|
DECEMBER 2004
Dec.
7 | Dec. 14 | Dec. 21
Happy Holidays
The Board of Education and District
administration extend holiday greetings and best wishes for a
happy new year to all employees and their families. The holiday
schedule is as follows:
• Traditional schools began winter recess after school
on Dec. 17 and will reopen Jan. 3, 2005.
• Year-round schools begin winter recess after school
on Wednesday and reopen Jan. 3, 2005.
• The District Office is open 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. Thursday
and Dec. 27-29. The office is closed Dec. 24, 30 and 31.
• The Instructional Media Center is closed Dec. 23-31.
• Because of winter recess, there will be no issue of
Current Dec. 28.
Employee of the Month
Dianne Hyde, secretary for the
Jordan Education Foundation, was selected as Employee of the Month
for December by the District Office Advisory Committee. Hyde has
been with the District since 1989.
Holiday Giving
Each year, Jordan District schools
express generosity and charity in many ways during the holidays.
Here are some examples from the past few weeks:
• Sunrise Elementary students
were challenged to collect 2004 items for the school’s annual food drive
to assist the Utah Food Bank. They surpassed their goal, collecting 2,088 items
weighing about 2,000 pounds.
• A food drive at Oquirrh
Hills Middle netted 4,410 cans
of food for the Utah Food Bank. Teams that collected the most cans
were treated to donuts and students who brought 25 cans or more
were put into a drawing for a pizza lunch.
• Students at Brighton
High raised more than $35,000 for
the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Fund-raising activities included powder
puff football, class competitions, hot chocolate and sweet roll
sales, a student government officer competition, boys vs. girls
competitions and book sales.
• Under the leadership of its student officers, Albion
Middle recently extended a challenge to break the school record for the
number of cans raised for the Utah Food Bank. Students were not
only able to break the old record, but they nearly doubled last
year’s total with 9,471 cans.
• Student body officers at Bingham
High set a goal of raising
$28,000 for the school’s annual Sub-for-Santa drive. Principal
Tom Hicks told the students if they passed the goal and raised
$35,000 he would shave his head in an assembly. With only hours
to spare before the assembly, students raised the last few dollars,
putting Hicks in the barber seat.
• The student-body officers at Eastmont
Middle chose the
Multiple Sclerosis Society as the focus of their charitable fund-raising
efforts in honor of Diane Florez, a school counselor diagnosed
with the disease. Students set a goal to raise $10,000 for the
Society.
• Staff members at Jordan
Resource Center recently held
an auction to raise funds for those in need. Students used the
$3,243 raised to purchase gifts for 32 children through the Salvation
Army's Angel Tree Project. In addition students purchased personal
care items to be distributed to the Road Home for at least 50 men
at the shelter.
• Student teachers at Bell
View Elementary, while trying
to select a service-learning opportunity, discovered that the school’s
custodian, Hourimane Onechanh, would often repair worn playground
balls and collect used crayons to send to schools in his native
Laos. The teachers set a goal to raise $500 to help provide equipment
for a few schools there. After a two-week period, $1,792 was collected.
Since the project was service-learning, students also learned about
the country of Laos. Onechanh will take part of his vacation time
in Laos to meet with school officials, determine needs and purchase
the school supplies.
• Students at Indian
Hills Middle collected 740 toys and
$1,650 in cash this year for the Toys for Tots program. Uniquely,
the school focused its efforts on holiday items for teens.
• The Jordan Alternative
Middle School (JAMS) program at
Midvale Middle used donated new and used holiday cards to create
more than 200 bookmarks for veterans at the local VA hospital.
The JAMS staff thanks all those who contributed cards. Because
of the large number of bookmarks made, yarn used for the cards
is now in short supply. Since this is an ongoing project, any donations
of yarn or embroidery floss would be appreciated. Send donations
to the JAMS Program at Midvale Middle.
• Students, staff and individuals from the community at
Union Middle donated more than 1,000 toys to the annual Primary
Children’s Hospital Holiday Toy Drive. The school’s
student body leaders delivered the toys to the hospital Dec. 16.
• Alta View Elementary students collected 836 toothbrushes,
418 bars of soap, 418 hand towels, and 209 tubes of toothpaste
for hygiene kits. A total of 209 kits were assembled and delivered
to the Salt Lake Humanitarian Center before Christmas.
• NOTE: We will include additional holiday giving stories
in upcoming issues of Current. Please send your fund-raising accomplishments
to Mike Kelley, Office of Communications, fax: (801) 567-8030,
e-mail: michael.kelley@jordan.k12.ut.us.
Traveling Science Center
Eastmont Middle recently hosted the “Leonardo
on Wheels” traveling
science exhibit, featuring interactive labs for students. Each
lab is designed to foster experimentation and prolong the time
a student spends at the exhibit. Science teachers interested
in bringing the program to their school can visit www.theleonardo.org/onwheels,
or contact Mike Anderson, Utah Science Center, (801) 671-9089,
mike@utahsciencecenter.org.
Polar Express Party
Bella Vista Elementary students in kindergarten
through third grade participated in a Polar Express Pajama Party Dec. 17.
The party started with a reading of The
Polar Express. Using
the “student cam,” Chris Van Allsburg’s illustrations
were projected on the auditorium’s big screen as teachers
read. Students participated in many different reading and writing
activities going along with the Polar Express theme.
ADHD Conference
The Utah Association of School
Psychologists will be presenting Russel Barkley, Ph.D., an authority
on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) during its
mid-winter conference Feb. 4 at the Sheraton City Centre Hotel.
Barkley will present the latest research on the nature, diagnosis
and management of ADHD in children and adolescents. The conference
is open to parents and professionals, providing ideas for interventions
and best practices. Contact Candace Dee, (801) 567-8242, for information
about registration or www.coe.usu.edu/psyc/uasp for conference
registration information.
District Calendar
View the District Calendar at www.jordandistrict.org/calendar
Employment Opportunities
See current job openings posted by the Human
Resources Department at www.jordandistrict.org/hr
December Payroll Notice
Payday for December is Dec. 22.
The Payroll Department reminds employees in traditional schools
that no checks will be issued early. As stated in previous issues
of Current,
checks for individuals who are not working Dec. 22 and do not
have direct deposit will be mailed to home addresses Dec. 21.
Individuals without direct deposit should not request to pick
up checks at the District Office. Employees working Dec. 22 will
pick up paychecks as usual.
Legislative Bonus
As enacted by the 2004 Utah Legislature
and determined by District administration, school employees will
receive a bonus on December paychecks. All full- and part-time
employees as of Nov. 30 are eligible. For full-time Jordan District
employees, the bonus will be approximately $308 before taxes.
Part-time employees will receive a portion of the $308 bonus based
on FTE hours.
Missing Health Insurance Benefits?
If you are a part-time District employee without
the benefit of health insurance, you may qualify for Utah’s Primary
Care Network (PCN) insurance. Utah Department of Health has
announced an upcoming open enrollment for Utah’s Children’s
Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Primary Care Network insurance
(PCN). The open enrollment period runs Jan. 10-25, 2005. CHIP/PCN
will accept all eligible Utah children and adults who apply
during this open enrollment period. Eligibility is based on
family size and household income. Learn more about CHIP or
PCN by calling 1-877-KIDS-NOW, by visiting www.health.utah.gov/chip or by calling Health Services, Kris Johnson, (801) 412-2535,
or Rita Bouillon, (801) 412-2506.
Sabbatical Leave Meeting
The deadline for submitting applications
for sabbatical or educational leave is Feb. 1, 2005. Teachers
interested in taking a leave in the next year are invited to a
meeting Jan. 12, 2005, 4:30 p.m., or Jan. 27, 2005, 4:30 p.m.,
in the curriculum conference room at the District Office. Application
packets are available from the Human Resources Department. For
more information call Nedra Perkins, Curriculum and Staff Development
Department, (801) 567-8367. The policy provisions are outlined
in DP332 NEG (www.jordandistrict.org/policymanual/p.php?id=62)
and DP333 NEG (www.jordandistrict.org/policymanual/p.php?id=106).
CTE Award
The Utah Association for Career and Technical
Education selected Scott Olsen, director of Applied Technology
Education, to
receive its 2005 Arch of Fame award. The award will be presented during
the association’s Winter Conference in February.
Construction and Design Award
South Valley School was recognized by the Utah
Masonry Council and the American Institute of Architects of Utah for the school’s
excellence in construction and design. A plaque was awarded
during a recognition event in Salt Lake City.
Custodians of the Month
Custodians doing an outstanding
job in their schools are selected by the Custodial Department
Advisory Committee as Custodian of the Month from nominations
submitted by school principals, teachers and staff. Congratulations
to Robert Nytch, head custodian at Bingham
High for September,
Shane Smith, head custodian at Brookwood
Elementary for October,
Dave Lloyd, head custodian at Foothills Elementary for November
and Ochoa Filomeno, assistant custodian at Albion
Middle for December.
Career Week
Elk Ridge
Middle recently held
a student Career Week. Nearly 500 ninth-grade students experienced
Reality Town with the help from 65 PTSA volunteers. Darryl Wagstaff,
a motivational speaker, spoke to the eighth- and ninth-grade students
while seventh-grade students heard from former Utah senator and
astronaut Jake Garn.
Mentoring Program Assists Struggling Students
Crescent View Middle administration and teachers,
concerned about the number of students moving to high school with failing grades,
developed a mentoring program to help students succeed throughout
the year. Volunteer teachers select five to six students for
the program based on failing grades and invite them to participate.
Once students and parents agree, teachers meet with the students
a minimum of once a week, either before or after school. During
these meeting teachers review student’s grades and progress.
Support from the teachers might be as simple as time in their
classroom to work on homework or it might be to arrange for
a tutor to help the student understand a concept they are having
difficulty comprehending. On average, the program helps 50-60
students per quarter.
Happy Holidays
The Board of Education and District
administration extend holiday greetings and best wishes for a
happy new year to all employees and their families. The holiday
schedule is as follows:
• Traditional schools begin winter recess after school on
Dec. 17 and reopen Jan. 3, 2005.
• Year-round schools begin winter recess after school on
Dec. 22 and reopen Jan. 3, 2005.
• The District Office is open 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. Dec. 23 and
27-29. The office is closed Dec. 24, 30 and 31.
• The Instructional Media Center is closed Dec. 23-31.
• Because of winter recess, there will be no issue of Current Dec. 28 or Jan. 4, 2005. Please submit any items for the Jan. 11
issue by Jan. 7.
Family Recognized for Land
Donation
During its Nov. 23 meeting, the Board of Education awarded a
certificate of appreciation to the Cletus and Sharon Hamilton
family for their donation of 10.53 acres in Riverton for a future
school. The school will offer services for students ages 5-22
with multiple severe disabilities, similar to Jordan
Valley School in Midvale. The Hamiltons first became involved with Jordan Valley
School 28 years ago when their daughter, Kauri Sue, was a student
there. The Board announced it will name the school the Kauri
Sue Hamilton School.
Partnership Celebrates 20 Years
The Brigham Young University-Public
School Partnership (BYU-PSP) marked its 20th anniversary with
a gala celebration Dec. 1, a day formally designated by Gov. Olene
Walker as Brigham Young University-Public School Partnership Day.
As the BYU-PSP
board chair, Supt. Barry L. Newbold welcomed guests as they
reflected on 20 years of achievement. Established in 1984,
the BYU-PSP was organized by Brigham Young University in partnership
with Alpine, Jordan, Provo, Nebo and Wasatch School Districts
for the purpose of working together to achieve common goals so
every child will have access to the finest educational resources.
New Board Certified Teachers
Twelve Jordan District teachers recently completed
all the requirements to be granted the status of National Board Certified Teachers.
The Board of Education will recognize these individuals in
tonight’s (Dec. 7) Board meeting:
• Whitney Child, English/Language Arts,
Alta High
• Tim Graves, English/Language Arts, Albion Middle
• Carolyn Gough, English/Language Arts, Jordan High
• Michelle Griner, Exceptional Needs, Willow Canyon Elementary
• Marjan Hong, Math, Copper Hills High
• Paula Landeen, Exceptional Needs, Crescent View Middle
• Ann-Marie Proctor, English/Language Arts, Butler Middle
• Tony Romanello, Science, Alta High
• Sheri Sample, English/Language Arts, Albion Middle
• Anna Smith, English/Language Arts, District
Teacher Specialist
• Helen Wight, English/Language Arts, Indian Hills Middle
• Kaye Lynn Wootton, Certified Nurse Assisting, Jordan Applied
Technology Center, Sandy Campus
Reading Teacher of the Year
Suzette Johnson, first-grade teacher at Columbia
Elementary, and Katie Oliver, reading teacher at Midvale
Middle, were selected
as the Elementary and Secondary Reading Teachers of the Year,
respectively, by the Utah Council of the International Reading
Association. The awards were presented at the organization’s
39th State Conference in Salt Lake City.
Educator of the Month
The Midvale Kiwanas and Jordan
Education Association honored Susan Holtkamp, sixth-grade teacher
at Jordan Hills Elementary, as Educator of the Month for November.
The award was presented at a luncheon November 23. Holtkamp was
nominated for the award by her colleagues.
State Achievement Award
Frances Morgan, second-grade teacher and literacy
specialist at Altara Elementary, was recognized with
the 2004 State Achievement Award for Delta Kappa Gamma. The
award was presented at the organization’s annual state
convention. Delta Kappa Gamma is an international honorary
organization for women educators.
City Choice Award
Riverton City honored Oquirrh
Hills Middle English
teacher Joey Frank with the November Riverton City Choice Award
for Education. The award was presented by the mayor and city council.
Parents at Willow Canyon Elementary set
a new unofficial record for placing a mile of coins in
the shortest amount of time.
Photo: Danny Chan La, Salt Lake Tribune |
World
Record Broken
Students
at Willow Canyon
Elementary spent the
past few months collecting nearly $5,000 in coins. The money will be used
to purchase a mobile writing lab to enhance the school’s
literacy and writing goals. But before they are spent, some
parents had another use for the coins. They developed architectural
plans to place the coins side-by-side for one mile and practiced
for two weeks to get the stacking down to an art, all in
hopes of breaking the Guinness World Record. The parent’s
attempt was successful. They stacked one-mile of coins
in two hours, 26 minutes on Dec. 4, unofficially breaking the
old record of two hours, 40 minutes.
Reality Town a Hit
South Jordan
Middle recently held
its third-annual Reality Town activity. Five hundred ninth-grade
students participated by writing resumes, applying for jobs, and
learning about writing checks. On the day of Reality Town, the
students received credit at the clothing store for dressing according
to their occupation. They had to pay for childcare, buy a car
and a home, and take care of the other financial obligations.
More than 300 volunteer hours were given by local businesses and
parents to staff the activity.
Author, Santa Support Reading
The Westland Elementary PTA, in conjunction
with the school’s
literacy specialist, Sara Andreason, is providing several literacy
experiences for students and parents this year. In October, author
James Dashner, presented a wonderful evening focused on writing.
In December, Santa will read to students during “Breakfast
with Santa.”
Thanksgiving Program Spotlights Native Americans
A Native American assembly Nov. 23 was the highlight
of Thanksgiving festivities at Majestic Elementary. Joyce Guenon, the District’s
Native American outreach coordinator, organized the assembly
at Principal Cora Jckowski’s request. Howard Rainer,
the Standing Tall organization, and others performed, along
with several Majestic students.
Christmas Concert for New Choir
For the first time in many years,
Butler Elementary has a school choir. Students in grades 4-6 have
been attending early-morning rehearsals, under the direction of
sixth-grade teachers Val Leonard and Bonnie Welch, in preparation
for a Christmas Concert. Concerts will be held Dec. 13 at 6 p.m.
and Dec. 14 at 9 a.m.
Seeking Math Book
The Jordan Alternative Middle School
Program (JAMS) at Midvale Middle is looking for a copy of GEMS
Math for Middle School, Book #1. The book is in a black three-inch,
three-ring binder. If you have an extra copy, please forward it
to Victoria Jolley, JAMS Program, Midvale Middle.
District Calendar
View the District Calendar at www.jordandistrict.org/calendar
Employment Opportunities
See current job openings posted by the Human
Resources Department at www.jordandistrict.org/hr
ARCHIVED
NEWS
To submit an item for Current, send
an e-mail to Michael Kelley at
michael.kelley@jordan.k12.ut.us or
contact him at (801) 567-8337. |
