 Five-Star Winners The Jordan Board of Education honored 10 employees and two schools with 2007 Five-Star Awards. The awards honor outstanding employees for the exceptional work they do throughout the District. Winners receive $2,500 and will attend a recognition banquet Nov. 2. Year-round Elementary Teacher Traditional Elementary Teacher Middle School Teacher Jennifer Van Haaften, U.S. history/language arts, Butler Middle High School Teacher Certificated At-Large Employee Administrator Classified Employees Mirsa Joosten, District translator/interpreter, Alternative Language Services Dyke Nelsen, lead person, Plumbing Department Mark Nelson, head custodian, District Office School Public Relations Riverton High |
School Psychologist Awards
JoAnn Galloway, school psychologist at Oakdale Elementary, was presented the Utah Association of School Psychologists 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award during the association’s annual conference. The Lifetime Achievement Award is given annually to an outstanding school psychologist who has had state-level impact in the field of school psychology.
Paula Ashcraft, school psychologist at East Midvale Elementary, was presented the Bill Jenson Services to Students Award by the Council of Exceptional Children—Behavioral Disorders Division. The award was presented at the council’s annual conference.
Educator of the Month
The Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce and Jordan Credit Union honored Christine Fedor, art teacher at Alta High, as Educator of the Month for October. The award was presented at a luncheon Oct. 19.
Geography Race Winners
Teachers from Fort Herriman Middle and West Hills Middle were co-winners of Jordan District’s Amazing Geographers Race. Led by geography teachers, 11 middle school teams competed for prizes as they followed a course using GPS technology throughout Salt Lake County. Teams had to score high on geography-knowledge tests, complete physical challenges, and find hidden treasures. For the past three years, geography teachers have been trained in using GPS technology in their classrooms. Both teams will receive GPS units and world globes for use in the classrooms.
Band Competition
The Bingham High band (class AAA), directed by Darin Graber, and Riverton High band (class AAAA), directed by Kevin Fallon, swept all judging categories, placing first in their respective size classes at the Davis Cup band competition. The West Jordan High band, directed by Chelle Leyva, placed second in class AA. More than 20 bands from Utah and Idaho competed.
A Day Made Better
A team of representatives from OfficeMax surprised Lori Munk, fourth-grade teacher at Oquirrh Elementary, and Marianne Yule, first-grade teacher at East Midvale Elementary, with $1,500 in office supplies for their schools. The teachers and their schools were nominated for the “A Day Made Better” competition. Nationwide OfficeMax donated classroom resources and supplies to schools on behalf of 1,000 teachers in recognition of their service.
Literacy Nights
Students at Quail Hollow Elementary recently participated in two family literacy nights. Sherry Meidell, illustrator of The Day the Picture Man Came, and The Great Grape Problem, told students how she illustrates for authors, and parent Laurie Carrigan shared her singing/songwriting talents.
National Board Certification
Teachers interested in pursuing National Board Certification may start by doing one entry only in the “Take One” program. Information on this program will be available Oct. 26, 3:30 p.m., in the Instructional Support Center at the District Office. Call Pam Su’a, (801) 567-8320, with any questions.
Film Festival Information Available
Information on the 2008 Jordan District Elementary Film Festival is now available at http://t4.jordan.k12.ut.us/t4/content/view/40/38/. The festival will be held April 24, 2008. Schools wanting to participate should send an Intent to Participate form to Kelly Dumont, Auxiliary Services Building.
Professional Development Funds Available
Funds are available through the Classified Professional Improvement Committee (CPIC) to pay registration fees for classified employees to take classes in computers, organization, conflict management and other subjects, to build and enhance skills in their current jobs. Classified employees may select a class from an approved list or submit new classes for CPIC approval. Since most classes are held during the day, a request for a professional development day must also be made through the immediate supervisor and the executive director of the Curriculum and Staff Development Department. Contact Lucy Bateman, (801) 567-8334, for more information.
Chess Tournament
Chess players in grades K-12 are invited to the 16th Annual Ogden District Scholastic Open, Nov. 10, at Ogden High. Registration procedures and additional information are available at www.jordandistrict.org/general/news/chess.html.
Retirement Planning Seminar
The Jordan Education Foundation is sponsoring a retirement planning seminar to help individuals prepare for a financially secure retirement, maximize income and get the most from investments. The material is relevant to those in the early stages of retirement planning as well as those who are close to retirement. A registration fee of $59, payable to Jordan Education Foundation, includes all course materials. Those registered may bring one guest at no extra charge. The seminar runs three nights, Nov. 13, 20 and 27. The first class will be at 6:30 p.m. in Board Room A at the District Office. Class sizes are limited. Call (801) 453-2340 for registration information.
Newspapers In Education
Utah’s teachers and educators have long used the Newspapers In Education program to supplement curriculum. This school year, The Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret Morning News have joined forces to offer a new Web-based resource that makes it easy for teachers, students and administrators to access and use the newspaper. At the new site, teachers and students can read daily e-editions of newspapers along with searchable archives of previous editions. Jordan School District teachers can access this resource at www.NowUtah.com/Education.
Administrative Position Applications
The Human Resources Department is currently accepting applications for school and District-level administrative positions. Those who are not current administrators in Jordan District must be prepared to participate in a full-day interview (Nov. 30 or Dec. 3). These candidates must meet the application deadline of Nov. 2 to be considered. School-level openings will be determined in the spring, with those positions to become effective July 1, 2008.
Candidates must have five years of previous full-time licensed teaching and/or administrative experience. Candidates must hold a current Utah Administrative/Supervisory License. A copy of the license, or a letter from a university stating that the applicant will have completed requirements for licensure by July 1, 2008, must accompany the application. Applications (including specific instructions) are available from the Human Resources Department. Applications will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. Nov. 2.
No Current Next Week
Due to Fall Recess, there will be no online issue of Current next week. The next electronic issue of Current will be sent by e-mail and available online Nov. 6. Please submit items for this issue by Nov. 2. The printed monthly summary issue will be available on payday as usual.
Annual Report Available Online
The Jordan District Annual Report for the 2006-07 school year is now available online at www.jordandistrict.org/publications/annualreport07. The report shows District students’ ACT scores again topped state and national averages, graduating seniors earned nearly $23 million in academic and athletic scholarships, the percentage of teachers holding a master’s degree or higher is near 50 percent and much more.
Mathematics Presenters Selected
Jordan District teacher specialists Vicki Smith and Tami Bird will be presenting at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference in Salt Lake City. Their proposed session, “Sustainable Change: Implementing Developing Mathematical Ideas Professional Development in Jordan School District Schools, Grades K-6,” was selected from among more than 300 submitted. The conference will be held April 7-9, 2008.
Marching Band Awards
Riverton and West Jordan High Schools won first-place awards at the Rocky Mountain Invitational Marching Band Festival. Twenty-four bands participated in the Oct. 9 competition at BYU. The Riverton High band, directed by Kevin Fallon, swept all four judging categories including music, percussion, flags and visual, winning first place overall in the AAA class competition. The West Jordan High band, directed by Chelle Leyva, also swept all categories and took first in the AA class competition, with Bingham High, directed by Darin Graber, placing second.
Bikes for Kids
Students at Willow Springs Elementary learned bicycle safety tips from professional cyclist and Tour de France stage winner Dave Zabriskie during an assembly sponsored by Bikes for Kids Utah. Parents and students from each grade joined Zabriskie for a bike ride around the school. Bikes for Kids Utah also presented 1,000 bikes to 1,000 children Oct. 6. Second-grade students at Heartland, Majestic and Sandy Elementary Schools received the bikes, T-shirts, helmets, locks and water bottles. Bikes for Kids Utah is a nonprofit organization that provides bicycles for underprivileged students.
Basketball Player Addresses Bullying
Professional basketball player Lance Allred spent a day with students at Park Lane Elementary speaking against bullying. He helped students learn they can combat bullying by having an increased self-esteem through setting goals and learning from failures. Allred will return to play basketball with students who earn good citizen tickets by standing up against bullying.
Service Learning
Fifth-grade students at Herriman Elementary recently learned what serving the community means. About 125 students planned service-learning projects, got teacher and parent approval, implemented the project and gave an oral report to the class using displays and photographs. Students raised money for the projects through lemonade stands and soliciting donations. Projects included knitting and donating 150 hats to Primary Children’s Medical Center and Jordan Valley Hospital, collecting 60 new pairs of socks for the Veteran’s Hospital, collecting food for the Utah Food Bank, spraying weeds near the Jordan River, building shelters for wildlife rehabilitation, visiting convalescent homes to play games with senior citizens, picking up garbage in neighborhoods and parks, making blankets for hospitals, having a book drive for Primary Children's Medical Center, making humanitarian school kits and more.
Food Drive
The three Peer Leadership Groups at Valley High, facilitated by teachers David Tangaro and Vicki Bork, are organizing a food drive to benefit the Utah Food Bank. The teams’ goal is to collect 1,000 non-perishable food items by Nov. 15. Service learning projects have become an integral part of the Valley High groups’ curriculum.
Master's of Education Meeting
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, are invited to attend an orientation meeting Nov. 2, 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.
Walk At School Day
Jordan Valley School faced a dilemma. Oct. 3 was designated national Walk To School Day, but all the school’s students are bused. To kick off participation in the Gold Medal Schools program, the school staged its own “Walk At School Day.” Each class made a loop on the Gold Medal “mile” around the school. Students earn “miles” by participating in P.E class, and working on mobility goals such as walking with the assistance of a gait trainer, pushing their wheelchair and moving in other specialized pieces of supportive equipment. Each student receives a sticker for their efforts with stickers filling a main hall display to mark progress.
Literacy Night
Authors James Dashner and Anne Bowen visited Butterfield Canyon Elementary as part of the school’s Literacy Night. “There is just something magical about seeing that sparkle in a kid’s eyes as they step up to meet you, holding a book in their small hands, staring at you like a hero,” wrote Dashner, author of the Jimmy Fincher series A Door in the Woods, on his blog. “To know that you’ve somehow inspired a kid to read, or to write a story, or to follow their own dreams—there’s nothing like it in the world.”
Weatherman Visits School
Dale Asay, Utah Studies teacher at South Jordan Middle, hosted long-time Utah weathercaster Bob Welti as a guest lecturer in his classes. Welti became interested in weather as a bomber in World War II and was on Utah television news for 40 years.
National Board Certification
Teachers wishing to pursue entry in the National Board Certification “Take One” process may attend an informational meeting at the District Office Instructional Support Center, Oct. 26, 3:30 p.m. This is a precursor to National Board Certification. For questions or more information go to www.nbpts.org and look under “Products and Services” and “Take One,” or contact Pam Su’a, (801) 567-8320, pamela.sua@jordan.k12.ut.us.
Spring Bulbs Sale
The Jordan Resource Center has premium-grade fall bulbs available in many varieties. Each package of bulbs is $2, with delivery to a Jordan District school available. A listing of available bulbs, including an order form and additional information, is online at www.jordandistrict.org/bulbs. For more information, contact Beth Coleman or Jeana Maxwell, (801) 565-7584, JRCflowers4U@yahoo.com.
Engraving and Framing Available
South Valley School houses an engraving and framing department available to produce engraved name tags, sports awards, clocks, gifts for teacher incentives, or projects that need framing. Call (801) 565-7592 and ask for engraving 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Administrative Position Applications
The Human Resources Department is currently accepting applications for school and District-level administrative positions. Those who are not current administrators in Jordan District must be prepared to participate in a full-day interview (on either Nov. 30 or Dec. 3). These candidates must meet the application deadline of Nov. 2 to be considered. School-level openings will be determined in the spring, with those positions to become effective July 1, 2008.
Candidates must have five years of previous full-time licensed teaching and/or administrative experience. Candidates must hold a current Utah Administrative/Supervisory License. A copy of the license, or a letter from a university stating that the applicant will have completed requirements for licensure by July 1, 2008, must accompany the application. Applications (including specific instructions) are available from the Human Resources Department. Applications will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. Nov. 2.
Educators of the Month
The Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce and Jordan Credit Union honored Sherri Andrizzi, fifth-grade teacher at Crescent Elementary, and Melissa Garber, second-grade teacher at Peruvian Park Elementary, as Educators of the Month for September. The awards were presented at a luncheon Sept. 21.
Employee of the Month
Dyke Nelsen, lead man in the Plumbing Department, was named Maintenance Department Employee of the Month for October. A co-worker says Nelsen “will never ask his plumbers to do something he wouldn’t do himself. In fact, most of the time you will see Dyke in his coveralls with mud up to his knees, right in the middle of the worst messes, getting our schools back in running condition.” He has been with Jordan District for 24 years.
Donation to Purchase Books
Cyprus Credit Union donated a $1,000 to West Jordan Middle’s “Brown Bag and a Book” program. The program is a book club of students and teachers that meet for lunch in the library once a month to discuss a book. The donation will be used to purchase books so each participating student can have a copy of the monthly selection.
Author Visits West Jordan Schools
Obert Skye, author of the award-winning and bestselling Leven Thumps fantasy series, was in West Jordan Sept. 27 to meet with elementary students. As part of a 30-city tour this fall, Skye met with students, signed books and spoke during school assemblies at Hayden Peak, Westland, and Copper Canyon Elementary Schools. He encouraged the students to strengthen their imagination through reading, playing and having courage.
Food Donations Needed
The District Office Support Staff (DOSS) Committee is collecting plastic grocery bags and food for the Indian Walk-In Center Food Pantry, which serves all people in the community. Please deposit donations in collection boxes located in the District Office Employees’ Room or give them to any DOSS Board member. Food items most needed are ready-to-eat items such as canned meats, beans, soups, chili, juice, fruits and pasta. The plastic bags are used by food recipients to transport food items home. Donations will be collected through November.
Pan Sale
The Nutrition Services Department is hosting a pan sale in the Auxiliary Services Building, 9150 S. 500 West. Hours for the sale are Oct. 24, noon-6 p.m., and Oct. 25-26, 2-6 p.m. A wide variety of restaurant-quality food service items are available.
Mini-Grant Applications Due
The Jordan Education Foundation’s annual Mini Grants for Teachers program funds teachers’ innovative and creative classroom projects. Any current full-time Jordan District teacher may apply for funding up to $500. Projects must meet a need and justify the amount requested. All applications must be submitted by Oct. 26. Complete Mini Grant requirements and application forms are online at www.jordaneducationfoundation.org.
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.