JUNE 2004

June 1 | June 15 | June 29

Research Grant Awarded
     Jeffery Nokes, history teacher at Bingham High, is a recipient of the 2004 Teacher as Researcher grant awarded by the International Reading Association. Nokes will receive $1,992 for his project titled The Effects of Explicit Strategy Instruction on High School Students’ Analysis of Multiple Tests. He expects the results of his research to encourage teachers in history and other content areas to teach reading strategies.

Technology Teacher of the Year
     Travis Young, teacher at West Hills Middle, was selected by the Utah Trade and Technical Educators (UTTE) as the New Technology Education Teacher of the Year. The award is presented to dedicated teachers who provide students with a quality, progressive program that earns accolades and praise from fellow educators and administrators statewide.

Jump-a-Thon
     Elk Meadows Elementary participated in the annual Utah Heart Association Jump-a-Thon. Students and staff raised more than $6,000 during the activity, the third-highest total of any school in the state.

Open Court Reading Items Needed
     The first-grade classes at Rose Creek Elementary are in need of Open Court wall cards and/or phonics kits. Please contact Jodi Stewart-Browning, assistant principal, (801) 254-8082.

Summer Schedules
     The District Office summer hours will be 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., July 6-22. Offices will be closed July 5 for Independence Day and July 23 for Pioneer Day. The District Office will return to regular hours, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., beginning July 26.
     There will be no Current employee newsletter posted during July. The next issue of Current will be available Aug. 3 at www.jordandistrict.org. Print editions of Current Monthly Summary will resume in September.

Insurance Enrollment Reminder
     We want to remind you once again that Jordan District’s annual open enrollment period has changed from June, July and August to June and July. Insurance changes, new enrollments (except new hires) and cancellations will no longer be accepted during the months of August and September.
     The open enrollment period for the next insurance year is June 1 through July 31, 2004, with an effective date of Sept. 1, 2004, through Aug. 31, 2005. Any changes in medical, dental, vision, cancer or long-term care plans can only be made during this time unless you have a qualifying event.
     What changes can be made during an open enrollment period?
          • Make a plan change (example: change from Exclusive plan to Summit plan or change from Dental Select to Total Dental, etc.),
          • Enroll in a medical, dental, vision, cancer or long-term care plan,
          • Cancel a dental or vision plan.
     What constitutes a qualifying event?
          • Marriage or divorce,
          • Addition of a dependent through birth, adoption or change in custody,
          • Death of a spouse or dependent,
          • Spouse or dependent involuntarily losing or experiencing a change in health insurance coverage through his/her own employment.
     Please call Insurance Services, (801) 567-8146, with any questions.

Flexible Spending Reminder
     Flexible Spending elections for the insurance year Sept. 1, 2004, through Aug. 31, 2005, are due by July 31 in the Insurance Services Department. All Flexible Spending elections must be made on a yearly basis. If you had a flexible spending deduction this year, it will not carry forward to the next year. Forms were mailed in May. Please call Insurance Services, (801) 567-8146, with any questions.

District Calendar
      View the District Calendar at www.jordandistrict.org/calendar for upcoming events.

Employment Opportunities
      See current job openings posted by the Human Resources Department at www.jordandistrict.org/hr .

2004-05 District Budget Presented
     At a recent Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Barry Newbold presented the proposed 2004-05 Jordan School District budget. Highlights of his presentation included the following:
     • The revenue for the coming year is estimated at $542.5 million with expenditures of $570 million.
     • The state Legislature increased the Weighted Pupil Unit (WPU) value from $2,150 to $2,182 (1.49 percent increase). The District will spend $4,803 per pupil in 2004-05.
     • The District’s assessed valuation is steadily increasing as a result of residential and business development and property revaluation. The assessed valuation is expected to reach $18.9 billion in 2004-05 (2.7 percent increase).
     • The Board approved a net tax increase of 0.000515. The increase is for employee salaries and benefits, Title I replacement funding, middle school reform, transportation cost increases, staffing two new elementary schools and to match state money for the state’s new reading achievement program.
     • Taxpayers in Jordan District will see an estimated net property tax increase of $28 per $100,000 market value of their homes. The tax increase will generate $9.4 million.
     • Class sizes will not increase in 2004-05.
     • Lunch and breakfast prices will remain the same in 2004-05.

Negotiated Agreements
      On June 8, the Board of Education approved the negotiated agreements for the 2004-05 school year for certificated employees and administrators:
     • Certificated: Licensed employees, excluding administrators, will receive a 0.50 percent cost-of-living increase. The District will fund lanes and steps. The Board also approved revisions to seven policies, a $500 increase in the stipend for National Board Certified Teachers, and a $125 stipend for team leaders and department chairs.
     • Administrators: Administrators will receive a 0.50 percent cost-of-living increase in their base salaries, however, 0.2 percent will go toward a salary increase and the remaining 0.3 percent will offset insurance increases. Step increases and longevity stipends will be given to qualifying administrators.
      The Board anticipates ratifying the classified employee negotiated agreement at its next meeting.

Resignation/Leave of Absence
      If you are planning to resign or request a year’s leave of absence, be aware of the following:
     • Certificated employees who resign without giving the District at least 30 days written notice will be assessed a penalty of $300. After July 1, the penalty increases to $500.
     • Leaves of absence also require 30 days notice; otherwise, the leave will be denied. Provisional employees in their first or second years of employment with Jordan School District will not be considered for a leave of absence except for instances that are the result of illness or injury.
     • The new contract year for educators on traditional calendars begins Aug. 24. The new contract year for educators on year-round schedules (including tracks A, B, C, and D) begins July 20.

Record Number of Graduates
      The Genesis Youth Center, a school within the juvenile correction system operated by Jordan District, honored seven students at a graduation ceremony June 3. An additional six students earned graduation certificates during the school year. This represents the largest group of graduates since the school opened. The Genesis staff consists of two teachers, two full-time teaching assistants and a secretary. Students are court ordered to attend school while working off restitution to victims through community-based work crews.

Spanish Registration Video
      In an effort to make the school inviting and accessible to all patrons, Riverside Elementary’s ESL committee produced a Spanish-language video to aid new Spanish-speaking students and their parents in the registration process. The video includes information on necessary documents, filling out registration cards, cafeteria procedures and an explanation of how the year-round track system works.

USO Show Comes to Herriman
      Sixth-grade students at Herriman Elementary presented a USO show, complete with Bob Hope, the Andrews Sisters, Laurel and Hardy, and all the World War II USO show favorites. In attendance were veterans and service men and women.

School Supplies for Iraq
      Hayden Peak Elementary students, parents, teachers and staff participated in a service project collecting school supplies for the impoverished children of Southern Iraq. The fund raising activity was organized by the PTA and speech-language pathologist Debbie Hammond, in support of the Utah National Guard 115th Engineering Group. Hammond’s son, a graduate of West Jordan High, serves with the engineers of this unit. The engineers are overseeing the reconstruction of eight schools in the Ah Nasiriyah area.

Principal to Appear on Local TV Show
      Indian Hills Middle Principal Stephen Dimond will be featured on KSL-TV 5’s entertainment show “Gimme the Mike Utah” June 19 at 6:30 p.m. Following the program, if he doesn’t win, you can log on to www.ksl.com and vote for Dimond to become the next week’s “wildcard” contestant.

Raffle Winner Stocks Library
      Kaye Bybee, fifth-grade teacher at Southland Elementary, entered a raffle at the Scholastic Book Warehouse and won 1,000 books. The books will be used for students in her classroom and the Balanced Literacy library at Southland.

Energy Contest
      Robin McConkie, sixth-grade teacher at Peruvian Park Elementary, was recognized for having the most students participate in the national “Igniting Creative Energy Challenge” sponsored by Johnson Controls, Inc., the National Energy Foundation and Jordan District. Students designed projects that encouraged fellow students to learn more about energy and the environment.

Alliance for Unity Award
      Maria Requena, teacher at Midvale Elementary, was presented an Alliance for Unity Educator Award. Requena received $2,000 for her efforts in establishing bilingual programs and fostering trust and respect. The Alliance for Unity is a group of Utah civic, religious and business leaders committed to promoting diversity and acceptance.

UBSCT Results
      The 5,400 Jordan District sophomores who took the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test (UBSCT) scored well against counterparts in other areas of the state, according to data released by the Utah State Office of Education. Students will need to pass the state’s new high school exit exam to earn a basic diploma. Percentage of students passing the tests in each component are as follows:
                                    Jordan District                      Utah
Reading                              93.1%                              82.8%
Writing                                77.7%                              67.0%
Math                                   85.0%                              72.3%
     Individual school results are available on the District Web site at http://www.jordandistrict.org/general/news/ubsct.htm .

Alliance for Unity Award
     The Alliance for Unity, a group of Utah civic, religious and business leaders seeking to promote better understanding among the state’s diverse communities, awarded Butler Middle $10,000. The award reflects the school’s efforts in fostering a climate where all viewpoints are valued and students feel included.

First-Year Teacher Awards
     The Jordan Board of Education recognized the following teachers with First-Year Teacher Awards:
      • SueEllen Chaney, dental assisting instructor at the Jordan Applied Technology Center, West Jordan Campus
      • Charron Mason, seventh- and eighth-grade health/history teacher at Joel P. Jensen Middle
      • Amber Colton, kindergarten teacher at Peruvian Park Elementary
     Teachers were nominated by principals based on outstanding performance during their first year.

Applied Technology Teachers of the Year
      Kathy Nuttall, veterinary assisting teacher at the Jordan Applied Technology Center, West Jordan Campus, was named High School Applied Technology Teacher of the Year and Lorna Peterson, teacher at Joel P. Jensen Middle, was selected as Middle School Applied Technology Teacher of the Year. The awards are presented by Jordan District Applied Technology Education to outstanding ATE teachers. Both teachers were honored at a luncheon May 19.

Teacher of the Year
      Roxanne Stern, sixth-grade teacher at Sunrise Elementary, was named the local Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year. The award includes a $1,000 educational grant to benefit the school. She was nominated for the award by parents.

Teacher Appreciation Honorees
      Local radio station KOSY-FM selected 30 teachers statewide from student and parent nominations to participate in the KOSY/Outback Steakhouse Teacher Appreciation Luncheon. The following five Jordan District teachers were honored:
      • Michelle Luker, algebra teacher at Union Middle
      • Sara Walker Fullmer, third-grade teacher at Sandy Elementary
      • Jean Childs, fifth-grade teacher at Cottonwood Heights Elementary
      • Craig Hansen, computers, math and business teacher at West Jordan Middle
      • Marianne Graf, science and pre-algebra teacher at West Jordan Middle

City Choice Award
      City officials presented Gayle Whitefield, fashion merchandising and personal finance teacher at Riverton High, with a Riverton City Choice Award for Education in May.

Balanced Literacy Open House
      Seventy reading specialists and teachers from throughout the District participated in a balanced literacy open house at Copperview Elementary May 25. Master teachers from Copperview demonstrated the use of balanced literacy frameworks.

Record Number Graduates at South Park
      On June 3, 216 inmates will graduate from South Park Academy, a record number of graduates for the Utah State Prison school. South Park, coordinated by Jordan District, provides high school instruction for prisoners to assist them in obtaining a high school diploma or complete GED requirements.

Catapult Targets Teachers
      Physics students at Riverton High participated in the school’s annual Catapult Throw May 27-28. The event is the final project for physics students. Student teams designed catapults to launch water balloons with teachers at the target. The hands-on activity is the “ultimate scientific methods lab,” says physics teacher John Hinton. Students utilize the principles of friction, force mass, acceleration, etc., when designing their contraptions. Teams that got their teachers “significantly wet” were not required to write an executive summary on their project outlining their testing data, research and analysis.

Cultural Fair
      On May 20, Welby Elementary conducted a Culture/Heritage Fair. Students prepared displays using items that represented various cultures. Members of the school community saw the displays and enjoyed free entertainment such as Polynesian dancing, Native American dancing, African drumming, bag pipers and Alp horn music. Local restaurants participated by selling ethnic food.

Food Drive
      Majestic Elementary held its second mini food drive in May. The student council collected 20 cases of food items.

Summer Food Service Program
      Jordan District will once again sponsor a Summer Food Service Program. Free meals will be made available to children (18 years or younger) at 8:30-9:30 a.m. for breakfast (except Midvale Elementary which will serve breakfast from 7:30-8:30 a.m.) and 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. for lunch. Adults may purchase meals for $1.50 for breakfast and $2.50 for lunch. The meals will be available June 7-Aug. 20 at the following locations:
      • Copperview Elementary, 8449 S. 150 West
      • Sandy Elementary, 8725 S. 280 East
      • East Midvale Elementary, 6990 S. 300 East
      • Mountview Elementary, 1651 E. 7000 South
      • Heartland Elementary, 1451 W. 7000 South
      • Majestic Elementary, 7430 S. Redwood Road
      • Midvale Elementary, 362 W. Center Street (June 7-Aug. 13 only)

Summer Current Schedule
      There will be no Current next week. The next issues of Current will be sent by e-mail June 15 and 29. Please submit any items for these issues by the Friday prior to the issue date.
      Remember, you can check your District e-mail from anywhere you have Internet access (see “Employee Web Mail” below). You can also receive Current at a home e-mail address by going to www.jordandistrict.org and clicking “Subscribe to Our Newsletter” on the right-hand side of the page.

Employee Web Mail
      Employees can access their District e-mail accounts from anywhere they have an Internet connection. From the District homepage at www.jordandistrict.org, click “employees” at the top of the screen then the link from the dropdown menu to “Employee Web Mail.” The link will take you to a sign-in screen where you enter your user I.D. (your assigned e-mail name, e.g.: john.smith) and password. If you don’t know your password, contact your building technical support representative or call Information Systems User Support, (801) 567-8737. For security reasons, you should change your password after the initial log-on. Once logged on, you can access a variety of e-mail options including add a vacation message, forward e-mail, and access any e-mail messages received since you last downloaded e-mail to your District computer.