APRIL 2006

• Outstanding Employees       Each year, the Jordan Education Foundation recognizes the efforts of 10 teachers and 10 classified staff with its Outstanding Educator and Outstanding Classified Employee of the Year Awards. This year’s award winners receive $1,000 each, and schools of Outstanding Educators receive $500. In addition, the Foundation awards $2,000 scholarships to one student from each District high school. The Outstanding Educators and students will be honored May 4 at a recognition banquet and the classified employees will be honored at the May 23 Board meeting. Outstanding Educators: - Bill Broderick, Riverton High - Vickie Ginsburg, Union Middle - Bruce Gunn, Elk Meadows Elementary - Susan Henrie, Ridgecrest Elementary - Christine Heywood, Sprucewood Elementary - Patrick McDonale, Bingham High - Katie Palfreyman, West Jordan Middle - Jodi Roberts, Quail Hollow Elementary - Royce Shelley, Crescent View Middle - Marce Weibel, Bluffdale Elementary Outstanding Classified Employees: - Alona Anderson, custodian, Crescent View Middle - Marjoe Back, head attendance secretary, Union Middle - Dale Burk, head custodian, Alta View Elementary - Charlotte Graham, head secretary, East Midvale Elementary - Sharon Gregory, administrative secretary, Office of the Superintendent - Raeline Henline, head secretary, Sprucewood Elementary - Joan Hodges, registrar, Riverton High - Michael Kelley, communications assistant, Office of Communications - Cathy Parker, hall monitor, Albion Middle - Johanna Wayman, lunch manager, Granite Elementary

  Medical Expense Growth Continues
        Jordan District will pay out about $33.1 million in employee medical claims this school year, more than $1 million above the amount collected in premiums. An additional $11.6 million will be paid for employee prescription claims. Expenses are expected to approach $40 million for medical claims and $14 million for prescriptions during the 2006-07 school year. District insurance consultants recommend an annual premium hike of nearly 24 percent next year to cover the increases.
        Per a 2000 agreement between the Board of Education and employee groups, half of the overall premium increase amount will be paid by the District and half will be added to the employee portion of premiums. For example, if the overall premium the District pays for your insurance is $1,000 per month, a 24-percent increase would make it $1,240. Half of the $240 increase, or $120 per month, would be added to the portion employees pay for insurance and the other half would be taken from District funds.
        Additional changes to insurance benefits are being discussed by the Insurance Advisory Committee, including offering a low-premium, high-deductible plan. Minutes from Insurance Advisory Committee meetings are posted following each meeting on the Insurance Services Department Web site at www.jordandistrict.org/depts/insurance_services.htm . The Board of Education will ratify proposals from the Insurance Advisory Committee during a Board meeting following the negotiations process.
        Employees can help control District medical costs and thereby keep premiums as low as possible by effectively using insurance benefits. Using benefits wisely can help keep all employees’ insurance costs down. Here are a few tips:
• Use a physician’s office or urgent care facility instead of an emergency room whenever possible. A District claim history shows the average cost per patient visit to an urgent care facility is $85, a physician is $60 and an emergency room is $400.
• Ask your doctor or pharmacist for generic equivalents of prescription medications. This not only saves the District money, but your co-pay is lower.
• Use mail order through Medco Health Home Delivery Pharmacy Service on maintenance drugs. For more information, visit www.medcohealth.com .
• Advise the Insurance Office in a timely manner when you have changes in your medical insurance coverage; i.e., marriage, spouse insurance coverage, divorce, birth, dependent gets married or becomes eligible for his/her own insurance, etc. Remember, you are responsible for reimbursing the insurance fund for claims paid on an ineligible dependent.

Retirement Class
      The final retirement class for this school year will be held May 8, 4 p.m., in Board Room A at the District Office. Representatives from the Payroll Department and Utah Retirement Systems will explain District benefits and pensions. To reserve a spot, please call the Payroll Department, (801) 567-8154.

Administrative Computer System Update
      The Information Systems Department is continuing its efforts toward replacing the Delta System with a new software program called Skyward. The first phase of the transition involves the financial module of Delta. Beginning in July, all warehouse requisitions, purchase order requisitions, fixed-asset tracking and budget tracking will take place on the new system. To accommodate those who use these financial applications, training will be provided throughout June, July and August. In May, a calendar with available dates for training will be distributed. Shortly after receiving the calendar, principals and directors will be contacted to schedule training dates and times. If you have any questions regarding this transition and upcoming training, please contact Mike Glenn in the Information Systems Department, (801) 567-8312.

• Outstanding Employees
        Each year, the Jordan Education Foundation recognizes the efforts of 10 teachers and 10 classified staff with its Outstanding Educator and Outstanding Classified Employee of the Year Awards. This year’s award winners receive $1,000 each, and schools of Outstanding Educators receive $500. In addition, the Foundation awards $2,000 scholarships to one student from each District high school. The Outstanding Educators and students will be honored May 4 at a recognition banquet and the classified employees will be honored at the May 23 Board meeting.
•      Outstanding Educators:
• Bill Broderick, Riverton High
• Vickie Ginsburg, Union Middle (Sandy)
• Bruce Gunn, Elk Meadows Elementary (South Jordan)
• Susan Henrie, Ridgecrest Elementary (Cottonwood Heights)
• Christine Heywood, Sprucewood Elementary (Sandy)
• Patrick McDonald, Bingham High (South Jordan)
• Katie Palfreyman, West Jordan Middle
• Jodi Roberts, Quail Hollow Elementary (Sandy)
• Royce Shelley, Crescent View Middle (Sandy)
• Marce Weibel, Bluffdale Elementary
•      Outstanding Classified Employees:
• Alona Anderson, custodian, Crescent View Middle (Sandy)
• Marjoe Back, head attendance secretary, Union Middle (Sandy)
• Dale Burk, head custodian, Alta View Elementary (Sandy)
• Charlotte Graham, head secretary, East Midvale Elementary
• Sharon Gregory, administrative secretary, Office of the Superintendent
• Raelene Henline, head secretary, Sprucewood Elementary (Sandy)
• Joan Hodges, registrar, Riverton High
• Michael Kelley, communications assistant, Office of Communications
• Cathy Parker, hall monitor, Albion Middle (Sandy)
• Johanna Wayman, lunch manager, Granite Elementary (Sandy)

• PTA Awards
       The Region VI PTA presented the following awards during the April 18 Board of Education meeting:
• Involvement Award: Dads and Donuts Program, Heartland Elementary (West Jordan)
• Outstanding Educator: Lauren Flygare, music teacher, West Jordan Middle
• Development Award: Family Ties Program, Columbia Elementary (West Jordan)
• Spirit of PTA Award: Susan Edwards, parent, Crescent View Middle (Sandy)
• Outstanding Volunteer: Cindy Nigbur, parent, West Jordan Elementary
• Outstanding School Administrator: Cora Jckowski, principal, Majestic Elementary (West Jordan)

Teachers of the Month
      Jennifer Vanhaaften, eighth-grade English and U.S. History teacher at Butler Middle (Cottonwood Heights), and Jessica Paskett, first-grade teacher at Herriman Elementary, were named Teachers of the Month by the Midvale Kiwanis and the Jordan Education Association. They were honored at a luncheon April 18.

AP Award
      Bingham High (South Jordan) received an Advanced Placement (AP) award from the Siemens Foundation for leadership in AP science and math course participation and performance. Up to two students, one teacher and one high school in each state were honored. Bingham High will receive a $1,000 grant to support science and math education.

Multi-Cultural Storytelling
      On April 20, Riverside Elementary (West Jordan) held its second annual Multi-Cultural Storytelling Night. Storytellers from the Riverside parent community shared stories from their native cultures and a student dance group performed a Latin American dance called the “Merengue.”

Parade for Parkinson’s
      Students, faculty and staff at Canyon View Elementary (Cottonwood Heights) participated in the third annual Power Parade Against Parkinson’s April 12. Students marched a combined total of 3,100 miles and raised more than $1,500 for the cause. The currently reigning Miss Utah, Julia Bachison, spoke about the value of exercise, healthy eating and staying tobacco free. She then joined the students to help Canyon View secure its bronze and silver medal status and work toward becoming a Gold Medal school.

Elementary Science Fairs
     The April 11 Current noted that nearly 6,000 secondary students participated in science fair projects, with 107 students winning state awards. In addition, about 6,000 fifth- and sixth-grade students participated in science fair projects in their respective schools. Of these, 280 projects continued on to the Jordan District Elementary Science District Fair held at Edgemont Elementary (Sandy). Some 77 projects were chosen to compete in the Central Utah Science and Engineering Fair (CUSEF) at BYU. Students from 21 Jordan District elementary schools won four grand champion awards, nine first-place awards, 13 second-place awards, 17 third-place awards, 15 fourth-place awards and 19 special awards. Nearly 2,000 third- and fourth-grade students also participated in science fair projects. Of these, 30 third-grade projects and 90 fourth-grade projects continued on to the Jordan District Elementary Science Fair held at Monte Vista Elementary (South Jordan).

• Safety Grants
        The faculty at Jordan Resource Center (Midvale) will soon have three new walkie-talkie radios to help protect their high-risk students and enhance response to emergency situations thanks to a safety grant from the Lawyers’ Endowment for Accident Prevention (LEAP). In all, 13 Jordan District schools received $1,000 LEAP safety grants this year:
• Granite Elementary (Sandy), Herriman Elementary and Oakdale Elementary (Sandy)—safety vests, orange cones and flags, signage, safety helmets and goggles;
• Jordan Hills Elementary (West Jordan), Crescent View Middle (Sandy) and Sunset Ridge Middle (West Jordan)—walkie-talkie radios;
• Quail Hollow Elementary (Sandy), Westvale Elementary (West Jordan) and Albion Middle (Sandy)—emergency first-aid kits;
• Hillcrest High (Midvale) and Riverton High—Grad Night College Scholarships; and
• Bingham High (South Jordan)—Peer Leadership funding to discourage elementary students from drug abuse and violence.
•       LEAP is a charitable foundation sponsored by local lawyers for the purpose of saving lives and preventing accidental injuries in the community.

Civic Connections Grants
      Social studies teachers Steve Pollock and Janene Crane of Elk Ridge Middle (South Jordan) and Teresa Rex of West Hills Middle (West Jordan) each received $7,500 grants from the National Council for Social Studies. The grants allow these teachers to collaborate in a Civic Connections Program with a focus on implementing community service-learning activities. Workshops for these teachers will be in Seattle in July and Washington, D.C., in November.

High School/Middle School Art Shows
      April 10-20, the Jordan District High School Art Show was held at the Southtowne Center in Sandy. The student-produced art pieces on exhibit were seen by thousands of visitors to the mall, with numerous awards presented. The Middle School Art Show is currently on display at the Southtowne Center and will continue through April 27.

Faculty Art Exhibit
      May 1-12 there will be a faculty and staff art exhibit at the Crane Museum in Riverton, with an open house/artist reception May 8, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Jordan District faculty and staff interested in submitting artwork should contact Julie Christofferson in the Curriculum Department, (801) 567-8376.

P.E. Equipment Needed
      The Special Education Adaptive P.E. (APE) department is looking for any unneeded P.E. equipment, including flat playground or soccer balls. Flat balls are ideal for special needs students. Please contact APE specialists Laurie Larson, Nancy Merrick or Randi Enriquez at the Jordan Resource Center, (801) 565-7584.

ESL Endorsement Applications
      Applications for the 2006-07 ESL Endorsement Program are now available. Pick up a two-page information memo and an application from your principal or download the information from the ALS Web site at web.jordan.k12.ut.us/als/endorsement0607.html . Space is available for approximately 100 participants. Applicants will be placed as their signed application is received in the ALS office. Applications will be accepted through July 5 or until space is filled. If you have questions, please e-mail Deborah Brey, teacher specialist, at deborah.brey@jordan.k12.ut.us .

Garage Sale
      It’s not in a garage and it’s not a sale. The Alternative Language Services Department (ALS) has support materials (games, flashcards, leveled books, chapter books, novels, picture dictionaries, etc.) that were previously used by ESL tutors. ALS will be opening its library doors April 28, 3-5 p.m., so teachers can take materials to use with English language learners in their classrooms. ALS is located at Silver Mesa Elementary, 8920 S. 1700 East, Sandy (follow the signs in the building to find ALS).

Retirement Dinner
      The Jordan Board of Education will host retirement dinners for retirees on May 16 and 17 at 6 p.m. at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Those employees who have submitted retirement letters to the Human Resources Department by May 1 will be invited to one of the dinners.

Back to Top

New Schools Named
Board members approved the names Butterfield Canyon Elementary for the new school opening in Herriman, and Willow Springs Elementary for the new school opening in Draper. Butterfield Canyon Elementary is located at 6860 W. Mary Leizan Lane (13825 South) and the principal is Shelly Davis. Willow Springs Elementary is located at 13322 S. Lone Rock Drive (465 East) and the principal is Sharyle Karren. Both schools will open in July on year-round schedules.

Outstanding Mentor Teacher
Midvale Middle’s Spanish teacher and language department chair, Jason Rogers, was recently honored as BYU’s Outstanding Secondary Education Mentor Teacher in the Spanish and Portuguese Department.

City Choice Award
Priscillia Suchil, first-grade teacher at Rosamond Elementary, Riverton, was recognized by the Riverton City Council with a Riverton City Choice Award for Education. Suchil has been with Jordan District since 1999.

Furniture retailer IKEA donated furniture sets to Draper Elementary (above) and Oak Hollow Elementary as part of a ground-breaking ceremony for its Draper store.

Furniture Donated to Schools
Sweden-based home furnishing retailer IKEA announced it was donating furniture to two Draper-area schools as part of a groundbreaking ceremony April 4. A complete adult furniture set was delivered to Draper Elementary and a children’s set to Oak Hollow Elementary.

Jazz Contest Winner
The Deseret Morning News has reserved a sky box during the April 5 Utah Jazz game for Torrey Longeteig’s seventh-grade honors language arts class from Oquirrh Hills Middle, Riverton. By submitting the most entries, Longeteig’s class won the class prize in the “Cover a Jazz Game Contest.”

Science Fair Success
Nearly 6,000 secondary students participated in science fair projects in their schools. Of these, 130 projects continued on to the Jordan Secondary Science District Fair where 70 projects were chosen to compete in the Central Utah Science and Engineering Fair (CUSEF) at BYU. Students from Jordan District middle and high schools won 107 awards, including seven sweepstakes prizes. The seven sweepstakes-winning students, from Hillcrest and Riverton High Schools, won an all-expense paid trip to compete in the Intel International Science Fair in Indianapolis in May.

Shopping Spree for Grades
The Fabulous Chicas, a Latina support group at Hillcrest High, Midvale, were selected by Operation School Bell to pilot a clothing distribution program for teens. The girls have been working to raise their grades and will be rewarded with a shopping spree at Old Navy. Each girl will receive $125 to purchase school clothes. The following day, the Fabulous Chicas will be the guests of Utah First Lady Mary Kaye Huntsman at the Governor’s mansion, including a tour and question-and-answer session.

History Academy of Teachers
The Jordan History Academy of Teachers 2006 application deadline has been extended until April 20. The five-week academy for history, Language Arts and resource teachers (Grades 4-14) is a rigorous opportunity to increase U.S. history content and pedagogy while being paid. For more information or to obtain an application, contact Pam Su’a, (801) 567-8320.

Graduation Time Change
West Jordan High has changed its graduation to 7 p.m. on June 6. For a complete list of Jordan District high school graduation times and locations, go to www.jordandistrict.org/general/graduationschedule06.htm.

Anti-violence Poster Contest
Salt Lake County Gun Violence Prevention Task Force is sponsoring the 2006 High School Violence Prevention Poster Contest. The 2006 contest is open only to students who attend high schools in the Salt Lake County area. Students who participate create their own poster/ads with anti-violence messages. All entries must be submitted by May 5. Winning entries will be framed and available to all secondary schools in the Salt Lake County area. Prizes include an iPod, DVD player and $100 gift certificates. For contest rules and entry forms, please contact Student Intervention Services, (801) 412-2950.

No Current Next Week
Due to the Spring Break recess, there will be no Current next week. The next issue of Current will be sent by e-mail and available online April 25. Please submit items for this issue by April 21. The print edition of Current will also be distributed April 25.

Retirement Dinners
      The Jordan Board of Education will host retirement dinners for retirees on May 16 and 17 at 6 p.m. at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Those employees who have submitted retirement letters to the Human Resources Department by May 1 will be invited to one of the dinners.

• High School Graduations
        Graduating seniors from Jordan School District will be honored at ceremonies scheduled for the following times and locations:
• Alta High, June 6, 10 a.m., Utah Valley State College McKay Events Center, Orem
  
• Bingham High, June 6, 3 p.m., Utah Valley State College McKay Events Center, Orem
  
• Brighton High, June 6, 2 p.m., E-Center, West Valley City
  
• Copper Hills High, June 6, 10 a.m., E-Center, West Valley City
  
• Hillcrest High, June 6, 6 p.m., E-Center, West Valley City
  
• Jordan High, June 6, 11 a.m., South Towne Expo Center, Sandy
  
• Riverton High, June 6, 7 p.m., South Towne Expo Center, Sandy
  
• West Jordan High, June 6, 7 p.m., Salt Lake Community College Lifetime Activities Center, Taylorsville
  
• Valley High, June 6, 3 p.m., South Towne Expo Center, Sandy
  
• South Valley School, June 6, 3:30 p.m., Jordan High School Auditorium, Sandy
  
• South Park Academy, June 7, 9 a.m., Utah State Prison, Oquirrh Facility, Draper

District History Still Available
     A limited number of The First 100 Years: A History of Jordan School District, written by local author and history teacher Scott Crump and compiled and illustrated by Communications assistant Michael Kelley, are still available. The books are $5 each and can be purchased at the District Office reception desk.

Coach of the Year
      Brad Tingey, boy’s basketball coach at Hillcrest High, Midvale, received the Salt Lake Tribune Coach of the Year award. Hillcrest won 21 games this year, including a 19-game winning streak during the regular season, and advanced to the state semi-finals for the first time since 1986. This is Tingey’s seventh year as head coach at Hillcrest.

Teacher Feature
      Nancy Larsen, clinical faculty associate at Jordan Ridge Elementary, South Jordan, was recently recognized with a KSL Radio “Teacher Feature” award. She was nominated by a co-worker.

Author’s Fair
      The evening of March 23 was a night for the community at Copper Canyon Elementary, West Jordan, to celebrate books. Guest speaker Becky Hall discussed her Utah children’s book, “A is for Arches.” The Copper Canyon Choir provided entertainment by singing under the direction of Lisa Wilson, choir director. Parents were then invited to visit each grade level where samples of books or stories written by students were on display. On March 24, the entire school welcomed local authors and storytellers for an Author’s Fair. Authors, including Suzanne Hudson, Jill Brewer, Jody Warner, Carol Lynch Williams, Richard Walker, K.L. Fogg, and David Farland, told about the books they had written and/or shared their stories with students.

Reading Celebration
      A month-long reading event at Daybreak Elementary, South Jordan, featured celebrity readers, a school-produced book, visits from sports figures and more. On Mondays, staff members wore red shirts bearing the school’s “Score with Reading” slogan. The literacy team wrote a book, “Reading is Cool at Daybreak School,” featuring students reading at the school. Real Salt Lake soccer sponsored the reading month with bookmarks, posters and folders. A professional soccer player and the Jazz Bear visited the school. South Jordan Mayor Kent Money and Principal Doree Strauss joined representatives from the South Jordan Police and Fire Departments as celebrity early morning readers.

One Million Minutes of Reading
      Students at Draper Elementary read more than one million minutes, earning them a visit from Utah Jazz player Greg Ostertag in the Jazz Reading contest. Ostertag read to students and handed out books, Jazz calendars and posters.

Students 'Pie' Teachers
      Students at South Jordan Middle threw almost 200 pies at teachers as a reward for raising nearly $10,000 for Operation Smile. The students also collected more than 900 pounds of supplies for the humanitarian organization. A representative from Operation Smile was on hand to accept the donation. Several local newspapers and television stations ran stories about the event. Last year, Operation Smile volunteers provided 8,359 children in 24 countries with surgeries to repair facial deformities caused by cleft palates.

Culture Night
      Seventh-grade language arts students celebrated diversity at West Hills Middle’s fifth annual Culture Night. This was the West Jordan school’s culminating event of a quarter filled with learning about diversity and acceptance through reading and writing. The evening included cultural displays, posters, ethnic snacks and a cultural program.

Back to Top

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.