No School October 10th

No School October 10th

School Conferences October 7th and 9th

Don't forget School Conferences October 7th and 9th.

MJMS Battle of the Books 2014-2105 Registration form to be returned by October 1st.

MJMS Battle of the Books 2014-2015 Permission slip/Disclaimer to be returned by October 1st if participating

“America’s Battle of the Books is a voluntary reading incentive program for students...The purpose is simply to encourage students to read good books and have fun while competing with peers.”

Permission Slip and Disclaimer

1. Students may not change or drop out of teams once they have signed up for Battle of the Books. Remember: Students who drop out or don’t do their reading will be putting their team at a disadvantage and will be eliminated.

2. Students agree to read at least 7-8 books off the list to help the entire team do well in the Battle of the Books. The competition will be held sometime in March.

3. Students may form teams of 4 members. We will help individuals who cannot find a team or who are short team member(s).

4. Each team will choose their own team name.

5. Depending on number of teams per grade level will determine if the battles will be divided by grades or grades will battle each other.

6. Students will be required to complete summaries for each book read.

______________________________________________________________________________________

Parent and Student Signature and Initials:

Parent Initial:

____I agree to allow my child to participate in Battle of the Books and will help him/her abide by the stated rules.

____I also understand that The Battle of the Books book list may/or may not be on the approved Canyons School District book list.

____Student’s who do not read will be eliminated.

Signature of Parent or Guardian __________________________________Date_______________

Signature of Student _____________________________________________Date_______________

PLEASE RETURN TO THE OFFICE BY October 1st, 2014

Please direct any questions to ptsa.mjms@gmail.com

No School Friday, September 19th

We just want to remind you that this Friday, September 19th is a Data/PD day for schools. There will be no school for students this Friday.

Utah students in grades 5-12 are encouraged to apply for the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards

Do you know a student who has made a meaningful contribution to his or her community through volunteer service in the past 12 months? Utah students in grades 5-12 are encouraged to apply for the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. Applications are due Nov. 4. http://spirit.prudential.com/view/page/soc

CSD’s Volunteer Appreciation Week Sept. 15-18

“Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.” — H. Jackson Brown Jr.
Volunteer Appreciation Week is around the corner! Last school year, the District enlisted over 12,000 volunteers districtwide. Whether you have helped teachers get ready for the school year, helped children safely cross the street, or helped students learn to read, Canyons School District salutes you as a treasured partner in education.

Canyons Volunteer Appreciation Week is Sept. 15-19. Canyons District and schools are planning activities to pay tribute to your service. Please mark your calendars for the following:

Tuesday, Sept. 16: Board of Education Reception for CSD Volunteers, 6:30–7:30 p.m., Canyons Support Services Center, 9361 S. 300 East, southeast entrance. The event will include recognitions for volunteers. The Board of Education also is planning special honors for the Canyons Apex Award winner for Volunteer of the Year. An electronic invitation will be sent to all Canyons volunteers this week. Please join us!

Thursday, Sept. 18: Superintendent’s PTA and SCC Luncheon, to include all school PTA Presidents, the Region 17 PTA Board, and School Community Council Chairs. The luncheon will be from 11:30–12:30 p.m. in the Atrium at Corner Canyon High School, 12943 S. 700 East, Draper. The luncheon will provide PTA leaders with an opportunity to share lunch with Superintendent Dr. Jim Briscoe, who will deliver brief remarks and answer your questions. Please see the attached invitation.
Additional activities or recognitions will be provided by the local schools; please check with your principals for details and to develop ways to collaborate on the efforts to recognize all volunteers in your schools.

National Honors for CSD

Canyons District has received the prestigious Youth and Family Partnership Award from the National Center for School Based Mental Health. Each year, the center honors one exemplary school district, organization or school mental health program that effectively partners with youth and families in delivering quality school mental health programming. The award will be bestowed on the District and CSD Community Partners at the Center's annual conference Sept. 19 in Pittsburgh. The Center for School Mental Health is located at the Maryland School of Medicine. More information is on our Web site, www.canyonsdistrict.org. 

We’re Building the Future

Butler Elementary is next in line to be rebuilt with money from a $250 million tax-rate-neutral bond approved by our voters in 2010. According to a timeline recently approved by the Board of Education, work on a 70,000- to 75,000-square-foot Butler Elementary would begin in spring 2015 and completed by fall 2016. We’ll be asking for community input in the next few months.
In addition, if plans are realized, at this time next year, Mount Jordan Middle will be completed and ready to welcome students. Construction is ahead of schedule. 

Volunteer wins Presidential Award

We believe that service learning is an important part of an education. So we’re thrilled to announce that Braxton Beers, a recent Alta High graduate, has received a 2014 Presidential Volunteer Service Award. He received the award for his thousands of service hours to CSD schools, the community, students with special needs, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Utah Food Bank, and the homeless shelter. The service award is a commendation created in 2003 by former president George W. Bush to recognize the contributions volunteers make in their communities. “It’s a pretty rare award,” Beers said. “I’m very honored by it.” Beers plans to attend Utah State University on full scholarship. Talk about #collegeready! 

Apex Awards

Congratulations to Kathryn Myers, the first-ever PTSA President at Corner Canyon High, for being selected as the 2014 Apex Award winner for Volunteer of the Year.
The Apex Awards, the highest awards given by the Canyons Board of Education and Administration, publicly acknowledge and honor tireless champions of public education. With the awards, which were presented Tuesday, Sept. 9 at a by- invitation-only banquet at the Gathering Place at Gardner Village, the Canyons Board of Education and Administration celebrated the dedication and professionalism of educators, employees and community partners.
This year’s winners, chosen after a public nomination process, are:

n Teacher of the Year — Michele Law, Sprucewood Elementary
n School Administrator of the Year — Sandra Dahl- Houlihan, Principal, Sandy Elementary
n District Administrator of the Year — Robin Collett, Director, Special Education
n Business Partner of the Year — Savage
n Volunteer of the Year— Kathryn Myers, PTSA President,
Corner Canyon High
n Elected Official of the Year — Sen. Pat Jones, D-Holladay n Education Support Professional of the Year — Chad
Pulsipher, Manager, Warehouse and Print Shop
n Legacy Award — Dr. Ginger Rhode, former Interim
Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent 

Looking Ahead: Student Achievement

We are creating materials to help prepare our principals, teachers and parents for the release of the premiere state SAGE test scores. By way of background, last spring, in information mailed to all parents and posted on our website, the District noted SAGE results can’t be compared to the CRT scores from years past. This is because the SAGE measures the new Utah Core standards, which are more rigorous than those measured by the old CRTs. The District also noted SAGE results will not follow CRT test score trends. The District will continue to expand on those messages and address other anticipated parent concerns. 

September: Utah Attendance Awareness Month

The first step to college- and career-readiness is showing up at school. But did you know that as many as 7.5 million U.S. students miss a full month of school each year, maybe more? The State Office of Education is sounding the statistic, and an accompanying alarm, in hopes of changing that tune.September is Utah’s premiere Attendance Awareness Month. The Utah State Office of Education is hosting the month with organizations including Voices for Utah Children and WestEd in hopes of stemming student absences, which can lead to academic trouble, increased dropout rates and a profound impact on the socio-economic vitality of our communities. Suggested activities are listed on the Attendance Works website. The state also plans to host the Every Day Counts Policy Forum on Sept. 18. There, educators, policymakers, and community leaders will discuss attendance issues, and, they hope, craft recommendations to support school attendance and student success. 

For your Calendar

Sept. 15-19 — Volunteer Week
Sept. 16 — Volunteer Appreciation Reception; 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.; CSSC, 9361 S. 300 East
Sept. 16 - Meeting of the Canyons Board of Education
Sept. 17 – Board of Education member Sherril Taylor constituency meeting; 7 – 8:30 p.m.; Lone Peak Elementary Sept. 19 — Teacher Professional Development Day — No school for students
Sept. 26 — Elementary School Early-Out Day
Sept. 30 — High School Parent-Teacher Conferences
Oct. 1 — High School Parent-Teacher Conferences
Oct. 3. — Compensatory Day for high schools — No school for high school students
Oct. 7 — Meeting of the Canyons Board of Education
Oct. 7 — Middle School Parent-Teacher Conferences
Oct. 8 – SCC training; CSSC Professional Development Center; 9361 S. 300 East, southeast entrance; 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. (First of three trainings, choose one)
Oct. 8-9 — Elementary Parent-Teacher Conferences
Oct. 9 — Middle School Parent-Teacher Conferences
Oct. 10 — Compensatory Day for middle schools & elementary — No school for middle, elementary students
Oct. 11 — District Middle School Intramurals Cross Country Meet
Oct. 16-17 — Fall Recess
Oct. 21 — Meeting of the Canyons Board of Education
Oct. 22 - SCC training; Jordan High Tech Atrium; 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. (Second of three trainings, choose one)
Oct. 24 — Elementary School Early-Out day
Oct. 27 — High School End-of-Quarter Day
Oct. 29 - SCC training; CSSC Professional Development Center; 

Mystery Virus Afoot?

A mystery illness affecting the respiratory systems of children is resulting in hospitalizations in 10 states, including neighboring Colorado, ABC News http://abcnews.go.com/Health/unidentified-respiratory- virus-hit-kids-country/story?id=25334106 reports. While we don’t have information that the virus has struck Utah children, the CSD School Nurses are reminding everyone of good practices to prevent the spread of illness, including hand- washing and coughing into the crook of the elbow. 

Don't Forget Pictures tomorrow September 11th!

Earn money for your child’s school every time you use your rewards card at Smith’s! With your support, Smith’s Earn & Learn program has already contributed $16.8 million to schools. This year, Smith’s will be making another substantial donation to local participating schools.

PTSA Student Activity Wednesday September 10th from 2:30-3:15 pm

Our first PTSA student activity will be tomorrow, Wednesday Sept. 10 in the cafeteria, we will begin the activity at 2:30 pm and will end at 3:15 pm. Please arrange for a ride home from school if needed.

We are very excited to get to know one another! We have a fun activity planned so please attend, those of you who have not joined PTSA you can pay $6.00 in the office or bring it to the activity!

Chess Club

Chess Club after school every Tuesday's and Thursday's from 2:30-3:30.

Chick-Fil-A Spirit Night September 22nd

Come support our school on September 22nd for spirit night at Chick-Fil-A at 10090 S State St Sandy, UT Sandy. Invite your friends/family. Just mention you are with Mt Jordan Middle and a portion of the proceeds will go directly to funding programs at Mt Jordan Middle. Thank you for your continued support of Mt Jordan Middle.

No School September 19th

Don't forget there is no school on September 19th!

Picture Day on September 11th

Mark your calendar!! Picture day is coming September 11th!

Cross Country Intramurals Starting September 8th!

It's time for intramurals to start again. We will be starting our cross country intramurals next week. Practices will be Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 2:45-3:45 pm. The district cross country meet will be held at Eastmont M.S. on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 11. There will be a meeting in Mrs. Kemp's room #601 tomorrow morning, Sept. 5 at 9:15 for anyone interested in participating in cross country. If you have any questions, contact Mrs. Kemp or Mr. Watts. We hope to see lots of you out running with us!

If you missed the meeting contact Mrs. Kemp or Mr. Watts directly.

Coming Soon To Mount Jordan Middle...Battle of the Books!

Coming Soon to Mount Jordan Middle...Battle of the Books!

America's Battle of the Books is a reading incentive program designed to help encourage reading through friendly competition. Look for information coming soon during the September 22nd, assembly.

Mt Jordan Lego League...If interested in joining please fill out the application and return to Mrs. Kimble, Mr. Leavitt, or Mrs. Bradshaw