Author: Mr. Jenson

We’re in the middle of course selection for next school year, and are already coming up on the middle of the quarter this week. Please remember that there will be no school for students on February 10th for the District Wellness Day. A variety of wellness activities and resources will be available, and will be sent out by the district prior to that day.

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES

Parent conferences will be held on February 15th (In-Person) and 16th (Virtual). You do not need an appointment for the in-person night, but line length can vary. For the virtual night, you can schedule appointments in Skyward starting now. There will be no school on Friday, February 17th as a compensatory day for teachers due to the late nights of parent conferences. There will also be no school on Monday, February 20th (Presidents Day).

Most importantly with parent conferences, we hope you know that teachers are available at any time of year, and not just during parent conferences. If you can’t make it, just reach out to the teacher and make an appointment, send them an email, or give them a call after school. Parent conferences are a great way to do it, but are definitely not the only way.

COURSE SELECTION FOR NEXT YEAR

6th Graders Going Into 7th Grade: Course Selection will happen on February 7th at the school. There will be a session starting at 5 pm, 5:45 pm and 6 pm. Teachers and counselors will be on hand to answer questions and help students complete registration before leaving that evening. If you are unable to attend, you can register at home.

If your current 6th grade student is interested in student government, you can check out the application process here. Requests for interviews are due by April 12th, and applications are due April 14th.

7th Graders Going Into 8th Grade:  You should already have your courses selected. If you have any questions, contact your counselor. 

8th Graders Going Into 9th Grade: You should already have your courses selected. If you have any questions, contact your counselor. 

9th Graders Going Into 10th Grade: Course Selection will happen later in the Spring. We’ll send something out as it gets closer.

We’re in the middle of course selection for next school year, and are already coming up on the middle of the quarter next week. Please remember that there will be no school for students on February 10th for the District Wellness Day. A variety of wellness activities and resources will be available, and will be sent out by the district prior to that day.

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES

Parent conferences will be held on February 15th (In-Person) and 16th (Virtual). More information will come next week about setting up virtual appointments in Skyward. There will be no school on Friday, February 17th, or on Monday, February 20th (Presidents Day).

COURSE SELECTION FOR NEXT YEAR

7th Graders Going Into 8th Grade: Course Selection opens in Skyward today and closes on Friday, February 3rd. For information on how to register for classes and information on elective options, please visit the SoJo website. A PowerPoint tutorial will be available on how to choose classes. Please make sure your student has a full 7 credits as well as 3 alternates chosen by Friday. Our counselors will be helping students complete this process during science classes this week.

6th Graders Going Into 7th Grade: Course Selection will happen on February 7th at the school. There will be a session starting at 5 pm, 5:45 pm and 6 pm. Teachers and counselors will be on hand to answer questions and help students complete registration before leaving that evening.  If you are unable to attend, you can register at home

8th Graders Going Into 9th Grade: You should already have your courses selected. If you have any questions, contact your counselor. 

9th Graders Going Into 10th Grade: Course Selection will happen later in the Spring. We’ll send something out as it gets closer.

COURSE SELECTION FOR NEXT YEAR

9th Graders Going Into 10th Grade: Course Selection will happen later in the Spring. We’ll send something out as it gets closer.

8th Graders Going Into 9th Grade: Course Selection opens in Skyward today and closes on Friday, January 27. For information on how to register for classes and information on elective options, please visit the SoJo website. A PowerPoint tutorial will be available on how to choose classes along with a PowerPoint on choosing Earth Systems or Biology. Please make sure your student has a full 7 credits as well as 3 alternates chosen by Friday. Our counselors will be helping students complete this process during science classes this week.

7th Graders Going Into 8th Grade: Course Selection will happen in Skyward next week, and our counselors will help students complete this process during science classes. More info to come.

6th Graders Going Into 7th Grade: Course Selection will happen on February 7th at the school. Check out this flier. There will be a session starting at 5 pm, 5:45 pm and 6 pm. Teachers and counselors will be on hand to answer questions and help students complete registration before leaving that evening.  If you are unable to attend, you can register at home.

HOPE WEEK

This week is Hope Week at SoJo, and our Ambassadors have put together a week of exciting lunchtime activities and mental health tips. Each day has a theme, which can be found here and below:

• Monday: Stress Therapy – Wear Pastels
• Tuesday: Friendship – Twin Day
• Wednesday: Level Up Your Own Path – Wear Funky or Mismatched Clothes
• Thursday: Suicide Awareness – Wear School Colors
• Friday: Self-Care – Dress Comfy

JORDAN JOB FAIR

If you’re interested in working at SoJo as a hall monitor, special education classroom assistant, custodian, or in our cafeteria, join us this Wednesday at Oquirrh Hills Middle School in Riverton from 6-8 pm. Positions are available across the district, but we have those specific positions available here at SoJo. We hope to see you there!

PARKING LOT SAFETY

We’ve had a couple of near-misses with pedestrians and cars in our parking lot. Please remember to drive slowly and avoid cutting through the parking lot – even in the early morning during seminary drop off times. 

It’s nearly the end of 1st semester, so please make sure you’ve checked Skyward and there are no surprises. With the 2nd semester, some semester-long classes will change, as well which lunch you may have. We’ll be on hand to make sure you are where you need to be, but luck favors the prepared.

Course Selection for 2022-23 School Year

Course selection for next school year is upon us. Current 8th graders will be selecting their classes January 23-27 and current 7th graders will be selecting classes January 30 – February 3. Please check the SoJo Counseling website on those dates for information.

Panorama Survey

Dear SoJo Middle School Families,

Next Thursday (Jan. 19th), students will be taking our district’s Panorama SEL (Social Emotional Learning) Survey. This survey gives us insight into how students feel about school and helps us drive change for our school culture. This survey will be given to students in Prowl class and should only take about 15-20 minutes. Students will be asked how they think and feel about school. Here is a link to some of the questions that your student may be asked 

This data will be used alongside academic, behavioral, and attendance records in order to support the whole child. By using Panorama our school will able to act on data and plan solutions at the school, classroom, and student level. This survey:

• Is not a curriculum
• Is not a mental health screener
• Has nothing to do with 2nd Step
• Has nothing to do with Critical Race Theory (CRT)

Thank you so much for your support at home. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact your student’s school counselor.

Well, 2022 is nearly wrapped up and ready to be tied with a bow. Thank you to all of you for your support of teachers and staff, and for raising such wonderful children. Wednesday is our last day of 2022, and 2023 will start for schools on January 3rd. Be aware that the 2nd Quarter and 1st Semester end on January 13th, so it’s a quick turnaround.

End-of-Day Dance/Activities on Wednesday

Our wonderful PTSA and school staff have planned a school dance, as well as activities for those who are less inclined to dancing. Students have already chosen which activity to attend, and the dance and activities all take place from 1:30 – 3:00 pm tomorrow. 

It will be a bit hectic during that time, so if you plan to check your student out, please try to do so before 1:30 pm; finding them in the dance will be difficult.

If you bring your own device for one of the other activities, it is your responsibility to make sure it does not get lost or stolen. Label your device – including controllers, joycons, headphones, etc. and keep track of it all day. Any item brought to school is the responsibility of the student.

Drop-Off & Pick-Up Reminders

Please remember when navigating our parking lot to please follow the normal markings for drop-off and pick-up. We’ve had several close calls with people cutting through where people park instead of going around the outside, and we want to keep everyone safe. 

Also, please remember that the neighborhood streets east of the school are not a drop-off and pick-up location. Our neighbors have reached out again asking us to remind everyone to use the parking lot, as a large amount of traffic is happening in the neighborhood.

Looking for our bell schedule for Thursday? Here you go!

Winter break is only a week and a half away, and we love the attitudes of kindness and giving that come with the winter season. 

Winter Extravaganza

Our wonderful PTSA and staff have put together a range of activities for the last hour and a half on the day before Winter Break. Students will select an activity this week so that we can plan supplies and supervision, and possible activities will include a dance, cornhole, a photo booth, a movie, video games, crafts, scribble society, and many more. We look forward to sending students off to the break with a smile on their faces.

Food Drive Thank You

Our food drive for the Utah Food Bank was a huge success (over 3,300 food items donated), and we want to say thank you to your students, to our staff, and especially to you as the parents who usually actually buy the food that is donated. 

Performing Arts Assembly on Thursday

We will have our annual Winter Performing Arts Assembly on Thursday. You can find our adjusted bell schedule here. So many of you have already seen one of our performing arts groups or more, but we want to ensure all students get the chance to see the great work and incredible talent of their peers.

New to Jordan District?

We offer a number of informational evenings for families new to the area who might need access to help, food, etc. If you have more questions, there is a session tonight at Aspen Elementary School, and more to come after Winter Break. You can check out the flier here (and here, in Spanish).
Ofrecemos una serie de noches informativas para familias nuevas en el área que puedan necesitar acceso a ayuda, comida, etc. Si tiene más preguntas, hay una sesión esta noche en la Escuela Primaria Aspen y más por venir después de las vacaciones de invierno. Puede consultar el volante aquí (y aquí, en español).

SoJo Food Drive Dec 5-9

SoJo is accepting donations for the Utah Food Bank. Students earn tickets for their donations. Those tickets will allow them to participate in activities throughout the week. Please donate Canned Food, Packaged Food, Personal Care Items, and Cleaning Products. The Utah Food Bank cannot accept expired, unlabeled, refrigerated, or damaged items.

Bus Loading Changes

We are going to try and speed up bus loading now that it’s snowing and cold outside. Starting next week – not yet, though – students will simply follow the line of buses until they reach their bus and load, even along the sidewalk to the south of the parking lot. At 3:07 pm sharp, all buses will leave and won’t stop at the front as they have done in the past. If their bus isn’t there yet and the other buses are still there, they should wait at the end of the bus line on the sidewalk for their bus. If the other buses leave and their bus isn’t there yet because it’s late, they should return to the front of the school to wait for their bus.

Again, this isn’t for this week. This starts next week. For now, it’s business as usual. We’ll remind students on the first day (next Monday) at the end of school to make sure they don’t forget.

School Cleanliness

We are fortunate to have an amazing custodial staff who keep SoJo looking great and ready for our use. Thank you to them! We need everyone’s help to make sure our school is both clean and safe. We have too many food spills in the Cafe that students are leaving behind or not cleaning up. We understand, accidents happen. Help SoJo by telling one of the custodians and helping clean up the mess so no one slips and falls. It is all of our jobs to clean up after ourselves and keep SoJo clean and safe.

Students are NOT allowed to sell anything at school

We want to remind our SoJo Community that students are not allowed to sell items during school hours or on the school campus. District Policy limits the type of food that can be sold to middle school students. We also have specific vending contracts that prohibit the sale of any outside food or drink.