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JANUARY 2006 |
District History Available
In its 100-year existence, Jordan School District has never had a formal written history-until now. The First 100 Years: A History of Jordan School District, written by local author and Bingham High history teacher Scott Crump and compiled and illustrated by communications assistant Michael Kelley, is now available for purchase.
“At its heart, The First 100 Years is the story of what it means to be a community,” writes Superintendent Barry L. Newbold in the book’s Foreword. “For me, reading about the District’s early years not only brought a flood of memories but served as a reminder that each decade comes with its own challenges, and many of the challenges the District faces today are neither new nor more daunting that those of the past.”
“During the first half century-despite the challenges of two world wars, a flu epidemic, and the Great Depression-Jordan District established itself as both progressive and innovative. Along the way, District administrators, faculty, staff, students, and communities joined to celebrate successes, struggled together through adversity, and consoled each other in tragedy. Through it all, Jordan District parents and patrons have been committed to the cause of education. The First 100 Years: A History of Jordan School District celebrates and tells the story of this rich and living legacy.”
If you have pre-ordered a copy, you can pick it up at the Office of Communications, Room 201, District Office. If you did not pre-order, a few additional copies are still available for purchase at $5 each. |
Task Force to Present Retirement Benefit Options
As reported in previous issues of Current and on the District Web site, new accounting rules imposed by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) require Jordan District to restructure employee post-retirement benefits. Rather than wait for another agency to dictate actions, or simply eliminate benefits immediately as many other government entities have done, the Jordan Board of Education created a GASB Advisory Task Force, comprised of District employees, to study the rules and recommend strategies for eliminating District post-retirement benefits.
After four months of careful consideration, the Task Force will present options and recommendations to the Board of Education during its regular meeting Feb. 7, 7 p.m., at Mount Jordan Middle School. The full presentation and option details will be available online immediately following the meeting and will be sent to all employees through District mail on Feb. 9.
The Board has two weeks after the presentation to review the GASB Task Force options before making a final decision at its Feb. 21 meeting. During this period (Feb. 7-16), employees will also have an opportunity to review and comment to the Board on the options. Written employee comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. Feb. 16. Please include your name and work location and limit your remarks to 200 words so the Board will have the opportunity to review all comments. Anonymous comments will not be accepted. Employees can also comment in person during the Feb. 7 Board meeting.
Once the Board has made its decision, employee open house meetings are tentatively scheduled for Feb. 28, March 1 and 2 in an effort to help employees understand the decision and its implications.
It is important to note that the new GASB rule only impacts post-retirement benefits provided directly by Jordan School District. These benefits are currently more generous than most other government entities and may include:
- $75 per year service credit,
- accrued sick and personal leave payout,
- continued insurance benefits, and
- early retirement incentive (only certificated and administrative qualify).
The GASB rule does not impact District benefits for current retired employees or post-retirement benefits provided through Utah Retirement Systems or other third-party vendors such as 401(k)/403(b) plans, Social Security, etc.
National Educator of the Year Award
Michelle Griner, special education teacher at Willow Canyon Elementary, Sandy, was selected to receive the Sam Kirk Educator of the Year award from the Learning Disabilities Association (LDA). The award will be presented Feb. 28 during the LDA International Conference in Jacksonville, Fla.
Speech Educator of the Year
Stan Banks, speech and debate teacher at Bingham High, South Jordan, was awarded a Distinguished Service Award for Speech Educator of the Year from the Utah High Schools Activities Association. Bingham High’s debate team is currently ranked 18th nationally.
Educators of the Month
The Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce and Jordan Credit Union honored Judy Beck, first-grade teacher at Lone Peak Elementary, and April Humphries, fifth-grade teacher at Silver Mesa Elementary, as Educators of the Month for January. The awards were presented at a luncheon Jan. 26.
Agriculture Feature
Susan Tenhor-Edelen, third-grade teacher at Monte Vista Elementary, South Jordan, is featured in “Bulletin,” a newsletter for Utah elementary educators sponsored by the Utah Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom and Intermountain Farmers Association. She was recognized for providing meaningful learning experiences for her students through sharing her own life lessons about agriculture.
French Fair
Jordan District held its first-ever middle school French Fair at Jordan High, Sandy, Jan. 11. Students participated in spelling bees, poetry recitations, choirs, video productions and bingo, all in French. Many winners will be invited to participate at the State Language Fair April 20.
Fine Arts Festival
Oquirrh Hills Middle, Riverton, held its first Fine Arts Festival Jan. 19. Students, families and friends were treated to performances from various classes, including dance, theater, symphonic band and jazz band, orchestra and guitar held in locations throughout the school.
The “Write” Stuff
A group of distinguished Utah writers shared their talents with students Jan. 11 at Midvalley Elementary, Midvale. For the past six years, the school has hosted a mid-winter Writer’s Workshop where students are taught writing strategies by writers from diverse backgrounds. The event is part of the school Land Trust initiative to improve writing scores and introduce students to authors who are masters of their craft.
First-Grade Students Teach Parents
Traditional roles were switched when first-grade students at Oak Hollow Elementary, Draper, got to be teachers for a night. The brainchild of first-grade teacher Tina White, the school’s Literacy Night featured students leading parents and siblings through lessons on reading and language arts including poetry centers, guided reading groups and carpet-time activities.
Puppet Shows Feature Tough Issues
The Kids on the Block puppeteers from the Assistance League of Salt Lake have a few remaining dates (all on Mondays) to perform skits at schools. Skit topics include bullies, resolving conflict, peer pressure, learning disabilities, child abuse, anti-smoking, healthy snacking and cerebral palsy. The target audience is grades two through four, but younger and older elementary students also enjoy the shows and receive a meaningful lesson. There is no charge for the performances. Contact Sue Sherk, (801) 943-9839, or Cheryl Martin, (801) 278-1961, cmartin636@comcast.net, for more information or to schedule a performance.
Retirement Open Houses
Linda White, speech therapist at Oak Hollow Elementary, Draper, is retiring after 25 years of District service. An open house will be held in her honor Feb. 3, 3:30-5:30 p.m. at the school.
Doris Hodgkinson, Title I specialist at Sandy Elementary, is retiring after 37 years of service. An open house will be held in her honor Feb. 10, 2:30-5 p.m. in the school’s auditorium.
Direct Deposit
Direct deposit of payroll checks is now mandatory for all Jordan School District employees. If you have not yet signed up for direct deposit, you must do so immediately. To enroll in direct deposit, you must complete a Direct Deposit Agreement available at www.jordandistrict.org/depts/payroll/index.htm or from the Payroll Department.
Starting in March, payroll checks will not be mailed or sent to District locations. Employees who have not signed up for direct deposit by Feb. 10 must pick up their March check in the Payroll Department at the District Office. Information for moving your payroll check to direct deposit will be required at that time. The Payroll Department will be open on payday, March 24, from 6:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Earning statements for those with direct deposit will continue to be available at work locations each payday.
For more information, contact the Payroll Department at 567-8154.
District History Now Available
The First 100 Years: A History of Jordan School District, written by local author and Bingham High, South Jordan, history teacher Scott Crump and compiled and illustrated by Michael Kelley in the Office of Communications, is now available for purchase. If you have pre-ordered a copy, you can pick it up at the Office of Communications, Room 201, District Office. If you did not pre-order, a few additional copies are still available for purchase at $5 each.
Jordan Applied Technology Centers Open House
The annual open house for the Jordan Applied Technology Centers is scheduled Feb. 8, 4-8 p.m. This is an excellent opportunity to see the exciting programs available to high school juniors and seniors. Instructors and students will be available to provide classroom tours and answer questions. The Sandy Campus is located at 825 E. 9085 South and the West Jordan Campus is located at 9301 S. Wights Fort Road (3400 West) on the Jordan campus of Salt Lake Community College.
History Seminar
Jordan and Granite School Districts and the Utah Council for Social Studies are sponsoring a history seminar Feb. 4, 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at Mount Jordan Middle, Sandy. The theme is “American History: Perspectives and Progress.” The seminar includes three separate breakout sessions with presenters from Brigham Young University, University of Utah and Weber State University; the Utah State Office of Education; and other school districts. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. For more information, contact the Curriculum and Staff Development Department, Pam Su’a, (801) 567-8320, or Sandra Dahl-Houlihan, (801) 256-5663.
Off-Track History Academy
The Jordan History Academy of Teachers will be holding an off-track academy in March for fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade B-track teachers. Applications are due by Feb. 1. For information and applications, contact Sandra Dahl-Houlihan, Curriculum and Staff Development Department, (801) 256-5663.
Teacher of the Month
Linda Dunning, second-grade ALPS teacher at Alta View Elementary, Sandy, was recognized as Teacher of the Month by the Midvale Kiwanis and the Jordan Education Association. Dunning has been with the District since 1985.
Bake Sale Feeds the Hungry
The student council at Jordan Ridge Elementary, South Jordan, sponsored a bake sale with proceeds donated to the nationwide hunger-relief efforts of Great American Bake Sale. Many bakeries and stores donated food for the evening activity that also featured a family movie.
Anti-bullying Assembly
Ninth-grade students in Barbara Springer’s honors language arts classes at Oquirrh Hills Middle, Riverton, are preparing an anti-bullying assembly they will present to students at Southland Elementary, Riverton, Feb. 23. Each middle school class is partnering with an elementary class to create songs, dances, poetry, skits and stories.
Book Donations
Stephanie Rich’s fifth- and sixth-grade class at Copper Canyon Elementary, West Jordan, had 100 books donated in their name to a school affected by last year’s hurricanes. The students participated in the “Classrooms Care—Reading is Giving” campaign sponsored by Scholastic Book Clubs and reached their goal of reading 100 books in three weeks. In addition, a senior at Copper Hills High, West Jordan, organized a neighborhood book drive, collecting more than 1,600 new and used books for Copper Canyon Elementary classrooms and Balanced Literacy library.
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Seeking Stars of Teaching
The U.S. Department of Education will again honor outstanding classroom teachers through the American Stars of Teaching program. The Department’s Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative is seeking nominations and information about teachers who are improving student achievement, using innovative strategies in the classroom, and making a difference in the lives of their students. Teachers across all grade levels and disciplines will be honored this fall as 2006 American Stars of Teaching. Parents, students, colleagues, school administrators and others can nominate an exemplary teacher who they believe has the qualities to be an American Star of Teaching. One teacher will be recognized from each state. To learn more or nominate a teacher to become an American Star of Teaching, visit www.ed.gov/teachers/how/tools/initiative/index.html . All nominations must be completed by April 15.
Employee of the Month
Sally Forman, secretary in the Energy Services Department, was chosen as the Employee of the Month by the District Office Support Staff. She has been with the District since 1991.
- Wrapping Up Holiday Giving
- The holiday season once again brought out the generosity of Jordan District students, parents, staff and community members. In the past few issues of Current, we've highlighted a few of the many charitable activities of our schools. In all, the 34 schools we heard from contributed the following to various community projects and organizations:
- more than 70,000 food items
- $135,000 in cash
- 60 boxes of toys and clothing
- 1,300 pairs of pajamas
- six trees for the Festival of Trees
- winter clothing, hygiene kits, books, school supplies
- Here are a few additional results of school charity campaigns:
- Brighton High, Cottonwood Heights, students raised $30,000 for Operation Home Front, a project of United Way. Students "took care of those who are taking care of us." Class competitions, hot chocolate and sweet roll sales, car change donations and date donations are a few of the ways students raised funds for the families of the Utah National Guard. In addition, students raised $2,500 and collected canned goods for a family whose home was destroyed by fire before the holidays.
- Students at Park Lane Elementary, Sandy, adopted North Star Elementary in Rose Park for the holidays. They collected two truckloads of new toys and clothes.
- The Alta High, Sandy, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) raised $1,500 for Reach the Children. The money will be used to provide food, education and health benefits for children in Africa.
- The class for students with intellectual disabilities and their peer tutors at South Jordan Middle made decorations and gathered school supplies for South Valley Sanctuary in West Jordan. They visited the Sanctuary in December to donate the supplies and help decorate and clean.
- Student-body officers at Jordan High, Sandy, organized a project that collected 23,411 cans of food for the Utah Food Bank. The Food Bank notified the school their donation totaled 11 tons.
- Butler Middle, Cottonwood Heights, adopted De La Salle High School in New Orleans for a service project. Butler students raised $4,170 to assist the school in recovering from Hurricane Katrina. An administrator from De La Salle, who was in Salt Lake City for a conference, came to Butler Middle to personally accept the check.
Seeking Teachers
Bright Ideas is looking for teachers for its Saturday and summer school programs. Bright Ideas provides enrichment opportunities for elementary students as part of the District’s gifted and talented program. Those interested in being an instructor must be gifted and talented endorsed. Interested teachers should send a vita sheet to Doug Allen, Alta High. Please contact Allen with any questions, (801) 712-6363.
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REACH Training Available
Respecting Ethnic and Cultural Heritage (REACH) training is a two-day workshop for teachers to help them understand diversity values. The course consists of activities, role-play, curriculum infusion materials and sharing of cultural perspectives. A follow-up day (about 10 weeks later) is offered for teachers who previously participated in the two-day training. REACH two-day training dates are Jan. 24-25 and March 28-29, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. REACH day three training dates (follow-up for those who completed the two-day training 10 weeks prior) are Jan. 31 and March 22, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. All REACH trainings are held at the Auxiliary Services Building. Teachers interested in attending must get approval from their principal and register with Toni Soeffker, Alternative Language Services, (801) 567-8116. Substitutes are to be arranged by the teacher and paid by the District.
- Safety Grants Available
- The law firm of Nuttall, Brown & Couts is offering $1,000 safety grants to schools. The firm established the Lawyers’ Endowment for Accident Prevention (LEAP) in 1990. Since then member attorneys have donated more than $40,000 to fund accident prevention projects, including:
- a video security system at a local high school;
- life saver give-a-ways to elementary children who arrived at school “buckled-up;”
- free bike helmets to all children at a local grade school who did not already have one, for several years;
- $1,000 college scholarships at high school “Grad Nights” each year for several years running, to encourage graduating seniors to celebrate in a safe, alcohol-free environment;
- Peer Leadership funding for high school role models to discourage drug and alcohol use among middle and grade-school students.
- For more details visit www.nuttallbrown.com and click on Lawyers’ Endowment for Accident Prevention for specific details.
Educator of the Month
Linda Frischknecht, literacy facilitator at Willow Canyon Elementary, Sandy, was recognized as Educator of the Month by the Midvale Kiwanis and Jordan Education Association. She was nominated by her colleagues and was recognized for the literacy support she gives teachers and students.
Disney Teacher Award
Sandra Burton, fifth-grade teacher at Westvale Elementary, West Jordan, is being recognized for success in the classroom as a Disney Teacher Award nominee. She was nominated by a former student.
- More Holiday Giving
- The FCCLA (family, career, and community leaders of America) chapter at Alta High, Sandy, collected more than 20,000 cans and food items for the Utah Food Bank. Working in conjunction with AP history classes, collections eclipsed the original 2,000-can goal.
- The student council at Butler Elementary, Cottonwood Heights, collected nearly $3,500 for KSL’s Quarters for Christmas.
- A food drive at Copperview Elementary, Midvale, collected more than 1,000 items for the Utah Food Bank. A group of fifth- and sixth-grade students went to the Food Bank to help sort the collected food.
- Students, faculty and staff at Crescent Elementary, Sandy, collected more than 2,000 items for the Utah Food Bank, exceeding the school’s 1,500-item goal.
- Students at Foothills Elementary, Riverton, collected more than 10,000 items for the Utah Food Bank. Student council members helped load, unload, sort and organize the items.
- The student council at Jordan Hills Elementary, West Jordan, collected 4,139 items for the Utah Food Bank. This total was also matched by a local radio station.
- Operation School Bell at Majestic Elementary, West Jordan, resulted in the collection of 50 bags filled with coats, pants, shirts, socks and underwear. In addition, community members and businesses donated blankets, books, toys, candy, bikes, DVD players, cash and labor for various school and charity projects.
- Students and teachers at Mount Jordan Middle, Sandy, donated more than 800 pounds of canned goods and $1,362 to the Utah Food Bank during the school’s annual “Cans and Quarters” fund-raising activity. In addition, resource students in Angela Meredith’s ninth-grade language arts class volunteered at the St. Vincent De Paul shelter, packaging boxes of food items for Christmas dinners.
- Students at Oquirrh Hills Middle, Riverton, raised $11,225 for the school’s Sub-for-Santa project, a school fund-raising record.
- Students at Riverton Elementary collected more than two tons of food for the Utah Food Bank as part of Red Ribbon Week activities at the school. The theme for the week was "You CAN be drug free.”
- Riverton High students raised $60,314 for Odyssey House during the school’s annual “Silver Rush” fund drive. This is likely the highest amount raised by any school in Utah. Odyssey House is a non-profit drug rehabilitation facility. Drug and alcohol awareness were included in class curriculum during the month.
- Students at South Hills Middle, Riverton, raised more than $2,800 for the school’s Sub-for-Santa projects. The money was used for families whose students attend South Hills.
- Students at Sunset Ridge Middle, West Jordan, donated $2,000 to KSL’s Quarters for Christmas. This was the new school’s first charity fund-raising activity.
- Student-body officers at Union Middle, Sandy, conducted a “Coins for Clothes” drive Dec. 9-21. Contributions were used to purchase clothes for teens at the Christmas Box House.
- Choir students at West Jordan High raised more than $6,000 for a Sub-for-Santa project. Most of the money came from community performances and the Christmas concert. In addition, choir members went caroling for cancer, with all funds donated to the Huntsman Cancer Institute.
- Westvale Elementary, West Jordan, completed its second annual food drive, filling the school’s foyer in a matter of days. The food was donated to the Utah Food Bank.
- The Willow Canyon Elementary, Sandy, student council collected $1,422 for KSL’s Quarters for Christmas. Student council representatives presented the money live on the radio station’s morning show.
What’s Cooking?
The first edition of the West Hills Middle Recipe Book originated from collaboration between the school’s math, art and language arts departments. Students in math classes brought their favorite recipes from home. They used fractions to halve and double the recipes. Students then typed and edited the recipes as part of work in language arts classes. Art students created artwork for the covers and pages. The final product was then printed, assembled and distributed to all the eighth-grade students as a gift before they departed for Winter Recess.
Retirement Open House
Tom Worlton, principal at Copper Hills High, is retiring after 34 years in Jordan District and 40 years in education. An open house will be held in his honor Jan. 20, 2:45-5 p.m., in the school’s media center.
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Employment Opportunities
See current job openings posted by the Human Resources
Department at www.jordandistrict.org/hr
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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. |
