and connect more authentically with yourself.

REGISTER TODAY or at pehp.org. Sign up early to receive all the weekly emails.

Wellness challenges are email based, self-paced educational programs that focus on areas of well-being. Often used to jumpstart habits and personal goals, challenges provide information, resources, and motivation to help you achieve good health.

Start 2021 off on the right track by setting small, attainable goals which can add up to big improvements in your overall health! PEHP will provide you with motivational tips to help you achieve your physical activity goals for the New Year.

Join PEHP's self-paced, email-based physical activity challenge.

• Register here or at pehp.org
• Track your activity
• Report your step total at the end of the month
• Enter to win a $10 Amazon gift card

We want to remind you that the current Friday schedule will continue through the end of the 2020-21 school year. 

Thanks for your hard work and enjoy the well-deserved winter break.

The COVID-19 vaccine will be available to all Jordan School District employees beginning in mid-January at locations throughout the district. After the winter break employees will receive a link to sign up for a vaccination time slot and location. COVID-19 vaccinations will be available to all employees, but are not required. More information will be forthcoming.

The following are new administrative assignments:

• New Assignments effective December 14, 2020:
  • Elizabeth Felt, assistant principal at Blackridge Elementary appointed principal at Mountain Point Elementary replacing Carolyn Bona who is retiring.
  • Michelle Kilcrease, assistant principal at Mountain Shadows and Copper Canyon Elementary transferred as an assistant principal at Blackridge Elementary and her replacement is to be determined.
  • Ross Menlove, administrator on special assignment in Teaching & Learning appointed an online principal (Elementary) and his replacement is to be determined.
  • Spencer Campbell, assistant principal at South Hills Middle appointed an online principal (Middle) and his replacement is to be determined.
  • Ammon Wiemers, consultant in Teaching & Learning appointed an online principal (High) and his replacement is to be determined.
• New Assignments effective January 19, 2021:
  • Suzanne Williams, principal at Eastlake Elementary appointed principal at the new elementary school in Daybreak.
  • Kristy Howe, assistant principal at Antelope Canyon and Oakcrest Elementary appointed principal at Eastlake Elementary and her replacement is to be determined.

Below you will find the return to school testing information pamphlet for schools, in English and Spanish.  Please note, that registration is REQUIRED prior to someone coming to the test events.

• COVID-19 School Quarantine Testing - English - Updated 12/10/2020
• COVID_SchoolQuarantineTesting_COVID-19 School Quarantine Testing - Spanish - Updated 12/10/2020

Jordan Education Foundation and Christmas for Kids has an opportunity for you to help bring Christmas joy and it is COVID-19 friendly.  Over 400 Jordan School District secondary students, who deserve an amazing Christmas, have been selected to receive a $115 shopping spree at Walmart (3590 W. Jordan Parkway) in South Jordan just off Bangerter Highway.  The students have already shopped online and we have their list.

Volunteers are needed Monday through Thursday (Dec 7-10) to do the actual shopping. Sign up at www.jefchristmasforkids.org to come to this Walmart, pick up the shopping list for a student at the north doors of the store, receive a $115 gift card, and do the shopping.

The student will NOT be there. It will just be you and whoever you bring with you to have this great, magical experience. After you check out, the items will be bagged and tagged for the student to pick up on Saturday morning. On Saturday, Dec. 12, the students will drive through the garden shop area and we will deliver their Christmas bags to their car.

Contact the Jordan Education Foundation office if you have any questions. We need about 400 volunteers so sign up and let your neighbors and friends also know.

Check out the Dec. 2020 Be Well newsletter. Stories include:

• Save Time for Exercise: Finding time for fitness activities can be challenging for folks with work and family demands. First, consider the rewards of regular exercise: protecting your health and feeling your best. Second, make exercise a priority. Third, don’t make excuses with every little interruption that comes along.
• Warning: Be heart smart when shoveling snow: It can significantly stress your cardiovascular system — similar to being at peak exercise during a stress test.
• Vaccines are vital: Before the 1950s, serious diseases, including polio, measles and diphtheria, sickened hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. Thousands died each year. Fortunately, with vaccines these diseases now occur rarely in the U.S.
• Better Breakfast Menu: Do you ever start the day with a sugary donut but feel hungry about an hour later? The food you choose at breakfast can set your energy level and hunger cues for the whole morning, so make smart selections.
• Tame the Seasonal Craze: Holiday shopping, cooking, decorating and festivities are fun but can also cause stress. Exhaustion, occasional family squabbles and feelings of sadness when things don’t always go as planned can dampen holiday spirits.
• Annual Safe Gift Guide: This year, the world seems to be focusing on safety more than ever, so giving the gift of safety is one that many people may choose.

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

• Dec. 2020 EMI Be Well Newsletter

Zoom Bombing can happen when a hacker/attacker spoofs the meeting ID and joins the meeting uninvited and proceeds to disrupt the meeting by sharing their screen with inappropriate images, sending files, sending profanity laced chats etc.

To protect yourself from zoom bombing please follow the following process.

1. Use a Unique ID by using the Generate Automatically instead of using your Personal Meeting ID (PMI), also do not post your Personal Meeting ID (PMI) on social media, use calendar invites or email.
2. You may want to require a password to join your meeting.
3. You can require a waiting room.
4. Make sure that only the host can share their screen.
5. Create an invite only meeting
6. Lock your meeting once they start
7. You can also kick someone out or put them on hold.
8. There are options to disable participants camera, prevent animated GIFs as well as other files, you can also stop private chat messages.
9. Additional options include mute participant, mute upon entry.

Blomquist Hale has provided a video presentation on "Teaching Through Times of Uncertainty."  You can watch it or download it using the link below:

• Teaching Through Times of Uncertainty Presentation by Cory Eddington

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.

The Teaching and Learning Literacy department is offering one final round of training for the Multisyllable Routine Card (MSRC) program from 95% Group.

Teachers who have implemented this program have been excited with the results that they are seeing. Some of the comments have been, "Where has this been my whole career?"  "Why haven't I known about this until now?"  "This was so easy to implement and has such a big impact!"

If you have not yet been trained we hope that you will sign up for one of the final training dates.  Please register on JPLS.  The Course Title is "95% Group Multisyllable Routine Cards (MSRC) 3rd-6th Grades" and the course number is 101525.  The final training dates are:

• Wednesday December 2nd - 4:00-7:00 (off contract - teachers will be paid)
• Friday December 4 - 8:00-11:00 (on contract - teachers will not be paid)
• Friday December 11 - 1:00-4:00 (on contract - teachers will not be paid)