| Legislative Update If Governor Huntsman has his way, school districts will see a seven-percent increase in the weighted pupil unit (WPU) for public education. Legislative leaders, on the other hand, are debating another $2,500 pay hike directly to teachers along with a three-percent WPU boost. These and many other public education issues will be decided on Utah’s Capitol Hill between now and the official close of the Legislature March 5. Jordan District employees are encouraged to participate in the legislative process by contacting representatives on matters of concern to them. Following are a few key bills legislators are debating this session and official positions taken by education organizations (see key below). For additional details and updates on education-related legislation, go to www.jordandistrict.org/general/ news/legislative_update.htm. HB 96: Retired Teachers - Return to Work – Amends the six-month post-retirement wait period for reemployment with the same agency to 67 days for licensed educators who are at least 62 years of age and retire and are reemployed from the same school district. S: USBE, USBA, PTA, UEA, UAESP, UASSP, USEA. HB 194: Class Size Reduction in Kindergarten Through Grade Three – Establishes an additional appropriation for class size reduction for schools that participate in the K-3 Class Size Reduction Incentive Program. S: USBE, PTA, UEA, USEA. HB 244: State School Board - Elections and Districts – Requires members of the State Board of Education to be elected in partisan elections. O: USBE, USBA, PTA, UEA, UASSP, USEA. HB 278: Charter School Funding Amendments – Annually increases the maximum student capacity of charter schools and requires a school district to provide an allocation of local revenues for each resident student who attends a charter school. O: USBE, USBA, PTA, UASSP. HJR 4: Joint Resolution Urging School Closings to Recognize Veterans Day – Urges the State Board of Education to close public schools on Veterans Day. O: USBE, USBA. SB 35: Differentiated Pay for Teachers – Requires a school district or charter school to provide a salary supplement of $5,000 to a teacher who fills a mathematics or science position for which there is a critical shortage of qualified personnel. S: PTA; O: UEA, USEA. SB 36: Charter and Online Schools - Participation in Extracurricular Activities – Provides that a charter school student is eligible to participate in extracurricular activities not offered by the student’s charter school at the public school within whose boundaries the student’s custodial parent or legal guardian resides. O: USBE, USBA, UEA, UASSP, USEA. SB 41: Extended School Year Incentive – Provides grants to school districts to pay for costs relating to converting to an extended school year schedule. O: USBA. SB 48: Equalization of School Capital Outlay Funding – Allocates revenue to school districts located within a qualifying divided school district and establishes a combined capital property tax rate a school district must impose to receive a full distribution. O: USBA, UEA. SB 71: School District Amendments – Extends the deadline by which (school district division) transition teams are to determine the allocation of existing school district property; requires transition teams to consider the value of school buildings and associated property in making the allocation of other existing district property; requires an existing school district to make money available to the remaining district and the new district. O: USBA. |
Teacher of the Year
Todd Monson, science teacher at Oquirrh Hills Middle, was named Earth Systems Teacher of the Year at the Utah Science Teachers annual conference. Monson has been teaching for 16 years.
Great Public Schools Award
Lauren Flygare, band and orchestra teacher at West Jordan Middle, was one of two educators honored during half-time at the Feb. 19 Utah Jazz game as recipient of the Utah Jazz/Utah Education Association Great Public Schools Celebration Award. The Jazz and UEA introduced the program in 2007 as an opportunity for educators throughout the state to showcase the great accomplishments of Utah public schools. In addition to being recognized at the Jazz game, this year’s recipients receive dinner for two, an award plaque and a visit to their school by the Utah Jazz Bear.
Teacher Textbook to be Published
Kathy Nuttall, veterinary technology teacher at the Jordan Applied Technology Center, West Jordan Campus, will have her textbook published. The text will help veterinary assistant/technicians better understand and care for the many varieties of exotic animals showing up at veterinary hospitals for treatment. The book will be distributed through Thompson Delmar Publishing.
School Newspaper Award
Riverton High’s school newspaper, The Silver Scribe, earned first place in the overall design category during the Utah High School Writers and Photographers Clinic 2007 Competition. The clinic is sponsored by the Journalism Education Association, the Salt Lake Tribune and the University of Utah. The newspaper’s adviser is English teacher April Squires.
Teachers Meet Nobel Laureate
Two Jordan District science teachers and students they each selected attended a black tie gala event featuring Mario Capecchi, Nobel Prize winner from the University of Utah. Students attending with teachers Janis Taylor, Bingham High, and Kathy Blattman, Riverton High, were photographed with Capecchi to finish the evening.
Science Fairs
Secondary grades: The secondary science fair was held Feb. 20-21 at Riverton High. Some 120 students were selected from more than 6,000 entries Districtwide to compete at the District fair. A total of 80 student projected were selected to compete at a regional science fair at BYU March 26-27.
Fifth- and sixth-grades: The fifth- and sixth-grades District Science Fair will be held Feb. 28-29 at Daybreak Elementary. The fair is open to the public 6:30-7:30 p.m. Feb. 29.
Third- and fourth-grades: The third- and fourth-grades District Science Fair will be held April 18, 5-7:30 p.m., at Monte Vista Elementary. Teachers interested in participating with their classes, please contact Paul Nance at paul.nance@jordan.k12.ut.us. He will provide information for the grade-coordinating teacher and students participating in the District fair.
Nominate a Teacher for a Huntsman Award
Know an outstanding teacher worthy of a $10,000 bonus? Nomination forms for the 16th annual Huntsman Awards for Excellence in Education are now available from your school or at www.huntsman.com/haee. The 2008 awards will go to six teachers, three administrators and a volunteer. Each comes with a $10,000 check and a crystal obelisk. The nomination deadline is April 2 at 5 p.m.
Service Learning Grants
Service learning mini-grants are available through Student Intervention Services to teachers or schools for service-learning activities. 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. Projects must be completed by May 2. For more information or to obtain a mini-grant application contact Jeani Mulliner, (801) 412-2953, jeani.mulliner@jordan.k12.ut.us.
Transition Team Member Appointed
Jordan Board of Education members representing the District’s west side appointed Melissa Johnson, a West Jordan City Council member, to replace Don Wallace on the Jordan District Transition Team. Wallace, president of the Real Estate Division, chief operating officer and general counsel for The Sorenson Group, resigned due to increased business responsibilities. Johnson has been serving as a Transition Team alternate. Transition Teams representing the new school district and the remaining Jordan District have been meeting since December to allocate assets and liabilities between the two school districts. The latest updates and minutes from Transition Team meetings are posted on the Jordan School District Web site at www.jordandistrict.org/division as soon as they are available.
Special Education Sports Day
Special educators, mark your calendars for the annual Sports Day, May 16. Special education students in grades one through six are invited to participate. Please contact Laurie Larson, Nancy Merrick or Kami Cote at Jordan Resource Center, (801) 565-7584.
E-mail and Network Updates
In an effort to improve District e-mail services, Information Systems implemented a system upgrade. All employees’ existing e-mail, folders, passwords and contact information should remain intact through the upgrade. The only difference employees will experience is a new look when accessing e-mail online at http://mailbox.jordandistrict.org:8383. Employees can also continue to access their e-mail via the District Web site by clicking on “Employees” and then “Web mail.”
In addition, Internet and network response times have been slowed recently due to equipment failure. Information Systems is in the process of replacing the equipment. In the meantime, the network will continue to be slow. If you have problems or concerns, please contact the User Support Help Desk at (801) 567-8737.
Outstanding Educator Award Nominations
Each school in the District is invited to nominate educators for the Jordan Education Foundation Outstanding Educator Awards. An awards committee selects winners who each receive a $1,000 cash award. His or her school also receives $500. Criteria for nominations include qualities that set the teacher apart from others; his or her support of student learning outside the classroom; teaching style, attitude, and values that contribute to student success; and projects that make a difference in students’ lives. Nomination forms can be found at www.jordaneducationfoundation.org/Educator.html. Forms must be submitted online by Feb. 29.
At-risk Student Scholarship Nominations
Jordan Education Foundation scholarships are awarded to high school seniors who may have suffered through and overcome a period of poor academic performance or tough personal circumstances, demonstrate a genuine desire to further their education, are most deserving, and have great potential but have little or no chance of other financial assistance for continued schooling. Students are nominated by high school principals in collaboration with counselors, teachers and others. One scholarship is given to each of the District’s nine high schools for the selected senior. The students each receive a $2,000 scholarship to the college of his or her choice. Nomination forms are available at www.jordaneducationfoundation.org/AtRisk.html. Forms must be submitted online by March 14.
Administrator of the Year
The Utah Music Education Association named Riverton High principal Stephen Park Administrator of the Year during its annual conference at St. George. The Riverton High Choir was one of the conference’s featured performing groups. Riverton High teachers Kevin Fallon and LeAnna Wilmore and West Hills Middle teacher Victor Neves also presented sessions at the conference.
Highest Award for Literary Magazine
Chasms, the Copper Hills High literary magazine, received the Highest Award rank in the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) program to recognize excellence in student literary magazines. A total of 453 schools entered magazines to the NCTE and only 20 received the Highest Award rank. Chasms is the only high school magazine in Utah to receive the honor. Adviser Lou Jessop has been invited to speak at Columbia University on literary magazine publication.
Make-A-Wish Donation
The student council at Westland Elementary, under the direction of teachers Liz Halloran and Corinne Edwards, collected more than $3,000 in pennies for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The money will help a six-year-old boy battling a brain tumor fulfill his wish of going to Disney World with his family.
Family Math Night
Jordan Hills Elementary recently held a Family Math Night. Teachers planned activities and provided handouts that encouraged parents to work with students at home. Each family was able to pick up several items to create their own family math manipulative kit. The event was a huge success with more than 100 families participating.
School Idol Contest
Silver Mesa Elementary is having its own version of American Idol. “Silver Mesa Idol” was conceived, planned and carried out by a fifth-grade student. About 80 students tried out before a panel of three teacher judges. The top 10 from the upper grades and top 10 from the lower grades were selected and performed in front of the judges as well as an audience of parents and students. The top five from each grade will perform in an assembly Feb. 20, which will also include surprise guest performances.
Rachel’s Challenge
On Jan. 30, a Rachel’s Challenge assembly was presented to students at Midvale Middle, followed by a parent presentation that evening. Rachel Scott was the first victim of the Columbine High shooting in April 1999. Her family started a program for secondary schools challenging students to start a chain reaction of kindness and compassion. Hundreds of Midvale Middle students accepted the challenge and are committed to making a positive change in the culture of the diverse school. This is only the third time this nationally recognized program has been to Utah, brought to the school through donations from local businesses. A Friends of Rachel Club now meets twice a month where students strategize ways to express kindness and compassion at school.
Cultural Awareness Week
Oquirrh Hills Middle recently celebrated its annual World Languages and Cultural Awareness Week. Students in French and Spanish classes participated in poster and dress-up contests, labeled homes with vocabulary words and taught family members to pronounce the words, spoke their languages with teachers and staff, created games and hidden pictures, and tasted foods from France, Mexico, Spain and Argentina.
National Board Certification Applications Due
Applications for National Board Certification scholarships are due by Feb. 15. Also, any teachers interested in pursuing a Master’s of Arts in Teaching with a focus on National Board Certification through National University must have applications submitted by Feb. 15. For more information contact Pam Su’a, pamela.sua@jordan.k12.ut.us, (801) 567-8320.
Social Studies Test Writers Needed
The Social Studies/History Department is looking for fourth- and fifth-grade teachers interested in helping write test items for the new social studies core. Test item writing will be done Feb. 16, March 1, March 8, March 29, April 23 and April 24. Teachers should plan to attend the Feb. 16 meeting, 8:30 a.m. at Mount Jordan Middle, and as many of the other sessions as possible. Instruction on how to write good test items will be provided. Participants receive a stipend and lane-change credit. Please contact Pam Su’a, pamela.sua@jordan.k12.ut.us, (801) 567-8320, to participate.
Retirement Open House
Pat Passey, fourth-grade teacher at Edgemont Elementary, is retiring after 17 years of service in Jordan District. An open house will be held in her honor Feb. 15, 2:30-4:30 p.m., in the school’s faculty room.
Employee Deaths
If anyone is aware of the death of current or past Jordan District employees, please notify Roxane Siggard, (801) 567-8180, roxane.siggard@jordan.k12.ut.us. The Board of Education will use this information to express condolences to the families.
Diversity Week
East Midvale Elementary recently held its “Celebrate Diversity Week.” Each student decorated a paper doll in clothing representing different cultural heritages and hung them in the hallways. An assembly featured staff and community members sharing traditions from around the world. Throughout the week, each grade held activities to teach dance, writing, crafts, etc. A family night spaghetti dinner featured a great meal including fortune cookies with messages written by students, dancing and piñatas, with more than 700 in attendance. The crowning activity was a Culture Parade where students were invited to dress in clothing depicting their cultural background.
Reading Success
Students at South Jordan Elementary participating in the Ken Garff Road to Success program met their goal of reading one million minutes in December. To celebrate, Principal Paul Bergera had his hair shaved into a Mohawk and dyed pink during an assembly. Currently, students have read more than 1.5 million minutes.
Shakespeare at Daybreak
Students in Wendy Babcock’s sixth-grade class at Daybreak Elementary are presenting a production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night in green-show style this week. The show is a follow-up to a successful Shakespearean Festival held at the school last June.
Hats for the Homeless
Students participating in Peer Leadership Team groups lead by David Tangaro and Vicki Bork at Valley High knitted more than 100 caps for the Road Home shelter in Midvale. The hats were delivered Jan. 28 as part of service learning emphasized throughout the school year at Valley High.
Service-Learning Grants Available
Service-learning mini-grants are available through Students Intervention Services to teachers or schools for service-learning activities. 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. Projects must be completed by May 2. For more information or to obtain a mini-grant application, contact Jeani Mulliner, (801) 412-2953, jeani.mulliner@jordan.k12.ut.us.
JCIRA Meeting
The Jordan Council of the International Reading Association (JCIRA) will hold a meeting Feb. 11, 4:30-6 p.m. at Mount Jordan Middle. Keri Corfield and Christie Despain will present information on Guided Reading. Anyone interested is invited to attend.
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.
Employment Opportunities
See current job openings posted by the Human Resources
Department at www.jordandistrict.org/hr.
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.