Category: Parent Square

Good morning, SoJo! As always, you can see our upcoming calendar of events on our website here. Most importantly for this week, remember that students don’t have school on Friday. It’s a teacher professional development day, so we’ll be here, but students won’t be.

It’s also good to note that Parent-Teacher Conferences are just around the corner. We’ll have a virtual night on Wednesday, Sept. 28 and in-person conferences on Thursday, Sept. 29. Students won’t have school on Friday, Sept. 30. On that subject, remember that we have so many ways to communicate. Please don’t feel you need to wait to talk to a teacher if you have a concern, question, or compliment. Parent conferences are an official chance to meet with them if you’d like, but you can call, email, or set up an appointment with a teacher all year long.

PTSA Reflections Contest

Want to show off your talents? Enter this year’s PTSA Reflections contest. You can find rules and the online entry form here. Entries are due October 1st, and you can enter original works in the categories of Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, 2D Visual Arts, and 3D Visual Arts. The Reflections Theme for 2022-23 is “Show Your Voice.”

9th Grade Baby Photos due by Sept. 16th

9th Grade Baby Photos Needed for the Memory Book! The deadline to submit photos is Sept 16th. Don’t miss out on getting your student’s photo published. Only submit one baby photo, current photos not needed! Include your students name and your email address. You can submit the photo here, or there is a QR code on the image. If you are still having trouble, email sojoyearbook@gmail.com.

Want to show off your talents? Enter this year’s PTSA Reflections contest. You can find rules and the online entry form here. Entries are due October 1st, and you can enter original works in the categories of Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, 2D Visual Arts, and 3D Visual Arts. The Reflections Theme for 2022-23 is “Show Your Voice.”

We have a few weeks of school under our belts, and we hope you all had a chance to get that perfect school photo you’ll look back on fondly for many years to come. If not, we’ll have retakes soon. It’s been a great few weeks, and we want to remind you that, as always, you can see our upcoming calendar of events on our website here. 

In this Skylert, you’ll find:

• Upcoming Panorama Survey
• Drop-Off & Pick-Up Request
• Current Openings
• Lunch Menus & App
• Behavior at BHS Sporting Events
• School Community Council Nominations

Panorama Survey

Dear SoJo Middle School Families,

This Thursday 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.

Pick-Up & Drop-Off Behind SoJo

We’ve been asked by the residents living behind SoJo to remind patrons that Temple View Land (the street that dead-ends behind the school) is not a drop-off and pick-up location. Thank you for your understanding.

Current Openings

We are still looking for 17- and 25-hour aides in our special needs classrooms, as well as cashiers for our cafeteria (2.5 hours per day, between 11 am – 2 pm depending on the day). We’d love to have you join our wonderful staff and get to experience the great students of SoJo firsthand.

Lunch Menu & App

Wondering what’s for lunch each day? You can find our lunch menu here. You can also download the NutriSlice app, and it allows you access to the menu, nutrition information, and more for all schools in Jordan District.

Middle School Behavior at BHS Events

We’ve been asked by Bingham High School to reiterate to students that their behavior at high school events may make it so they are no longer able to attend those events. They are reporting specific issues with middle school students’ behavior at football games, although the request applies to any time our students are representing our school or district at any event. Keep it classy, SoJo!

School Community Council Nominations

If you’re interested in joining our school community council, this is our last call for nominations. Our first meeting is scheduled for October 3rd from 3:30 – 4:30 pm here at the school. If you are interested in serving on this year’s council (even if you’ve been on it last year), please fill out a nomination form and return it to the school ASAP.

Happy Tuesday morning, and we hope your first full week of school treated you well. The biggest thing happening this week is picture day on Wednesday. 

Before we get to that, we could use more help in the form of peer tutors in our special education classes. If you are looking for a chance to make a real difference and it works with your schedule, we’d love to have you. Talk to your counselor for more details.

Week at a Glance

Monday, Aug 29                                                             

• Regular Schedule
• Lunch:  Calzone

Tuesday, Aug 30                                            

• Regular Schedule
• Lunch:  Spicy Pork

Wednesday, Aug 31 

• Regular Schedule  
• Lunch:  Breaded Chicken Patty
• Picture Day (Based on Science Classes)

Thursday, Sept 1

• Regular Thursday PROWL Schedule
• Lunch:  Kung Pao Chicken w/ Edamame

Friday, Sept 2

• Late Start Schedule
• Lunch:  Breakfast Bar

Picture Day is Wednesday, August 31st

It’s nearly picture day, so be ready to have your memory book photo taken on Wednesday, August 31. You can order online using the code 3SNTMPRF on this site. Options can be found in the picture below.

9th Grade Baby Pictures for the Memory Book

Attention parents of 9th graders only. If you would like your child’s 9th grade baby photo to be included in the memory book, please use this link or the QR code to upload the photo. Only submit one photo per student. Make sure to include the student’s name and parent email address when submitting the photo.

Memory Book Staff Applications

Interested in journalism or photography? Love attending school events or design? Join our memory book staff. Use this link to sign up. All applications must be submitted by midnight, September 8th.

We normally only send out one Skylert a week, but we didn’t want anyone to forget that it’s picture day on Wednesday, August 31st. You can order online using the code 3SNTMPRF on this site. Options can be found in the picture below. Have a great weekend!

Picture Day

Memory Book Staff Applications

Interested in journalism or photography? Love attending school events or design? Join our memory book staff. Use this link to sign up. All applications must be submitted by midnight, September 8th.

It’s our first full week of school, and we absolutely love having our students back in the building. We hope your children are enjoying their classes and we appreciate all that you do at home to reinforce messages of kindness and grit. We notice, and it makes a difference. You have great kids.

In this Skylert, you’ll see:

• Week at a Glance
• Hello Week Activities
• Dress Code Reminders
• Parking Lot Reminders (The Bus Lane is for Buses) 😉
• DoorDash (Don’t)
• National Junior Honor Society Applications
• Memory Book Staff Applications
• School Ambassador Applications

Week at a Glance

Monday, Aug 22

• Monochrome Color Day
• Lunch: Lasagne

Tuesday, Aug 23

• Twinning Day
• Lunch: Traveling Tacos
• Orchestra Parent Meeting 6:30 pm

Wednesday, Aug 24

• Character/Celebrity Day
• Lunch: Country Fried Steak
• PTA Mtg 10 am

Thursday Aug 25

• Assembly Schedule – NO PROWL
• Throwback Day
• Lunch: Chicken Teriyaki
• Student Expectations Assemblies, Starting at 9 am

Friday, Aug 26

• Late Start Schedule
• *Anything But a Backpack Day
• Lunch: Pastrami Burger

Hello Week

It’s our first full week of school, and we’re saying hello by having a different dress option each day this week. Please remember that all attire must follow the school dress code and not disrupt the day-to-day of school.

• Monday: Color Block
  • Wear all one color
• Tuesday: Twinning
  • Dress like someone else at the school
• Wednesday: Character/Marvel
  • Dress like a character from a book, TV show or movie.
• Thursday: Throwback/80s
  • Dress like it’s the Stranger Things era.
• Friday: *Anything but a Backpack
  • *Must be roughly the size of a backpack and not cause any disruptions to school. If you’re not sure, we recommend running your idea by a teacher or administrator first.

Dress Code Reminders

We’ll cover this in detail with students on Thursday during our opening assembly, but please note that the district-wide dress code requires students to be covered from the top of the armpit down to mid-thigh. This means that students wearing clothes that show their midsection will need to either change, or borrow some incredibly fashionable (and clean) SoJo merch. You can find the full dress code in our student code of conduct, or here (Spanish). We’ve been reminding students daily via announcements and individual conversations, but parents have the most effect when it comes to helping students dress for school.

Parking Lot Reminders

We have a small parking lot, and there are a few things we’re seeing that we could use your help with as you drop off and pick up students:

• Please don’t use the bus lane unless you are a bus. Please.
• If you’re dropping your student off to seminary, please don’t drive through the middle of the south parking lot.

We Don’t Do DoorDash

It’s a brave new world when it comes to food delivery, but please know that we don’t accept DoorDash for students (either on their own or ordered by parents). Not only does it cause a significant disruption with kids trying to leave class and pick it up, but it’s actually also against the terms and conditions of DoorDash and other similar services to deliver to anyone under the age of 18.

As always, you are welcome to check your student out for lunch.

National Junior Honor Society Applications

We are accepting applications for the National Junior Honor Society for current 8th and 9th graders. Applications are due Friday September 9th. Click here for more information.

Memory Book Staff Applications

Interested in journalism or photography? Love attending school events or design? Join our memory book staff. Use this link to sign up. All applications must be submitted by midnight, September 8th.

School Ambassador Applications due FRIDAY the 26th!

Ambassadors are a small group of responsible, hardworking students who care about SOJO and its culture. They will be in charge of our school’s HOPE week and also work closely with the SBO’s in running school activities and fundraisers! It is a great opportunity to be a leader and serve the school! See Mrs. Mastin-Call in Room 701 for an application.

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.