Tour de Literature
      Students at Crescent Elementary are on a virtual bike ride across the United States in the “Le Tour de Literature.” Minutes read are translated into miles and mapped to show how far the school has traveled on its bike ride. A U.S. map shows the student’s route across the country. Each month the grade with the most minutes receives a “yellow jersey” to display. The school has read more than 550,000 minutes since the ride began.

Food Drive
      Students at Foothills Elementary collected more than 14,500 food items for the Utah Food Bank, easily surpassing the school’s previous record of 10,000 items. Students dunked teachers and staff in a dunk tank to reward all the hard work.

Author’s Day
     Copper Canyon Elementary held its third annual Author’s Day Jan. 25. Authors attending the event included Alvinia Kwong, Howard Fullmer, Brandon Sanderson and Jessica Day George. The authors stayed for lunch, provided by local sponsors, and signed books for students. The yearly activity promotes literacy for elementary-age students.

REAL Mascot Kicks Off Reading Program
      On Jan. 24, Midvale Elementary kicked off its reading program with a surprise visit from REAL Salt Lake mascot Leo the Lion. The five-week program lets students earn REAL ticket vouchers for meeting weekly reading goals. 

Chess Tournament
     West Jordan High is hosting a chess tournament Feb. 2 for any players in grades K-12. Registration fee is $10. All players must register by Jan. 31. Additional information and registration details are available at www.jordandistrict.org/general/news/chess.html.

JATC Open Houses
      The Jordan Applied Technology Centers in West Jordan and Sandy will be holding their annual Open Houses on Feb. 7, 4-8 p.m. This is a great opportunity for staff, students, parents, and the community to see the tremendous programs offered to high school students at these campuses. For additional information, please call (801) 256-5700 for the Sandy Campus or (801) 256-5900 for the West Jordan Campus.

National School Counseling Week
       Feb. 4-8 is National School Counseling Week. This is a great time to celebrate the great things that are happening in schools as a result of the accomplishments of school counselors. Additional information and ideas for recognizing school counselors are available at www.schoolcounselor.org.

Donate Your Tax Refund
      When filing your 2007 state tax returns, please consider contributing a portion of your refund to Jordan Education Foundation. It’s easy, and it means so much to Jordan teachers and schools. Page 2, line 19 of Utah form TC-40 allows taxpayers to designate any amount as a contribution to the Foundation. To donate, fill in Line 19 with Code 05 (School District and Nonprofit School District Foundation), enter a dollar amount and indicate School District Code 14 (Jordan). Jordan Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supporting students, teachers and schools in Jordan District. One-hundred percent of donations are used for Foundation programs, such as mini-grants for teachers, student medical assistance, student scholarships and educator awards. For more information, visit www.jordaneducationfoundation.org.

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Be Patient with Snow Removal
      Recent storms have left accumulated snow that may create safety concerns in some locations. Jordan District snow removal contractors work to remove snow in a timely manner, but large storms, such as the one this past weekend, often take extra time. Crews from the Maintenance Department are also assisting in snow clean up. It may take up to a week to remove snow in all the impacted areas. Please be patient and work with your custodial staff to make sure walkways are cleared and salted. Snow will be removed as soon as possible.

Payroll Information
     Tax withholding changes: Please note that January’s pay reflects changes to state and federal tax withholdings based on new tax tables for 2008.
     W-2 distribution: W-2’s are being distributed this week. Please keep track of your W-2 for income tax purposes. A $5 fee is charged to replace a W-2. Note that any money deducted as a flex benefit on your check (such as insurance premiums, dental, etc.) does not show on your W-2 as it is tax-exempt money.
     Address changes: It the responsibility of each employee to keep home addresses current with the District Office. If your address is not correct on your deposit slip, please fill out a change-of-address form. Forms can be found on the Payroll Department Web site at www.jordandistrict.org/depts/payroll.

Outstanding Teacher Award
      Jennifer Howe, seventh-grade science and biology teacher at South Jordan Middle, was selected by members of the MESA/STEP Industry Advisory Council to receive the 2007-08 Outstanding Teacher Award. She will be honored Feb. 15 at the 2008 Utah Engineering Council awards ceremony where she will receive a plaque and $100. In addition to being a MESA adviser, Howe also serves on the Student Assistant Team and is co-chair of the South Jordan Middle Literacy Team.

A Million Reading Minutes
     Quail Hollow Elementary celebrated a “million minutes of reading” Jan. 14. Each classroom earned a “million” pieces of popcorn to mark this major milestone. Quail Hollow is participating in the Ken Garff Road-to-Success reading program, and is well on its way to achieving its goal.

• School Service and Fundraising Projects
• Each student council representative at Butler Elementary made a poster to hang on classroom doors touting the school’s Red Cross fundraising drive. Students brought in coins, bills, and checks totaling $2,274.
• Students in Valley High's Peer Leadership groups made 120 Christmas stockings and collected nearly $900 to fill them with toys and treats. The stockings were given to children at the Midvale Boys and Girls Club. The effort was lead by counselors Raylene Glover, Val Brandt and David Tangaro.
• Students at Jordan High raised $29,134 during the school’s annual fundraising drive, the most in its 100-year history. Through the Make-a-Wish Foundation, the donation will allow three children to go to Disney World, one to go on a Disney Cruise, and one to have a safe playground built in his backyard. Student council members collected more than $1,000 in 15 minutes during the annual “ashtray cleanout” in the parking lot as students left school, among other fundraising projects.

Geography Bee
      On Jan. 11, Columbia Elementary held its National Geographic Bee for students in fourth through sixth grades. Fox 13 News’ Big Budah covered festivities surrounding the “Being Schooled in Geography” event live that morning. Teacher Dave Wright spearheaded the event.

Science Fair Judges Needed
      Judges are needed for the Fifth and Sixth Grades District Science Fair to be held Feb. 29, 3:30-6:30 p.m., at Daybreak Elementary. Any Jordan District teacher is invited to judge. Those who have not judged a science fair before will be required to attend a one-hour training meeting. You will be paid for the training and the judging. For more information, contact Paul Nance, paul.nance@jordan.k12.ut.us, by Feb. 1. (Please do not respond if you have already committed to be a judge.)

Classified Survey Available
      The classified negotiations survey for the 2008-09 school year is now available online. Classified employees can participate in the survey by going to www.useautah.org and selecting “USEA Surveys.” The deadline to complete the survey is Jan. 31.

Math and Science Professional Development
      Jordan District is offering a unique opportunity to apply concepts learned from USOE/USU Summer Core Academy classes by aligning math and science curriculum during follow-up sessions. At these sessions, designed for those who attended past Summer Core Academy classes, participants can integrate these curricular areas. You are invited to attend Jan. 31 and Feb. 26, 4:30-6:30 p.m., at Mount Jordan Middle. Because of the nature of the core alignment, we ask that you plan to attend both days. You will receive a stipend of $100 and five re-licensure points upon completion of the core connections created during these professional development meetings. There is a limit of 25 teachers per grade, offered a first-come basis. (Because this was offered first to 2007 CORE Academy participants, the kindergarten and first-grade classes are full.) The deadline to register for the course is Jan. 29. Please e-mail Becky DeHaan, becky.dehaan@jordan.k12.ut.us, if you are interested. If you have questions, contact Vicki Smith, vicki.smith@jordan.k12.ut.us, Tami Bird, tami.bird@jordan.k12.ut.us, or Paul Nance, paul.nance@jordan.k12.ut.us.

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District Division Updates
      The Salt Lake County Council recently approved new board of education voting precincts for Jordan District and the new school district. Transition teams representing both districts are also meeting regularly to allocate assets. The new precinct maps, transition team meeting schedules and other details are available at www.jordandistrict.org/division. Updated information is posted as it becomes available.

Featured by UEN
      Pam Su’a, social studies consultant in the Curriculum Department, was featured by Utah Education Network in its monthly professional development feature. The feature (available online at www.uen.org/News/article.cgi?category_id=338&article_id=2118) includes a recorded interview with Su’a about Jordan District and using technology to teach.

• Holiday Charity
• Oquirrh Hills and Fort Herriman Middle Schools raised almost $29,000 together as part of Sub-for-Santa projects. Fort Herriman Middle also raised nearly $25,000 in food for the Utah Food Bank.
• The PTA at Columbia Elementary sponsored a drive to collect winter clothing. During the week of Jan. 2-5, staff members distributed the collected gloves and hats to students who said they did not have gloves or hats to wear outside during recesses.
• The Terra Linda Elementary student council organized a food drive for the Utah Food Bank. Students collected 3,011 items, well over the expected 2,000 items.

Hope Squad Focuses on Suicide Prevention
     Riverton High’s Hope Squad, in conjunction with Riverton City, held its annual Hope Week Jan. 7-12. Activities focused informing students about alternatives to suicide and culminated with a community walk from the school to the Riverton City offices. Riverton High’s counseling staff organized the Hope Squad in 2006 after the tragic deaths of five students the previous year. Some of those deaths were suicides.

• School Music Highlights
• The Jordan High A Capella choir ended a busy holiday season by performing with the Utah Symphony in its annual Here Comes Santa Claus concert. Symphony Director David Chang gave students a rare opportunity by working with them several times at the school before the concerts. In addition, the Jordan High English Hand Bell Choir performed with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in the rededication of the Utah State Capitol Building.
• Fifty students from the West Hills Middle advanced choirs, under the direction of Victor Neves, performed the national anthem and other patriotic songs on the grand staircase of the State Capitol. The performance was part of the State Capitol rededication open house.

National Board Certification Meetings
      Teachers interested in pursuing National Board Certification and also earning a Master’s of Arts in Teaching are encouraged to attend an information meeting on both programs. Jordan District will begin a new round of candidates for National Board Certification in the spring. National University is recruiting teachers for a year-long masters program and the program is geared specifically for teachers who are working on their National Board Certifications. The information meeting will be held Jan. 30, 4 p.m., in the Board Rooms at the District Office. Scholarships are available for National Board Certification. If you have questions, please call Pam Su’a, social studies consultant, (810) 567-8320.
      A meeting is also scheduled for candidates pursuing National Board Certification who did not certify this year. Information on mentoring, retake fees and other help needed will be given at a meeting Feb. 6, 3:30 p.m., in the Instructional Support Center at the District Office. If you have questions, please call Pam Su’a, social studies consultant, (810) 567-8320.

Retirement Planning Seminar
      A retirement planning course, sponsored by the Jordan Education Foundation, is available for individuals close to retirement or in the early stages of retirement planning. The tuition fee of $59 covers all course materials. Registered attendees may bring one guest at no extra charge. The course runs three consecutive Wednesday evenings, Feb. 6, 13, and 20, 6:30 p.m., in Board Room A at the District Office. Class size is limited. Call (801) 453-2340 for registration information. Greg Williams, Intermountain Financial Education, is the course instructor.

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• Holiday Charity
• The student council at Monte Vista Elementary raised money for KSL’s Quarters for Christmas in December. Students surpassed last year's record of $900 by donating $1,382 this year. Students also earned gold stars placed on Christmas trees by serving others during the month.
• Students at Riverton High raised more than $80,000 for the Center for Women and Children in Crisis, based in Provo, as part of its Silver Rush service-learning project. Fundraising activities included community caroling, camping out in the cold, knocking on doors, and doing odd jobs like wrapping presents and shoveling snow.
• On the suggestion of a second-grade student, Sandy Elementary students donated blankets and coats to the homeless. Teachers reported it took four separate trips to drop off all the items collected.
• The Sunrise Elementary student council spearheaded a project to donate new items to the Christmas Box House, a temporary shelter for abused or neglected children. Among the more than 1,300 items collected were toys, games, arts and crafts, toiletries, baby supplies, clothes and shoes.
• Sunset Ridge Middle students, staff and parents donated more than $2,000 to KSL’s Quarters for Christmas program for the third straight year. This year’s $2,464 was the highest total in the school’s three-year history.

Thank You to Bus Drivers
     Butterfield Canyon Elementary hosted a “thank-you” breakfast for all the bus drivers who deliver students to and from the school. Teachers and staff cooked pancakes and sausage, and provided each driver with a gift.

Service-Learning Grants
      Grants are available through Student Intervention Services to teachers or schools for service-learning activities. The activities and/or projects must be connected to core curriculum objectives and will be funded at a minimum of $200, with additional funds available according to the scope of the project. An orientation meeting will be held Jan. 14, 4-5:30 p.m., at the Auxiliary Services Building, Room 351. The following will be discussed: writing the grant, components of service learning, and how to connect a project to the curriculum. Anyone considering applying for a grant should plan to attend. For more information, contact Jeani Mulliner,
(801) 412-2953, jeani.mulliner@jordan.k12.ut.us.

Sabbatical/Educational Leave Meetings
      Teachers interested in taking sabbatical leave in the next year are invited to a meeting Jan. 15, 4 p.m., in the Curriculum Conference Room at the District Office. Those interested in taking educational leave in the next year are invited to a meeting Jan. 22, 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 Amanda Hansen, Curriculum and Staff Development Department, (801) 567-8319.

JCIRA Meeting
      The Jordan Council of the International Reading Association (JCIRA) will meet Jan. 14, 4:30-5:30 p.m., at East Sandy Elementary. Jan Givins will give a lesson on literature and technology. Anyone interested is invited to attend.

American Stars of Teaching Award
      The U.S. Department of Education’s Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative is accepting nominations for 2008 American Stars of Teaching until March 31. 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. Teachers across all grade levels and disciplines will be honored this fall. To nominate a teacher, go to www.ed.gov/teachers/how/tools/initiative/index.html.

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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.