Author: Mr. Jenson

Good afternoon, SoJo! It’s getting closer to our first day and we have a few updates that will help you stay on top of the start-of-school todo list.

Please remember that immunizations for 7th graders are due by this Friday (you can email them to torey.carroll@jordandistrict.org if it’s easier than coming in person) and also remember that Skyward registration must be completed for every student at every school before school starts. As always, you can check out our website for more information on back-to-school activities.

In this Skylert, you’ll see information about:

• Become a Peer Tutor
• Work in our SPED Classrooms or our Cafeteria
• Immunization Clinic (8/10 from 10 am – 12 pm)
• Student Drop-Off and Pick-Up
• Joining the PTSA
• Locker Combinations

Peer Tutors

One of the most memorable and enjoyable electives offered in middle and high school is the chance to be a peer tutor in a special education classroom. If you think your student might be interested, contact your counselor ASAP.

Openings in SPED and the Cafeteria

We are still on the hunt for good people looking for a great chance to work at SoJo. We have openings for both a teacher and instructional aides in our special education classes, and are looking for people to help in our cafeteria as well. The people (both kids and adults) are what make SoJo such a great place, so if you’re on the fence, talk to someone who works here and we’ll get you off the fence and signing up for the fun here.

Immunization Clinic Tomorrow (8/10) from 10 am – 12 pm at SoJo

Certified Nursing Services will be here offering immunizations. If you haven’t gotten things sorted out for your 7th grader, this is a great chance to get it done and off the todo list.

Student Drop-Off and Pick-Up

If you’re not new to SoJo, you can attest that our parking lot setup is an absolute delight. In order for things to run as smoothly as possible, please check out this overview of our parking lot flow so that you don’t get lost or honked at when you arrive to drop off or pick up your student.

Join the PTSA!

Hello SoJo Parents! Our SoJo PTSA would like to invite you and your student to become a member of the PTSA this school year. When registering your student, you can pay your membership fees on the fees page of Skyward (where you also pay for memory books). Each membership is $6.00. We would also appreciate your $10 donation to the PTSA for the programs we provide each year at SoJo for students and teachers. They include the following:

• Reflections
• Student of the month breakfast
• Parent/Teacher Conference Dinner
• Spirit Nights
• Teacher Appreciation

We also invite you to our monthly meetings on the second Wednesday of each month at 10:00 am in the faculty room if you’d like to be involved this year! Thanks for your continued support of SoJo PTSA!

Locker Combinations

Every student is assigned a locker, although they are not required to use it. You can access your locker number in Skyward (the student login, not the parent login). Please remember to check your combination again before Back-to-School Night (8/16), as the combination may change.

Well, SoJo, today is the day. Registration is officially open on Skyward. This is the part of the school process where you’ll go over start-of-year agreements like Chromebook use, update your contact information and communication preferences, pay registration and class fees, purchase a memory book (prices go up, so buy early), join the PTSA, and add money to your school lunch accounts. Get it done early so that you don’t have to worry about it later!

For a complete rundown of back-to-school dates and opening info, visit this page.

Current Openings

We have several job opportunities at SoJo. In Special Education, we have openings both for a teacher and for instructional assistants. We also have openings in our cafeteria. If you’re looking for a fun, extremely rewarding opportunity, check out this page to apply!

Schedules are Now Available, Once Registration is Complete

Once you finish registration and pay your registration and class fees, you’ll be able to view your schedule in Skyward. We have done our very best to get you as much of what you requested in the spring as possible. Due to the logistics of balancing the schedules of 1200+ students, we do not make changes to student schedules unless a mistake has been made. If you have questions or feel there is a mistake, please contact your counselor.

Also, please be sure to recheck your schedule before the first day of school. We’ll remind you, but there are rare instances where staffing changes require minor schedule adjustments and it’s always a good idea to check in again on Skyward the day before we start to make sure there are no surprises.

Other Registration Reminders

Registration must be completed prior to school starting, including required immunizations for 7th graders. Also, your student will receive a Chromebook from the school to be used in every class, and that can go home with your student as well. The costs for any damage to the Chromebook will be assessed according to this chart. Finally, please remember that school lunch is no longer free. See this page for more info, and instructions on completing a free and reduced lunch application, if needed.

Core Standards Survey Opportunity

As part of the Utah State Board of Education’s Core Standards process, they conduct an Annual Core Standards Survey to get stakeholder feedback to help us to improve our standards and supports. The annual survey is now open until August 20th. Feel free to take the survey and to share with any educators, parents or other stakeholders.

Skateboards, Longboards, Scooters, and Bikes

If you bring wheels to school, please make plans to store and lock them. We’ve found that skateboards and scooters can fit in the locker, and scooters can be locked to the outside bike rack. Longboards can be stored in the attendance office unless we start getting enough we have to change that. It’s early, but if you’re planning transportation, we wanted to put it on your radar.

Welcome back, SoJo! We know it’s a little early to be sending out school information, but we get a lot of questions as school gets closer, so here’s a rundown of things you’ll see in this Skylert:

• Current Openings
• Important Back-to-School Dates
• Registration Information
• Leaving & New Administrators
• Back-to-School Night Information
• First Days of School Schedules
• Bell Schedules
• Community Council Nominations
• Frequently Asked Questions (Schedules, Lockers, School Tours, etc.)

More information on these items and events can be found below and on the school website.

Current Openings

We are looking for several special education aides, as well as cafeteria staff. If you or someone you know is interested, please apply here. It’s a great chance to make a difference, and to be a part of your own school community.

Important Back-to-School Dates

• Thursday, August 4th – Registration via Skyward Opens
• Wednesday, August 10th – Immunization Clinic
• Tuesday, August 16th – Back-to-School Night
• Wednesday, August 17th – 7th Grade Orientation, Half Day
• Thursday, August 18th – First Day of School for All Students, Full Day

Registration Information (August 4th)

Online registration for the 2022-23 school year opens on August 4th on Skyward, and this is also the day that class schedules will be available. Registration must be completed prior to school starting, including required immunizations for 7th graders. Online registration includes a variety of information and consent forms from the school and district, payment of registration fees, and the option to add lunch money to your student’s account, purchase a memory book, pay course fees (coming soon), etc.

Note: School lunch is no longer free. See this page for more info, and instructions on completing a free and reduced lunch application, if needed.

Leaving & New Administrators

Nicole Johnson and Connie Bailey have both moved to other locations. Principal Johnson has been commuting back and forth from Montana for several years and has made the tough decision to move to Montana this fall in order to spend more time with her family. Ms. Bailey is now an assistant principal at Riverside Elementary.

Curtis Jenson and Kami Taylor are joining the SoJo family. Mr. Jenson comes to us from nearby Elk Ridge Middle School, where he has been principal for the past three years. Before that, he was principal of first the middle school and then high school in Preston Idaho, despite never actually living in Idaho (it’s on the border of Utah and Idaho). Ms. Taylor comes to us from the district’s Teaching & Learning Department, where she was the administrator over computer science. Before that, she taught CTE at Sunset Ridge.

Back-to-School Night / School Open House

Back-to-School Night is your chance to come and tour the school, meet your teachers, ask questions, and try finding classes and opening your locker. You are not required to come, but it’s a great chance to relieve anxiety about coming to a new school.

• 5:00 pm – PTSA Business Meeting
  • The PTSA board will propose their budget and discuss other business items
• 5:30-7:00 pm – Back-to-School Night Open House
  • Tour the school, meet teachers, practice getting into lockers, etc.

7th Grade Orientation / First Half Day of School (August 17th)

This day is set aside just for 7th graders. We’ll run through all 7 classes, talk about common questions new students often have, and make sure you can find all of your classes.

• 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
• Buses will pick up and drop off students, and no breakfast or lunch will be served

First Day of School for All Students (August 18th)

This is our first full day of school with all students, and will run on our normal schedule – 8 am to 3 pm. Students will go directly to their 1st period class, and we’ll have lots of help in the halls to help them find it.

Bell Schedules

We have all seven classes every day, and a late start schedule on Fridays. On Thursdays, we also have PROWL, which is an intervention time for students to get help in specific areas. The bell schedule can be found here.

School Community Council Nominations

Want to get involved? Our school community council plays a vital role in our budgeting, instructional planning, and safety discussions. We meet four to five times a year, and would love to have you join us. Visit our School Community Council page to nominate yourself or someone else to join the team.

FAQ’s & GENERAL INFORMATION

Do I get a locker? Yes, but you aren’t required to use it. Your locker number and combination will be in Skyward, and we can help you give it a try on Back-to-School Night or 7th Grade Orientation.

Can I come in and tour the school before school starts? Yes! On the Back-to-School Night, August 16th, the school will be open for students and parents to tour the school, meet teachers, find classes, and try out/decorate your locker.

What are your summer hours? We’re open daily from 8 am to 3 pm for new registrations, questions, etc. If you’re wanting to tour the school with your student, find your classes, decorate lockers, and meet your teachers, please plan on Back-to-School Night.

How do I keep up on what’s going on at SoJo? Skylerts go out weekly once school starts, and will always also be posted on the school website. We also keep a Google Calendar for important dates, events, and happenings at the school that you can subscribe to on your phone.

Is my student eligible to ride the bus?  The district provides a lookup tool here where you can enter your address and get busing information, including eligibility, stop locations, pickup times, and boundaries.

Where should my student walk to school? Each year, we evaluate and update the safest routes for students in our boundaries to use when walking to school. Please visit this page to see the map.

What immunizations are required? The following vaccines are required for students entering seventh grade:

• 1 TDAP Vaccine
• 3 Hepatitis B
• 2 Varicella (Chickenpox) – A history of disease is acceptable, as long as parent signs a verification statement 
• 1 Meningococcal 

TDAP Vaccine Dosage Recommendations:

Adolescents 11-18 years of age who have not received the Tdap vaccine should receive a single dose of Tdap vaccine followed by Td booster doses every 10 years thereafter. Tdap vaccine can be given regardless of when the last tetanus- and diphtheria toxoid-containing vaccine was given. Unvaccinated teens or those behind schedule should receive three doses of Td with a one-time dose of Tdap substituted for one of the doses in the series.

For more information on immunization requirements, visit Immunize Utah.

COVID vaccinations are not currently required for students to attend, but quarantines and other COVID protocols may apply depending on vaccination status should an outbreak or exposure occur.

Taking AP Geography next year? Check out this page for information on your summer project.

• 5/25 – Chromebook Check In Per 1-4 ELA classes (REMEMBER YOUR CHARGER!)
• 5/26 – Chromebook Check In Per 5-7 ELA classes  (REMEMBER YOUR CHARGER!)
• 6/2 – Last day of school for 7th graders!
• 6/3 – Last day of school – NOTE START/END TIME – 8:00 am – 12:00 pm – bussing provided, but no lunch served