Announcements
SLCSD Priorities 2026-27 - Our top priorities highlighted from our strategic plan for student success. (Draft only!!)
Common Expectations – Administrative guiding document for 26-27 school year.
September Cultural Calendar – Record of cultural observances for September
Friday, September 25 is a non-student day and the annual Office Professionals Conference at Hillside 8:00am-3:00pm. All contract office Professionals should be in attendance.
Secondary Fine Arts Performances – Listing of upcoming secondary fine arts performances.
DLC INFORMATION
Thank you for participating in our previous Courageous Connections session, Role of a Leader. Throughout this year, we will build skills in communicating courageously, building strong relationships, and leading change.As a reminder, these were your reflection questions from that session:
What conversation, decision, or relationship have you been avoiding? What would leading more courageously look like, and what is the cost of not changing?
Which area do you most want to grow in this year–enabling change, building relationships, or communicating courageously–and why?
From there, you committed to one specific action toward your leadership goal.Before our next session, please be prepared to share an update, along with one specific example.
Our next session is on October 1st. We will be working on Courageous Communication I: communicating genuine care and planning a conversation to strengthen a relationship with someone you work with. We ask that you complete the Pre-Year Survey. The purpose of this survey is to better understand your current experiences, perspectives, and goals as a leader. Your responses will help the School Leadership Alliance team tailor the learning experience to your cohort and establish a baseline so we can measure growth throughout the program.
Complete the Pre-Session Survey: Link: https://forms.gle/h7weZvHAmQ7GdjHx8
The survey takes approximately 5–10 minutes to complete and is required for all participants. Please complete it by 9/30/26.
There are no right or wrong answers. We encourage you to respond honestly based on your current experiences. Your individual responses will be kept confidential and will be used to inform program planning and evaluate the overall impact of the program, rather than to evaluate individual participants.
Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey. We look forward to partnering with you throughout the year.
Thank you for everything you do.
CELEBRATIONS – Please send to leeson.taylor@slcschools.org or angelina.tovar@slcschools.org by Wednesday at 5:00 PM.
West Latinos in Action (LIA)
We are proud to celebrate our Latinos in Action students!
Our students had the opportunity to attend a recent City Council meeting and represent Latinos in Action as they received a recognition on behalf of the organization, alongside LIA from East High School. Their participation reflects the leadership, commitment, and community involvement that LIA encourages in our students.
Congratulations to our students for representing West High School and Latinos in Action with pride!
Parkview STEM Lab
Congrats to Parkview for establishing and integrating it’s STEM Lab. Mr. Castillo has worked very hard to set it up. This is their second year since receiving a parenting grant with Indian Hills. As a Title I school this a great opportunity for our students!
ALL ADMINISTRATORS – Items for all building level administrators
DEADLINES
Final 26-27 Principal Tackle List-September
ACTION ITEMS
Portrait of a Graduate Student Survey – Students in grades 6-12 are being asked to contribute their ideas on what the SLCSD Portrait of a Graduate will be. Schools will need to set aside 20-30 minutes to allow students to take this important survey on Oct 1st. The student survey coincides with a parent survey that will be going via ParentSquare.
Action Item: Assigning STEM AC Math Digital Learning Student Licenses – The math digital learning student licenses awarded to schools from the STEM AC Math Digital Learning Grant will be assigned by SLCSD IT Department. Administrators must submit a SLCSD IT helpdesk ticket to inform IT how the licenses are to be assigned in their school.
INFORMATION ITEMS
Assessment Essentials
Please look through Assessment Essentials for information on current and upcoming Federal, State, and District required assessments. For questions, please reach out to Dr. Patrick Jefferies, Assessment Supervisor-Assessment & Evaluation (patrick.jefferies@slcschools.org)
Attendance Update September 2026.docx -this is the September attendance newsletter.
Roving Substitute Guidelines -- The purpose of this memo is to provide information regarding the current situation and guidance moving forward to address the needs of support staff (specifically, special education paraprofessionals and PE instructors) and the increased substitute expense.
New Requirements Under Utah's School Food Additive Law — Effective 2026–2027 School Year -- This memo outlines new state requirements that take effect for the 2026–2027 school year restricting certain food additives in foods sold, donated, offered, or served on school grounds during the school day. Please review this guidance carefully and share it with relevant staff, including food service, front office, and classroom teachers who coordinate food-related activities.
School Attendance Webpage Template and Attendance Communications Guidance – The purpose of this guidance is to ensure families have clear, consistent, and accessible information about school attendance. By using a common attendance webpage template, schools can help families understand attendance expectations, Utah's compulsory education requirements, how to report absences, how attendance notifications are communicated through Edia AI, and where to access support when attendance concerns arise.
Attendance Coding Guidance Memo – As we continue implementing the new attendance law, it is important that tardies, late arrivals, and absences are coded consistently across schools.
WPAD Order Information – Guidance regarding wearable panic devices.
Student Services Newsletter – This is the monthly newsletter from Student Services.
CTE September News – Monthly newsletter from CTE.
USBE Updates
***USBE School Leadership Conference*** Registration is now open!
Two locations to choose from:
November 9, CEDAR CITY (Courtyard by Marriott): REGISTER
November 12, Salt Lake City (SLCC): REGISTER
Topics will include: School Safety, Special Education, School Improvement, New Leader Training
Fee: $25 (for lunch)
Time: 8:30am - 3:30pm (both locations)
For all school leaders and those who support school leaders!
For more information, contact quinn.kellis@schools.utah.gov
School LAND Trust – USBE is excited to announce a new Canvas course designed to support District Principals in administering the School LAND Trust (SLT) program. District principals are vital to ensuring School Community Councils (SCC) are properly formed and funds are used to address critical academic needs.
SEOP Newsletter – August newsletter
USBE September Attendance Newsletter – USBE Attendance information for the month of August.
HIGH SCHOOLS – Items for high school administration
DEADLINES
ACTION ITEMS
Seal of Biliteracy Registration
Online registration is now open for students interested in earning the Utah Seal of Biliteracy! The Seal is an additional achievement students can earn to recognize and celebrate their language skills and demonstrate their proficiency in more than one language. Please encourage eligible students to take advantage of this opportunity to showcase their language abilities and earn this special recognition.
INFORMATION ITEMS
Information about class taking patterns – Utah schools are committed to providing students with broad and equitable access to educational opportunities. Utah Administrative Rule R277-707 specifically provides that schools may consider academic readiness but may not require students to complete prerequisite courses before enrolling in Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses.
Attendance-Based Grade Reduction Update -- As we have begun implementing the new attendance law, we have learned that schools are not coding tardies consistently across the district for students who arrive late or tardy (excused or unexcused). This means that your tardy data may not be correct for the purpose of calculating student grades for teachers who choose to apply the new attendance-based grading policy.
2026 Cohort Cleanup for High Schools
All graduation requirements for last year's 12th grade students who did not graduate in May must be completed and entered into PowerSchool by September 25.
Registrars must also ensure that an Exit Status Change record is created in PowerSchool for any student who has completed their graduation requirements or for whom new information is available regarding their enrollment status or transfer destination.
Registrars will receive training on this process from IT on August 28.
MIDDLE SCHOOLS –Items for middle school administration
DEADLINES
ACTION ITEMS
INFORMATION ITEMS
Information about class taking patterns – Utah schools are committed to providing students with broad and equitable access to educational opportunities. Utah Administrative Rule R277-707 specifically provides that schools may consider academic readiness but may not require students to complete prerequisite courses before enrolling in Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses.Attendance-Based Grade Reduction Update -- As we have begun implementing the new attendance law, we have learned that schools are not coding tardies consistently across the district for students who arrive late or tardy (excused or unexcused). This means that your tardy data may not be correct for the purpose of calculating student grades for teachers who choose to apply the new attendance-based grading policy.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS – Items for elementary school administration
DEADLINES
ACTION ITEMS
INFORMATION ITEMS
Individualized Reading Plans Available in PowerTeacher – The individualized Reading Plan (IRP) system is now operational and available through PowerTeacher. K–3 teachers can begin using the system to create and maintain IRPs for students who require a plan under SB 241.
Every year, 5th grade students and teachers have the opportunity to travel to Abravanel Hall and hear the Utah Symphony perform. This year, the dates for those concerts include:
Feb 22 at 10 AM – 1800 seats available
Feb 22 at 11:30 AM – 300 seats available
Feb 23 at 10 AM – 760 seats available
Feb 23 at 11:30 AM – 400 seats available
Please have your 5th grade teachers reach out to Amy Burris with the date your school would like to attend no later than October 15, 2027. She will arrange and pay for transportation. This is a unique opportunity for your students because Utah is one of only 17 states with a full-time symphony orchestra in the nation. Plus, this is completely paid for through our state legislature. Please contact Amy right away.
If you'd like more information about this opportunity, you can access this link: https://utahsymphony.org/education/teachers/
Thanks, and Happy Listening 🙂
RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR SCHOOLS FROM DISTRICT DEPARTMENTS
SPED Scoop – Special Education Newsletter
Student Services Resources
Teaching & Learning
Salt Lake Education Foundation
School Leadership & Support
Administrative Memos
CTE_Teachers SharePoint: https://slcsd.sharepoint.com/sites/CTE_Teachers
*Unless otherwise requested, information will run for 2 weeks only.
