Picture retakes will be this Wednesday, October 8. Please remember that attire must be within the school dress code. Not sure you need a retake? Log in to BellPhoto using the link below to preview your child’s yearbook photo. We recommend that you take a look before Wednesday, just so you aren’t surprised when it’s too late to make a change.
To preview the photo for free, see package options and prepay online, CLICK HERE (Prepay Code: sjordanmsfall25).
SoJo Counseling
This year at South Jordan Middle School, we are offering a Divorce Group to students who have experienced divorce in their family. The goal of this group is to offer support through other students and counselors, and to help students gain healthy coping strategies.
The group will run 4-6 weeks and will be during PROWL, this will not interfere with class time. If you are interested in your student being part of this group, please fill out the google form.
NJHS Induction Ceremony
If your student is a member of NJHS, our induction ceremony will be October 17th at 9:00 in the KIVA. Please come and support your student in this endeavor. We are so proud of our student leaders and can’t wait to celebrate them.
Kendamas
If you don’t know what a kendama is yet, you probably haven’t been to a middle school lately. This is what they look like:
They’re super fun, and also – lately – super disruptive. We love the game, but we’re seeing more and more students using them at times when they should be learning, and also using them in ways that hit other students – on accident, but it’s happening. We’re not officially banning them, but we are asking you to help us keep them home if at all possible. If your student is using it when they shouldn’t or in a way that they shouldn’t, we’ll likely snag it and have them collect it at the end of the day or have you come and pick it up. It’s not a bad toy in and of itself, but it is creating something of a disruption. Thank you for your help!
This year our 9th graders get to participate in a college and career day on Tuesday, October 28th. This will involve a field trip to tour a college in the morning and participation in YouScience Brain Games in the afternoon. YouScience is a platform that assesses students’ aptitudes and career interests. Both of these activities require parent permission. On October 7th the counseling team will visit students’ Geography classes where we will survey students’ college tour preference and send home permission slips. Please be on the lookout for those; they are due October 14th. If your student does not take Geography at SOJO, they can pick up permission slips and fill out a survey in the Counseling Center.
You will be able to mark interest in chaperoning on the permission slip. We are looking for 18 chaperones. If you are available and have already had your background checked through the district, please volunteer to be a chaperone! We need your help to be able to make this field trip a reality! On the day of the field trip, buses will leave at 9am and return by 12pm depending on the destination. All students and chaperones will return before lunch.
More detailed information about both College Tour and YouScience will be available next week.
The PTSA is including free baby photos of all 9th grade students in the Memory Book!
Send us a baby picture of your 9th grader today—just be sure to follow the guidelines on the flyer. The deadline is September 30. Photos submitted after this date are not guaranteed placement.
PTSA Reflections Contest
It’s time to work on Reflections! Prizes will be awarded to the entries that most effectively embody the theme “I Belong”. For more information and to submit an entry, go to https://www.utahpta.org/ref
Free Parent Resources
October is Bullying Prevention Month. Check out this month’s offerings provided by Parent Guidance. A calendar for October’s Mental Health Series sessions is attached, including an Ask a Therapist Live event and a Watch Together Series. Sessions are offered in both English and Spanish. Previously recorded seminars can be accessed through a comprehensive library of sessions and resources for each topic. You can access the library of recorded sessions at any time by visiting this site: https://parentguidance.org/mhsindex.
It’s time for parent-teacher conferences, and we can’t wait to see all of you. Our schedule is as follows:
In-Person, Wednesday, September 24 – 4:00-7:30 in the SoJo Gym/Cafe
Virtual, Thursday, September 25 – 4:00-7:30
No School, Friday, September 26
For in-person conferences on Wednesday, you can simply come to the gym/cafe and find the teachers seated alphabetically by last name. Try to watch for teachers with open spots, and remember that if you don’t get a chance to talk to a teacher you need, we have access to teachers all year long via email, appointment, phone call or Parent Square. It’s never been easier to access a teacher, so please use any and all forms of communication to get whatever information you need.
**If you need more than 5 minutes with a teacher, please contact the teacher to make an appointment at another time before or after school.
NOTE: If you need translation services for conferences, please let us know ASAP by contacting the main office.
Virtual Conference Appointments are now available in Skyward. Simply log in to Skyward and choose Parent Conferences from the side menu.
If you choose to attend a virtual conference, you can find the Zoom links on this Google Sheet.
Construction Updates!
We’re finally getting some good news when it comes to construction. Two of the most anticipated milestones of the construction project are now finished:
Individual Student Restrooms
We have three new individual student restrooms near the cafeteria that are now open as of today, which means students won’t have to go clear across the school during lunch to use the restroom. This is in addition to the new handwashing stations and drinking fountains already up and running in the cafeteria.
Weight Room
The weights classes are excited to finally be able to actually lift weights. We still have a small amount of equipment that’s on backorder, but it will be up and running if you want to take a peek during parent teacher conferences this week.
SoJo Counseling
This year at South Jordan Middle School, we are offering a Divorce Group to students who have experienced divorce in their family. The goal of this group is to offer support through other students and counselors, and to help students gain healthy coping strategies.
The group will run 4-6 weeks and will be during PROWL, this will not interfere with class time. If you are interested in your student being part of this group, please fill out the google form.
It’s time for parent-teacher conferences, and we can’t wait to see all of you. Our schedule is as follows:
In-Person, Wednesday, September 24 – 4:00-7:30 in the SoJo Gym/Cafe
Virtual, Thursday, September 25 – 4:00-7:30
No School, Friday, September 26
For in-person conferences on Wednesday, you can simply come to the gym/cafe and find the teachers seated alphabetically by last name. Try to watch for teachers with open spots, and remember that if you don’t get a chance to talk to a teacher you need, we have access to teachers all year long via email, appointment, phone call or Parent Square. It’s never been easier to access a teacher, so please use any and all forms of communication to get whatever information you need.
NOTE: If you need translation services for conferences, please let us know ASAP by contacting the main office.
Virtual Conference Appointments and Instructions will be available Monday.
SCC Elections and First Meeting Agenda
We will be holding our first school community council meeting of the year on Monday, September 29th at 4pm in the main office conference room.
We also need to hold elections. This year, two of our four parent spots are open for elections, and we have had two applicants for those spots. Those applicants are Lindsey Branca (a returning member) and Lindy Christensen. We’ll have a ballot box set up during our in-person parent conference if you would like to cast a vote for either or both of them. Yes, the process calls for us to hold an election even though there are two applicants and two positions open. The other two members are returning from last year and being a member is a two-year term, unless they no longer have a student at the school.
Our first meeting’s agenda is as follows:
Introductions
Election of SCC Chair, Vice Chair, and Other Positions as Desired
Tomorrow, we will have a secure drill at South Jordan Middle School. In a secure drill, the outer doors to the building are locked, and no one is allowed to enter the building. Thank you!
Construction Update
Our kitchen is still slated to be finished the first week of October. Fortunately, we are scheduled to have our new weight room (w/equipment) up and running next week. For all of you with students in weights that have been studying weights rather than lifting them, this is big news!
Right Turn Reminder
You can see all of the rationale and background in a previous post, but we would like to remind everyone to please turn right as you leave our parking lot. It is a posted traffic sign, and the South Jordan Police Department has been ticketing people not following that traffic sign, and we don’t want anyone to get a ticket. Also, it has sped up how fast everyone has been able to get out of the parking lot, and we appreciate your cooperation tremendously!
We’re nearing the end of our construction at SoJo, so here’s a quick update on what’s coming and what’s already done:
The ceramics and art rooms are completed
Cafeteria seating area is completed (including handwashing station and water bottle filling stations)
Individual restrooms near the cafeteria for students should be completed by the end of this week
Faculty room/restrooms should be completed by the end of this week
Weight room should be completed by September 16th, with equipment installed the 18th-19th
Kitchen (and full service meals) should be completed by October 3rd (🤞🤞🤞)
Since the construction in the kitchen area has taken much longer than the original timeline, our kitchen staff has started working from Bingham High School’s kitchen in the mornings to bake bread and prepare deli sandwiches. We hope to continue this option through the rest of construction. Thank you for your patience while we are stuck serving limited options for another few weeks.
BHS Football Game Attendance
Parents/Guardians and Students:
As we prepare for football games at Bingham High School this season, please review the following important guidelines for Bingham High School events to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone:
Bingham students, remember to bring your school ID to enter for free. All other patrons can purchase tickets here.
Supervision Requirement: All elementary and middle school students must be accompanied by an adult, parent, or guardian throughout the entire school-sponsored event. Students arriving without adult supervision will not be admitted.
Seating Policy: To maintain safety, students are required to sit in the bleachers during the event. Congregating near fences, concessions, gates, etc., is not permitted.
The grassy area on the North Endzone will be closed for seating/standing for the entirety of this football game.
The following actions are prohibited: sitting on shoulders, climbing fences or buildings, rough-housing, etc.
Sportsmanship/Cooperation: We ask all attendees tobe respectful of opponents, coaches, officials, fans, and players, and comply with requests from police, administration, staff, and officials to help maintain a safe environment. Attendees not adhering to the guidelines of the event will be asked to leave the premises.
No throwing sports equipment (i.e. frisbees, footballs, etc.), food or food wrappers, glass or plastic bottles, and cans.
Thank you for your cooperation and support in making our events safe and enjoyable for all.
We doubt you’ve noticed, but we’ve made a concerted effort to focus on five basic rules at SoJo this year as we talk with students, practice routines, and frame conversations. Those five rules are:
Keep Hands, Feet, and Other Objects to Self
Leave It Better Than You Found It
Use Positive Language
Be in the Right Place at the Right Time
Follow Directions the First Time
We just want you to be aware that this is our focus this year, and we hope you’ll hear these phrases from teachers, from your students, and from the rewards and activities we conduct throughout the year. We gave out some great rewards this past week for students using our stop and talk zones in the hallway, and students have been great about following those rules so far this year!
Checking Out Students
By popular demand, we are piloting a new checkout procedure. If it goes well, we’ll make it a permanent change. The new procedure is as follows:
If you call ahead to have your student checked out, we will call for the student a few minutes before the scheduled time to have them ready in the attendance office. You will still need to show ID to check them out, but will hopefully not have to wait for your student to be ready. Please try to arrive at the time you specify so that your student misses as little class time as possible.
To avoid an unexcused absence or verified truancy, your student must check out in the office and leave with their guardian before they may leave the building. If your student is involved in a sport, they will check out at the time their coach has indicated for that specific day. If you would like your student to check out before that time, you must call the school to check your student out earlier by following normal checkout procedures.
As this is a change from past procedures, please be patient with us while we get this running smoothly.
Note: If you request your student early and repeatedly do not arrive at the time you request the student, we may move back to calling for them once you arrive. The same applies if your student leaves without going through the attendance office to leave with you. This will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Beauty and the Beast Auditions
Beauty and the Beast Auditions are two weeks away. Interested students can get more information and sign up for auditions HERE. They must log in with their school email and password. There are audition help sessions during PROWL on September 2nd, 3rd, and 4th this week. Auditions Start September 15th.
Join the PTSA! Students are also encouraged to join and they can come to the meetings during prowl and have a voice on what activities we have and how the PTSA can best be of use to them and the school. You can use the QR code in the flyer or follow this link where you can also get a memory book
Picture day will be this Thursday during Science classes. It’s also Throwback Thursday as part of Hello Week, so take that into consideration when you decide if and how you want to participate in the Throwback activity. Also, please remember that attire must be within the school dress code.
Click here to view the official flier, and to preview package options and prepay online, CLICK HERE (Prepay Code: sjordanmsfall25).
Retakes usually take place in late September or early October.
Looking for NJHS Members!
Would your student like an opportunity to step up, serve others, and stand out in the future? Encourage them to join the SoJo National Junior Honor Society! Applications can be picked up from any ELA teacher, and are to Mrs. Rich (Room #603) by Friday, September 5th! There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this deadline. We are excited for another great year of NJHS!
By popular request, we created an updated parking lot map. This has been updated on our website as well. There’s a lot more information and backstory on our parking lot below if you’re curious about the right-turn only rule.
Right Turn Only Context
It’s the start of a new school year, and we are all learning new routines to help things run smoothly. There have been a few questions about how we navigate the parking lot – specifically, why we require you to turn right if you are exiting the parking lot during drop-off and pick-up.
Morning Drop-Off Times: 7:45-8:15 am
Afternoon Pick-Up Times: 3:00-3:30 pm
If you ride a bus or are already turning right when you leave the parking lot, feel free to stop reading now. If getting out of the parking lot affects you because you want to turn left, read on!
The Background
A parking lot redesign started in 2014 based on feedback from our school community and community council, and was finally approved by the school board and completed during the summer of 2024. The main purpose of the redesign was not to add additional parking, although that was a benefit. The main purpose was to make it possible for every student to load into a bus or vehicle from a sidewalk.
The Limitations
During the redesign process, we evaluated a variety of options to help get you out of the parking lot as quickly as possible; this was already an issue with the old parking lot setup and we knew it would be an issue with a redesign. We worked with traffic engineers, South Jordan City, and the South Jordan City Police Department to work within code to maximize ways to get you out quickly. We also looked at the design at Oquirrh Hills Middle School in Riverton, which has the same basic parking lot design and also exits onto 2700 W.
At the end of the day, we were limited largely by three things: 1) Most of our boundary is to the south of the school, meaning most people enter and exit south. 2) There is a busy road and traffic light at 10400 S near the south parking lot, too close for another light to be placed at our parking lot exit. 3) A protected left turn lane similar to the one at Elk Meadows Elementary isn’t possible because of the number of driveways on the other side of the street where it would need to go.
The View From the Sky
Once the parking lot opened, and we had gone a few weeks using it, we sent a drone up to record drop-off and pick-up from above to see what was holding us back. It quickly became apparent that it was people turning left out of the south parking lot. It affected the north lot as well, but not nearly as much.
In essence, each person that turns left takes about 15 seconds on average to find an opening large enough to cross traffic and go left. That doesn’t seem like long to that person, but to the 60 cars behind them, that stacks up quickly into 10-15 minutes of waiting at a near stand-still.
Solutions
Again, we looked at a protected left turn, a traffic light, and other options. All had reasons that we couldn’t implement them. At the end of the day, the only thing we can do is have everyone turn right during busy times.
Yes, this means you may have to go north to go south, heading to 9800 S and going east or west in order to get back to your home. You can also do a U-turn on 2700 W if there is an opening down the road once you turn right. It adds 3-5 minutes to your trip home. But our hope is that you are gaining much more than 3-5 minutes sitting at a stand-still in the parking lot, and are actually faster getting home in the end.
The Catch
This really only works if we all turn right. Our resource officer has been out today helping people follow the posted traffic signs, and will likely do so sporadically as a reminder. But this is one of those ‘let’s come together for the greater good’ moments we want to teach our kids about when we talk about being good citizens. Our SBO’s chose the theme ‘We’re All in This Together’ for the year, and that feels particularly applicable here. Please help the people waiting patiently in line behind you and turn right instead of left.
We had our 7th graders today, and it was a blast. There are a few quick things that have come up this week to remind you about, and we’re excited to have all of our students here tomorrow!
Parking Lot Reminders
Our parking lot is well marked after last year’s remodel. After watching drop off and pick up today with just the 7th graders, there are really only three things we want to emphasize:
During drop off and pick up, the parking lot exits are RIGHT TURN ONLY.
If you turn left, it adds significantly to the time it takes for all of the people behind you to exit the parking lot.
The north parking lot gets much less traffic than the south lot.
The south lot looks bigger, but has the same number of exits as the north lot.
Use the outer lanes to load/unload and the inner lanes to move around the loop.
It’s like airport drop-off and pick-up. But it only works if everyone does it.
Bus Numbers and Bus Stops
More information will be coming soon district-wide, but if you’re looking to check your bus number or bus stop location, use this link.
We also had a few questions about space available permits for buses (meaning you want to see if you can ride a bus even if you live too close to the school). You can fill out that application in Skyward under the ‘Online Forms’ section. However, no decisions will be made for at least two weeks, so that transportation can assess actual ridership before offering seats to those who live closer to the school.
Construction Update
Our remodel is going well, and our cafeteria seating area is complete. We’ll be serving pizza, pretzels and nachos for the next few weeks until the kitchen is finished, so plan accordingly. Our ceramics room and art rooms are completed as well, and the weight room, additional bathrooms and a few other minor things will be completed at various points over the next couple of weeks. We’ll keep you posted, and thank you for your patience. It’s a much-needed update, and it’s looking incredible!
