DECEMBER 2005

Athletic Director Award
      Marc Hunter, athletic director at Jordan High, Sandy, was named a 2005 recipient of the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Distinguished Service Award. The award is given annually to eight athletic administrators throughout the United States. Hunter is only the fourth person from Utah to receive this award. The award was presented at the National Athletic Directors Conference in Orlando Dec. 18.

Educator of the Month
      Elizabeth Mayhew, resource teacher at Welby Elementary, South Jordan, was named Educator of the Month by the Midvale Kiwanis. She was honored during the group’s monthly luncheon.

Disney Award Nominees
      Ellen Curtis, preschool special education teacher, and Lisa Affleck, sixth-grade teacher, both at Monte Vista Elementary, South Jordan, are being recognized for success in the classroom as Disney Teacher Award nominees. They were nominated by parents.

Teacher Feature
      Sheri Vickers, preschool special education teacher at Copper Canyon Elementary, West Jordan, was recently recognized on the KSL Radio “Teacher Feature” program. She was nominated by a parent.

Jump-a-thon Award
      The Utah Heart Association presented Elk Meadows Elementary, South Jordan, with the Jump-a-thon of the Year Award. The award is a traveling plaque given to the school that raises the most money. Students at Elk Meadows raised more than $9,000 for the Save-a-Heart Foundation. This is the second year the school has won the traveling trophy.

Holiday Giving
      Schools and departments continue to provide information on the many charitable activities conducted by students and staff this holiday season. Following are some received this week. We will continue to highlight the District’s many charitable events in upcoming issues. Please send details to Mike Kelley at michael.kelley@jordan.k12.ut.us.

• The student service team at Union Middle, Sandy, under the direction of adviser and art teacher Cami Lloyd donated a pink “Tree for the Cure” Christmas tree to the Festival of Trees. Students donated time after school to make stained glass, wired bead and gingerbread ornaments as well as decorate the tree. Jackie Dazley, family consumer science teacher, provided assistance with the gingerbread decorations. The tree was decorated in shades of pink and topped with a stained glass star. The culminating activity was a field trip to the Festival of Trees on opening day to see the tree on display. The tree was purchased by a local business.
• Members of West Jordan High's FFA raised $540 for a Sub-for-Santa project. In addition, coats and a bike were donated. FFA members shopped for the family, wrapped and delivered the gifts.
• The Jordan Chapter of the School Nutrition Association raised $1,500 for a Sub-for-Santa project. Chapter board members decided to sponsor families of Nutrition Services Department employees.
• Janelle Thomas’ second-grade class at Draper Elementary decorated and donated a tree to the Festival of Trees. Titled “Reindeer at Recess,” the tree included student-made reindeer decorations. In addition, Draper Elementary student council held its annual canned food drive for the Utah Food Bank, collecting several hundred pounds of canned food.
• Students at Albion Middle, Sandy, are raising funds to assist a fellow student's family whose home was recently destroyed by fire.
• More than 1,300 pairs of children’s pajamas were collected by students at Sunrise Elementary, Sandy, as part of their “Share the Warmth” service project. The pajamas, along with donated scarves, gloves, hats and toys, will be wrapped and presented by Santa Claus to children at various area homeless shelters.
• Students at West Jordan Middle far exceeded both money and food donation goals set for the school’s annual Sub-for-Santa fund-raising event. Cash donations, all going to the Red Cross, reached a record $3,059. Food and hygiene items were also collected with a portion going to needy families in the area and the surplus (enough to fill many shelves) going to the Utah Food Bank.
• Students in Mandy Braby’s kindergarten classes at South Jordan Elementary are donating used books to the Road Home homeless shelter. Each student will wrap a few books as a fine motor activity to give to the children at the shelter for Christmas.

Sabbatical Leave Meeting
      Teachers interested in taking sabbatical or educational leave in the next year are invited to a meeting Jan. 12, 4:30 p.m., in the ISC classroom or Jan. 17, 4:30 p.m., in the curriculum conference room at the District Office. The deadline for submitting leave applications is Feb. 1. 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).

No Current Next Week
      The Board of Education and District Administration extend holiday greetings and best wishes for a happy new year to all employees and their families. During Winter Recess, the District Office building is open Dec. 28-30, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. The office is closed Dec. 23, 26, 27 and Jan. 2. There will be no Current Dec. 27 or Jan. 3. The next issue of Current will be sent by e-mail and available online Jan. 10. Please submit items for this issue by Jan. 6.

Custodian of the Month
      Larry Hayward, head custodian at Union Middle, Sandy, was named Custodian of the Month for November by the Custodial Services Department. He has been with the District since 1983.

Teacher Feature
      Alan LaFleur, fourth-grade teacher at Bluffdale Elementary, was recently recognized on the KSL Radio “Teacher Feature” program. He was nominated by a family in the community.

Disney Teacher Award
      Zeke Totland, language arts teacher at Indian Hills Middle, Sandy, is being recognized for success in the classroom as a Disney Teacher Award Nominee. As the next step in the awards process, he is now submitting an application to be considered for the 2006 Disney Teacher of the Year Award. Disney Teacher Awards honor teachers whose approaches exemplify creativity in teaching and who inspire a joy of learning in their students. Four honorees will be announced in late spring and celebrated at a red-carpet Awards Gala in July.

Exemplary Art Teacher
     Kristeen Lindorf, art teacher at Riverton High, will travel to Miami for a reception to honor her for exemplary teaching. Florida First Lady Columba Bush will be part of the Feb. 10 reception. She will be accompanied by a student whose artwork was selected last year to tour the country on an AP art exhibit.

Holiday Giving
      Thank you to everyone who provided information on the many charitable activities conducted by schools and departments. Following are some received this week. We will continue to highlight the District’s many charitable events in upcoming issues. Please send information about your fund-raising activities to Mike Kelley at michael.kelley@jordan.k12.ut.us.

• Students at the Genesis Youth Facility, Draper, under the direction of adviser Tracey Timothy, decorated and donated a tree to The Festival of Trees. Titled “Rainbow of Life,” the tree was decorated with items from the garden: shovels and trowels, dried flowers, bird houses and feeders, a bench, a planter box and hand-painted seed packets.
• With a survey of students showing drug and alcohol abuse as a top concern, student body officers at Riverton High selected Odyssey House as the target of its annual fund-raising campaign. The campaign includes education about drug and alcohol abuse in addition to fun lunchroom activities, a Jon Schmidt charity concert, and the students collecting from local businesses. One group of students spent nine hours on a Saturday afternoon sheet rocking a disabled man’s basement and several more hours at another house doing yard work. In the first five days of this event, the students collected more than $5,000. Last year’s campaign, directed toward a shelter for abused women, raised nearly $56,000, thought to be the highest high school fund-raising total ever in Utah.
• The student council at Altara Elementary, Sandy, is directing a food drive for donations to the Utah Food Bank. Cans are reportedly already stacked high at the school.
• Students in Michelle Daly’s sixth-grade class at Bluffdale Elementary knitted caps for use by the Student Intervention Services Department. The caps will be distributed to homeless children in the District.
• Jordan High, Sandy, is collecting food for the Utah Food Bank through Dec. 21. Sophomore houses are competing against each other to see which house collects the most. Top classes collecting the most food will also win prizes. In addition, students have a 10-day period in which they can use 20 cans of food to remove each parking ticket they may have received at the school. Jiffy Lube is matching the school’s food donations.

Literacy Celebration Day
      A “Celebration of Literacy Day” at Bluffdale Elementary featured events that involved students, parents and authors. The morning kicked off with an internationally acclaimed reading professor from BYU addressing parents on ways they can ensure a student’s success in reading. Visiting authors Kim Justesen, James Dashner and Kathleen Jones then shared experiences in age-appropriate breakout sessions. Three rotations within each grade followed addressing various writing topics. At the end of the day, each student received a new book. The activity was planned and orchestrated by the school’s Literacy Committee, chaired by literacy facilitator Vickie Johnston.

Programs Target Bullying
      The student council at Copperview Elementary, Midvale, has been educating each class to “Take a Stand” against bullies. The week-long program was the student council’s idea to help improve behavior at school and on the playground. The program has given students and their peers an effective way to stop the bullying and have positive peer interactions. Student council advisers are LaNae Goates, Anne McConnell, Mary Smith, and Principal Brent Shaw.
      An anti-bullying campaign at Sandy Elementary is credited for dramatic changes in disciplinary actions at the school this year. The “Stamp Out Bullying” program kicked off early in the year with a visit from a motivational speaker on the topic. Each class then had guest teachers conducting lessons emphasizing the importance of respect, caring and responsibility using the Discovery Health program. The school also implemented a “Principal’s 200 Club” and Students of the Week.

Grant for Elementary Schools
      The Comcast Foundation recently provided a $5,730 grant to the Jordan Education Foundation. The grant, in recognition of local Comcast employee volunteers and their families who volunteered on Comcast Cares Day, will be used to benefit Majestic Elementary, West Jordan, and Sandy Elementary.

Retirement Open House
      Sherrie Rubink, fourth-grade teacher at Altara Elementary, Sandy, is retiring after 20 years of service. An open house will be held in her honor Dec. 16, 2:15-3 p.m. in the school’s media center.

• National Board Certified Teachers
•      Five Jordan District teachers and one principal recently earned National Board Certification:
• Sara Andreason, Westland Elementary, West Jordan;
• Tammi Bird, Hayden Peak Elementary, West Jordan;
• Heather Christopher, Bingham High, South Jordan;
• Verla Sperry, Midvalley Elementary, Midvale;
• Terri Summers, principal, Southland Elementary, Riverton;
• Larue Urquardt, Bingham High, South Jordan.
•      National Board Certification, offered through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, is a process designed to certify teachers by meeting rigorous standards of performance. Six of the eight Utah educators receiving certification this year were from Jordan District. Jordan now has 22 National Board Certified teachers, far more than any other district in the state.

Special Education Award
     Donna Suter, Ph.D., placement specialist in the Special Education Department, recently received the H. Kenton Reavis Special Educator Award from the Utah Council for Children with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders (UCCBD). The award recognizes an individual who makes significant efforts to improve the lives of students with emotional or behavior disorders. The award was presented at the UCCBD Annual Conference.

Science Grant
     Vicky Ginsburg, science teacher at Union Middle, Sandy, was awarded a grant in the amount of $4,375 from the Utah Credit Union Education Foundation. The grant will be used to purchase equipment to support Utah’s core science curriculum and the department’s instructional goals.

Teacher Feature
     Jan Harding, kindergarten teacher at Crescent Elementary, Sandy, was recognized on the KSL Radio “Teacher Feature” program. She was nominated by students in her class.

Custodial Program Piloted
     Westland Elementary, West Jordan, was selected by the Custodial Services Department as the pilot school for the computerized software program for the Jordan Custodial Operating System (JCOS). The software, “Breeze,” integrates all parts of the JCOS program including budgeting, supply purchasing, scheduling and performance auditing. Terra Linda Elementary, West Jordan, will be the next school to introduce the software.

Holiday Charity
      As we enter the holiday season, we once again want to spotlight the many charitable activities conducted by schools and departments. Please send information about your fund-raising activities to Mike Kelley at michael.kelley@jordan.k12.ut.us. Here are a few received so far:

• Students at Quail Hollow Elementary, Sandy, collected more than 2,000 food items during its November food drive for the Utah Food Bank. The school’s student council organized the drive of adviser Kim Jones.
• West Jordan High kicked off its Sub-for-Santa fundraising activity with an assembly Dec. 2 featuring Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. Several students cut their hair to donate to Locks of Love and other students and staff shared personal stories of cancer loss and survival. On Dec. 12, the high school will host a Family Fun Fair including prize booths, rides, silent auction and a kissing booth. All proceeds will go to the Huntsman Cancer Institute.
• The student council at Jordan Hills Elementary, West Jordan, with the help of advisers Robyn Gines and Heather Bachman, sponsored a food drive for the Utah Food Bank. For exceeding the school’s goal, Principal Shelly Davis had a pie thrown in her face, Assistant Principal Annette Huff ate a worm and Intern Assistant Principal Sandra Dahl-Houlihan had a student put makeup on her. All three then went down a 15-foot slide into a pool of water. Students colleted 4,135 cans of food.
• Elk Ridge Middle, South Jordan, collected $5,600 during its holiday fundraising activity, well over the school’s $4,000 goal. The fundraiser was lead by the school’s student body officers and adviser James Olsen. The money will be donated to Primary Children’s Medical Center, KUTV “Angel Tree” and the Utah Food Bank.
• Jordan Resource Center, Midvale, is holding its annual Angel Tree Silent Auction. All proceeds will be used to purchase Christmas gifts for Angel Tree Angels. Last year, the auction raised more than $3,000 and gifts were provided for 80 angels. Auction items are currently on display in the main hall of the Jordan Resource Center. The bidding closes at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 9. Please contact Becky Ahlberg, (801) 565-7189, with any questions. Items for donation are still being accepted.
• Floral design students at Jordan Applied Technology Center, Sandy Campus, entered two trees in the Festival of Trees. One tree, titled “Rock ‘n Roll Christmas,” included a full set of rock band instruments and a student-created quilt. The other, called “Winter Wedding,” featured a complete wedding, including bride’s dress, tuxedo rentals and a cake. Students raised money to create the trees by growing and selling 400 flats of pansies earlier in the year.

Dads & Donuts
     Edgemont Elementary, Sandy, recently held its second annual “Dads & Donuts” reading activity. Students enjoyed donuts and juice while reading with dads for an hour before school. PTA volunteers served the refreshments which were donated by Albertson’s, Smith’s and McDonald’s. More than 550 students attended with their dads.

 Masters of Education from Southern Utah University
     All teachers who have completed, or are working on, ESL or elementary math endorsements through Southern Utah University (SUU) and are interested in obtaining a master’s of education from SUU, are invited to attend an informational meeting Dec. 9, 4-5 p.m., in Board Room A at the District Office. The meeting will include information on the admission process, timeline for courses and cost. Teachers who completed endorsements through other universities may also attend if courses were graduate-level and transcripted. For more information, contact Lyn Burningham, Alternative Language Services, (801) 567-8278, or Barbara Kuehl, Curriculum and Staff Development, (801) 567-8377.

Seeking Knee Braces
     Jordan Resource Center (JRC), Midvale, is seeking knee braces to use in its Diversity Awareness Training Program. To donate a used knee brace, call JRC, (801) 565-7584, or e-mail Laurie Larson, laurie.larson@jordan.k12.ut.us. JRC staff will pick up the braces. Please note that Diversity Awareness Training is available to all schools by contacting JRC.

• Retirement Open Houses
• Tina Butterfield, Nutrition Services coordinator, is retiring after 30 years of District service. An open house will be held in her honor Dec. 20, 3-5:30 p.m. at the Auxiliary Services Building Auditorium.
• Shauna Dean, second-grade teacher at Mountain Shadows Elementary, West Jordan, is retiring after 30 years in Jordan District. An open house will be held in her honor Dec. 14, 3-5 p.m. in the school’s media center.
• John Gardner, principal at Jordan Valley School, Midvale, is retiring after 34 years in Jordan District. An open house will be held in his honor Dec.16, 2:30-5 p.m. at Jordan Valley School.
• Loren Hennick, sixth-grade teacher at Mountain Shadows Elementary, West Jordan, is retiring after 30 years in Jordan District. An open house will be held in his honor Dec. 14, 3-5 p.m. in the school’s media center.
• Ann White, principal at Eastmont Middle, Sandy, is retiring after 27 years in Jordan District. An open house will be held in her honor Dec.12, 4-5 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

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.