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Category: Safety

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This information was originally sent on 12/6/2022 in the Letters for Leadership v.18.  Please note the following:

 Winter Weather Guidelines

We want to ensure that you are aware of the expectations for the chilly time of the school year.   Please reach out to you community and communicate to parents that students should be dressed and prepared for the cold weather with the following items: warm coats, sweaters/ hoodies, boots, hats, scarves, mittens/gloves, etc. Please ensure that these items are marked in case they are misplaced or lost. Students should come prepared to go outside, get some fresh air, and exercise outdoors daily.  The exceptions to going out daily are listed below:

Morning:

  • Inside morning in the gym, IF there is significant rainfall or snowfall. (IF students will be getting wet outside.)
  • Inside morning in the gym, IF the temperature is below 20 degrees.
  • Students sitting on their pockets, not running around, playing sports, etc.
  • Inside mornings are from (List the time for your school)________ to ensure our outside-duty teachers are in the gym to help supervise.

Recess:

  • Teacher/Grade Level Discretion
  • Inside recess IF the temperature is below 20 degrees. Recess time is held inside the classroom.

Lunch Recess:

  • Admin/Office Discretion
  • Inside lunch recess, IF there is significant rainfall or snowfall (If students will be getting wet outside), recess time is held inside the classroom.
  • Inside lunch recess, IF the temperature is below 20 degrees, recess time is held inside the classroom.

Please reach out if you have any questions or need further information.  Thank you for all that you do for the children of our district.

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From: Tiffany Hall

This information will be shared with teachers October 22, 2025. Please reach out if you have questions before that happens.

BACKGROUND

In 2025, the Utah State Legislature passed H.B. 104 Firearm Safety in Schools Amendments. This requires schools to provide an instructional session on firearm safety to students.

This instruction must be offered to students at least three times during grades K-6, once in middle school, and once in high school. The instruction must be age appropriate and developmentally appropriate for the students in the class.

In SLCSD, we will provide this lesson in grades 1, 3, and 5 and in middle and high school health classes. The reason we have assigned this to specific elementary grade levels and classes is so that we can track that the required instruction was provided.

This instruction will not include handling a firearm or having a firearm (real or model) in the classroom. The instruction will focus on ensuring students understand appropriate safety around firearms. Materials selected for this instruction are politically neutral and are available for parents to review online.

If parents do not want their student to participate in this lesson, they can opt their student out by completing returning the opt out form. They do not have to opt IN: they only have to opt OUT.

If opted out, the student must be provided with an alternate assignment in an alternate location, and their grade cannot be affected. For elementary, the lesson will probably between 15-20 minutes long. For secondary, the time may depend on what other appropriate health standards you choose to include.

REQUIRED STEPS

  1. Review the materials and video for your level.
  2. Choose a date you will plan to teach the lesson.
  3. At least two weeks before you teach the lesson, send the Parent Information letter home. Include the date you are teaching and the date the opt out must be returned.
  4. Make a plan for an alternate assignment and location in case it’s needed.
  5. Collect all opt out forms. After the lesson, have your administrator store them for the school year.
  6. Teach the lesson.

RESOURCES

Located in the District Document Center > Teaching & Learning > Firearm Safety Resources

Elementary – National Crime Prevention Council (Officer McGruff)

  • Grade 1: Molly’s Mischief
    • Parent form (Translations to major languages are currently in process. They will be added to the file as they are completed. Please contact Ms. Lowery if an additional language is needed.)
    • Video embedded on PPT
    • Teacher guide
    • Student activity sheet
    • Safety poster
    • Post-lesson recap for parents (currently only in English, TBD for other languages) 
  • Grades 3 and 5: Not Cool, Kyle
    • Parent form (Translations to major languages are currently in process. They will be added to the file as they are completed. Please contact Ms. Lowery if an additional language is needed.)
    • Video embedded on PPT
    • Teacher guide
    • Student activity sheet
    • Safety poster
    • Post-lesson recap for parents (currently only in English, TBD for other languages)

Secondary – Utah Attorney General’s Office

  • Parent form (Translations to major languages are currently in process. They will be added to the file as they are completed. Please contact Ms. Lowery if an additional language is needed.)
    • Video embedded on PPT
    • Teacher Lesson Plan
    • Student handout (two colors)
    • Safety poster (two colors)

QUESTIONS

  • Check with your administrator
  • Teams or email Katie Lowery, Health and PE Specialist
  • Teams or email Tiffany Hall, Teaching & Learning

NEXT STEPS

If you would like to suggest a different curriculum, please contact Ms. Lowery and Dr. Hall for district-level review.

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STUDENT SERVICES NEWS

Monthly Newsletter September 2025

Happenings

  • September is Suicide Prevention Month Please share the Parent Guidance Mental Health Series resource with parents: including  Parent Guidance Online Mental Health Newsletter  and  "What Parents Need to Know about Suicide Prevention"
  • Thank you to the schools that have already scheduled and implemented regular mental health meetings!
  • Anti-Harassment/Anti-Bullying Student Training is being facilitated by school counselors now through October 1st. The Procedures for Training and Reporting are in the Document Center.
  • All Schools will receive $1000 for Suicide Prevention. Admin, please support implementation of the suicide prevention program at your schools and ensure these funds are being utilized to strengthen it.
  • Insight The Prime for Life and Guiding Good Choices schedule is now available. To see the schedule and register please click here 
  • Peer Court begins on October 6th. Referrals can be submitted here.  
  • Optional Admin/SRO Gun Safety and Active Shooter Training at East High School Library September 26th from 9:00am to 3:00pm RSVP HERE
School Counselors
Student Services Meeting (Virtual) September 17 from 9-12.  All Counselors, Social Workers, Nurses and McKinney Staff attend. Admin are always welcome.

Agendas and resources: Student Services Meetings 2025-2026  

Secondary Counselor Program: 
• All Secondary Counseling Programs will be reviewed by USBE this Spring to ensure adherence to state counseling standards. This program review nets counselor support budgets at secondary schools.
• On-Site Review Performance Evaluation  Data Project Reports  Counselors must present data projects during a staff meeting. If presentations did not occur last Spring, please schedule asap.
• Updates and Essentials Training  All secondary administrators who have not completed this USBE school training within the past six years must complete the course asap. Documentation of completion will need to be provided to the state in March.

Elementary Counselor Program:
• Elementary Counselor folder for resources, training materials, and PowerPoints from elementary counselor breakout sessions of Student Services meetings.
• Bullying One-Sheet outlines anti-bullying and anti-harassment policies and provides resources to families
• Utah Crisis and Suicide Prevention Resources Submit G19-20 documentation by Oct. 1 to this Microsoft link
• Elementary Counselors submit monthly data using this Microsoft form • Elementary Counselor Annual Task Organizer
• SLCSD Elementary Counselor Handbook
• Revised Counselor ECAP and Observation Tool

Helpful Links:
3rd Millennium Substance Violation Option for Secondary Students
Counselor Handbooks
Counselor Document Center
Utah College Application and FAFSA Resources
Digital Awareness: Classroom Curriculum
District Social Work and Mental Health Partnerships
Social Work Services 
• We are excited to welcome Andrea Carrizo, Annie Romano, Haref Montalvo, Jessica Carpenter and Yvette Orr to our team!
• Social workers are conducting mental health screening at all school sites.
• Thank you to the schools that have already implemented and scheduled regular mental health meetings!

Odyssey House
• Salt Lake City School District partners with Odyssey House to provide free school-based therapeutic services to students at East, Highland, Horizonte, Backman and Parkview.

Helpful Links:
Mental Health Screening
Parent Guidance Mental Health Series
Social Work Handbook    
Health Services
Important items this month:
• Vision Screening starts on September 16, 2025.
• CPR/AED/Narcan training continue to be offered once a month at the district office building.  If you would like to be certified or your certification has expired, sign up for a class.
-Remember, schools must have at least three front office staff CPR certified to have an AED in the school.
--Elementary: Kinder, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and special request.
--Middle: 7th grade and any special request.

Helpful Links:
How to access Healthcare Plans
Sick Room Protocol
Guidelines for Illness
Health Services School Assignments and Resources
McKinney Vento
Important items this month:
• Welcome Cisco Ramos our new McKinney Team member
• Housing Questionnaire: This form activates supports for qualifying students. Email completed forms to Becky Baskett and Mike Harman
- See District Documents Center for translated forms.
- See McKinney List in PowerSchool: homeless_code>0 - If students you know qualify and are not on the list, complete the Housing Questionnaire link above
• Reminder: McKinney-Vento eligible students can enroll without proof of address, immunization records, and/or birth certificate
• Reach out to the McKinney Vento team for student support, questions and/or staff training.

Helpful Links:
McKinney Vento Resources  
School Resource Officers
Important items this month:
If you need an SRO for any reason:
• Call your school assigned SRO (if no response)
• Call Sgt. Doug Teerlink 385-228-8072 (if no response)
• Call dispatch for non-emergency 801-799-3000
• Call 911 in an emergency
• Peer Court
• Promising Youth Gang Prevention and Intervention Contact Krystyn Stargel 385-312-3104 regarding referrals or click links below.

Helpful Links:
SRO School Assignments
Promising Youth & Promising Youth Referral
Peer Court Referral            

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We are pleased to share that the school board has approved the creation of a Level Two Campus Safety Coordinator position. This new role offers a higher compensation and is designed to enhance our campus safety leadership structure.

  • Please note the following key details:
    • The Level Two position will count as one of the three existing Campus Safety Coordinator roles at each high school.
      • Each campus will continue to have a total of three Campus Safety Coordinators.
      • Human Resources Services (HRS) will post the position collectively for all high schools.
      • HRS will organize the interview process and form the selection committees. The committee will include one administrative representative from each high school.
      • The posting will be limited to current employees who are already serving as Campus Safety Coordinators.
      • We ask that you speak with your current Campus Safety Coordinators about this opportunity. HRS will also send a direct communication to all incumbents to ensure they are informed.
      • Thank you for your support in promoting this opportunity and helping us identify strong candidates for this important role.

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Summary:

During the annual Administrator Institute in July 2025, all administrators received an update on legislative changes, including new requirements related to toilet training.

The updated guidance is:

  • Schools must provide educational services to any student removed from school because of toilet training while they are at home.
  • Students may return to school for their Special Education minutes during the time they are working on toilet training at home.

During the elementary session, administrators asked the following questions. Responses are summarized below:

  • What if a student has a documented medical issue on a 504 plan, or toilet training concerns are part of an IEP?
    The student would not be removed from school. Appropriate accommodations would be made.
  • Can students have a goal on their IEP for toilet training?
    Toilet training goals can be written into an IEP if the toileting issue is directly related to the student’s disability and is necessary for their access to education (often as a functional or transition goal).
  • Can a student qualify for an IEP if they are not toilet trained?
    No. Toilet training by itself is not a disability. A student cannot have an IEP with a goal that is only toilet training.

If toileting concerns are developmental (a child is simply late in training) but not tied to a qualifying disability or medical condition, then it would not meet the threshold for IEP elibility.

In these cases, general education strategies and family support would be the avenue, not a formal plan.

Rationale:

H.B. 233 — School Curriculum Amendments prohibits local education agencies (i.e., public schools) from using or allowing health-related instruction or materials provided by entities that perform elective abortions. That includes materials created, funded, or donated by those providers, as well as any instruction delivered by their employees or volunteers.

SLCSD had approved several presentations from providers that are no longer permissible. The new Health curriculum will help support teachers in designing their instruction in Health I and Health II.

Expectations for Implementation: 

  1. Communication: 
  • Please make sure appropriate teachers and staff are aware.
  1. Collaboration: 
  • Contact Erin Anderson with questions.

Keywords:  Toilet training 

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Principals,

Each year you should designate one member of your faculty to act as your school's Positive Behavior Specialist. This person will oversee your school's Positive Behavior Plan to address the causes of student use of tobacco, alcohol, electronic cigarette products, and other controlled substances as required by Utah law. This person should be a school counselor or teacher-leader as they qualify for a stipend to compensate them for this work. 

Please submit the name of your school's PBS to Alli Martin (allison.martin@slcschools.org) by August 22, 2025.

Thank you,

Alli

Alli Martin, Ed.D. (she/her/hers)

Director of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and Prevention Services

Salt Lake City School District

Office: 801.578-8137 

www.slcschools.org 

Follow the district: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter  

Excellence and Equity: every student, every classroom, every day

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As shared during Admin Institute, our district is joining the Utah State Board of Education’s (USBE) attendance initiative, Every Day Counts, for the 2025–2026 school year. This initiative directly supports our District Board Goal to reduce chronic absenteeism from 28% to 10% by 2029.

To support this important work, USBE has provided a variety of resources through their Absenteeism and Truancy Prevention page, including:

  • Flyers to display throughout your schools
  • Attendance Handouts for Parents
  • Monthly social media templates and themes to promote attendance on your school's platforms

USBE is actively working to translate these materials to ensure accessibility for all families. If the Attendance Handout for Parents is not available in translated form by mid-next week, we will collaborate with our Communications Department to ensure it is translated and ready for distribution.

Our Communications Department will also continue developing additional tools throughout the year to reinforce this message.

Back to School Night is a great opportunity to introduce the challenge to families. Please emphasize that improving student attendance is a district priority, and we are committed to supporting families in every way possible. Families in need of support can reach out to their school counselors, who are ready to assist with accessing resources and meeting basic needs.

Please also encourage your teachers to join us in promoting the Every Day Counts message. It’s just 180 days and we’re making each one count.

Let’s ensure families know it takes a village to improve attendance, and we can’t do it without them. Their partnership is essential to helping every student succeed.

As we look ahead, please keep in mind that September is Attendance Awareness Month. We’ll be resharing ideas and strategies to help promote it and build momentum. Since our goal is to bring awareness every month, this is a great time to start thinking about how your school can participate.

We are equally committed to supporting you in this work. If you have any questions about the attendance challenge or need support with anything related to attendance, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m available and happy to assist in any way I can.

I’m excited for what we will accomplish together this year!

In solidarity,

Bri Conley, Ed.D. 

Director, Educational Equity and Access

Salt Lake City School District

Office: 801-578-8281

slcschools.org

Follow the district: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter   

Excellence and Equity: every student, every classroom, every day

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Dear High School Team,

Thank you for your continued leadership and commitment to creating positive, safe, and inclusive school environments. As we begin the new school year, I would like to reaffirm and formally document our shared expectations related to Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) implementation across our high schools.

These expectations have been reviewed and communicated previously through written correspondence and in multiple meetings. The following practices are essential components of our districtwide efforts to build a consistent and supportive culture across all secondary campuses:

  1. Hall Pass Protocols: Teachers will keep hall passes behind their desks so they are not immediately accessible to students.
  2. Classroom Dismissal: Teachers will not dismiss students early from class.
  3. Visual Expectations: Schools will hang visual behavior expectations in common areas to reinforce positive norms and support clarity for all students.
  4. Active Supervision: Teachers will be present in hallways during passing periods to promote school safety, foster positive interactions, and support a welcoming school climate. 

In addition, a small team comprised of school and district administrators will begin conducting PBIS walk-through observations to gather implementation data. These visits are intended to provide formative feedback and highlight areas of strength and opportunity. The observation tool is currently being finalized and will be shared with you in advance of any scheduled walk-throughs. Our collective goal is to ensure that expectations are being applied consistently and effectively, aligned with our district’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and student well-being.

Thank you once again for modeling the leadership and professionalism that make Salt Lake City School District a great place for students to learn and thrive. Should you have any questions or need support, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

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Each year, the School Safety Plan must be updated to ensure all emergency procedures and school-specific information are accurate and current.

Purpose of the School Safety Plan

The School Safety Plan is designed to:

  1. Record all school-specific emergency information.
  2. Provide procedures for responding to various emergencies (e.g., fire, natural disaster, lockdown).
  3. Include emergency contacts, phone numbers, and evacuation sites.
  4. Serve as a guide for school staff, first responders, parents, and others who need to be familiar with the school’s emergency protocols.

Annual Update Process

1. Distribution of Template

  1. When: Second week of July each year.
  2. What: A 4-page Safety Plan Template is emailed to all school principals.
  3. Why: This template must be completed with the school’s updated emergency information, including:
    1. Emergency contacts
    2. Phone numbers
    3. Off-site evacuation locations

2. Principal’s Responsibility

  1. When: Completed template is due by the end of July.
  2. What: School principals must provide accurate and updated school-specific safety information by filling out the template and returning it to Facility Services.
  3. Why: This ensures each school’s emergency plan reflects current and accurate details.

3. Review and Compilation

  1. What: Once submitted, Facility Services:
    1. Reviews each school’s information for completeness and accuracy
    2. Updates each school’s safety plan accordingly
    3. Compiles the information into a standardized 32-page School Emergency Plan for each school

4. Return of the Final Plan

  1. When: By the end of August
  2. What: The finalized 32-page Emergency Plan is returned to each principal, containing all updated emergency procedures and contacts.

Principal’s Role in Plan Implementation

  1. What: Principals are expected to share the finalized School Safety Plan with all relevant staff and personnel annually, including:
    1. School staff (teachers, administrators, custodians, office staff)
    2. School Resource Officers (SROs)
    3. Substitute teachers
    4. Parents (limited to relevant information such as student pick-up procedures and off-site evacuation locations)
    5. Any other personnel who must be aware of emergency procedures
  2. When: The plan must be shared as soon as it is received and no later than the start of the school year (or immediately after receiving the final plan).

Mid-Year Updates

  1. What: If any changes occur during the school year (e.g., emergency contacts, off-site evacuation locations), schools must update their Safety Plan.
  2. When: Changes must be submitted to Facility Services as soon as they occur to keep the plan current.

Important Changes for the 2025–2026 School Year

  1. New Requirement: Beginning with the 2025–2026 school year, Safety Plans must also be shared with school leadership (i.e., administrators and district leadership), in addition to staff and first responders.

Timeline Overview

TaskDeadline
Template sent to principalsSecond week of July
Completed template dueEnd of July
Final Safety Plan returned to principalsEnd of August
Safety Plan shared with school staffBy start of the school year (or immediately after receiving the final plan)
Updates to Safety Plan (if any)Ongoing, as needed
Safety Plans shared with school leadership (2025–2026)By start of the school year (or immediately after receiving the final plan)

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Dear Principals,

As we continue to prioritize student safety and manage risk responsibly across our district, we want to clarify our position regarding the use of inflatables and requests for field trips to trampoline parks.

Due to risk management and liability concerns, Salt Lake City School District does not permit the use of inflatable structures (such as bounce houses, inflatable slides, etc.) for school-sponsored events. Similarly, field trips to trampoline parks will not be approved and will be denied upon submission.

While we understand the desire to provide engaging and enjoyable experiences for students, we must ensure all activities align with district safety protocols and minimize unnecessary risk.

Thank you for your understanding and for your ongoing commitment to providing safe, enriching opportunities for our students. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need assistance identifying alternative options for student activities.

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