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Ramadan is a special time of spiritual reflection, fasting from dawn to sunset, and increased devotion for Muslims. As a school community, it’s important to foster a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for Muslim staff and students during this period. Here are some helpful guidelines to ensure everyone feels supported:

  1. Understand Ramadan and Its Practices
    • Fasting: Muslims refrain from eating, drinking (including water), and sometimes taking medications from dawn (Fajr) until sunset (Maghrib). The fast is typically broken with a meal called Iftar.
    • Prayer: In addition to the five daily prayers, many Muslims also participate in extra prayers called Taraweeh during the evening. This may lead to less sleep, so it’s important to be mindful of its potential impact on energy levels.
    • Eid al-Fitr: Ramadan concludes with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, marked by prayers, family gatherings, and festivities. Muslim staff and students may request time off for this important holiday.
  2. Foster a Flexible and Understanding Environment
    • Prayer Accommodations: Provide a quiet and private space for Muslim staff and students to pray during the day. Keep in mind that prayer times vary slightly based on the position of the sun.
    • Flexible Scheduling: Consider offering flexible schedules for fasting staff and students. Whenever possible, avoid scheduling exams, presentations, or physically demanding activities late in the day when energy levels may be lower.
    • Classroom Sensitivity: When planning classroom activities, such as parties or food-related events, be mindful of students who are fasting and create an environment where they feel comfortable.
  3. Offer Alternatives for Physical Activities
    • PE Classes: For students who are fasting and may feel tired, allow them to opt-out of physically strenuous activities or participate in modified exercises.
    • Recess: Younger students who are fasting may prefer to engage in quieter activities during recess. Offer an indoor space where they can rest if needed.
  4. Consider Lunch and Eating Spaces
    • Respectful Lunchtime Environment: For students who are fasting, offer a quiet space, such as a library or designated room, where they can spend lunchtime if they prefer to avoid the cafeteria.
    • Staff Breaks: For fasting staff members, ensure they have access to private spaces where they can rest or pray during lunch breaks.
  5. Promote Inclusivity and Awareness
    • Community Education: Consider offering brief educational sessions or sharing resources about Ramadan to foster understanding and empathy within the school community.
    • Avoid Assumptions: Not all Muslims observe Ramadan in the same way. Some may not fast due to medical reasons or personal circumstances. Always respect individual choices and allow staff and students to participate as they see fit.
  6. Accommodate for Eid al-Fitr
    • Time Off for Eid: Make sure Muslim staff and students can take time off to celebrate Eid al-Fitr. Encourage them to communicate their needs in advance to plan accordingly.
    • Schoolwide Acknowledgement: Consider recognizing Eid al-Fitr through announcements or newsletters, promoting inclusivity and respect for religious diversity within the school.
  7. Communicate and Offer Support
    • Open Dialogue: Encourage Muslim staff and students to share any specific needs or accommodations they may require during Ramadan. Ensure that everyone feels comfortable discussing their needs with teachers and administrators.
    • Supportive Tone: Lead with a positive and welcoming tone, making it clear that the school is committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful environment for all religious observances.

By following these steps, the school can create a respectful, supportive, and inclusive atmosphere during Ramadan, showing genuine care for religious diversity and the well-being of all members of the school community.

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Happy March!  We hope this month finds you well.  Below you will find some helpful attendance information and resources.  

Utah Attendance Success Stories/Celebrations 

This month we want to highlight LEAs and schools who are working hard to promote positive attendance and reduce chronic absenteeism.  

We want to highlight Murray School District for all of the hard work they are putting into improving attendance across the district. This month, they’re launching an exciting March Madness: Attendance initiative. Schools within the district are participating in a friendly competition using a bracket system, but rather than competing directly against each other’s average daily attendance (ADA), each school is challenging its own ADA data from last year. The competition is based on the percentage change in attendance, with schools comparing their improvement to others in the district. Here is a video that they had students make to help with the initiative.  Murray School District is also implementing other innovative strategies at every level to increase attendance awareness and remove barriers for students.  Way to go Murray! 

We want to highlight Copperview Elementary School in the Canyons School District.  They introduced Attendance Mentors during Parent/Teacher Conferences.  Staff members were assigned to families of students identified as “at risk” due to attendance concerns and academic struggles. These mentors met with families before or after their conferences to develop Attendance Problem Solving Plans, setting attendance and academic goals. A follow-up meeting is scheduled in five weeks to assess progress, with incentives provided for students and families who meet their goals.  Thanks for such a great example for other schools to follow! 

Attendance Webinar

Our next Attendance Webinar Series #2 will be March 11, 2025 at 10:30am.  We are looking forward to hearing from Ogden School District who is highly engaged in attendance work.  We will also be talking about attendance messaging and attendance calendaring.  Here is a flyer with more information. Please forward this information to other contacts.    

Cohorts 

We are looking forward to starting our Engagement and Attendance Cohorts for the 2025-2026 school year.  Engagement and Attendance Cohorts are year long, collaborative learning opportunities for LEAs, charters, and/or individual schools.  Starting in May, this cohort will take part in 6 trainings led by USBE attendance specialists.  These trainings will also be collaborative sessions to help develop, build, and implement an attendance system that works for your specific LEA/charter/school.  Please contact one of the attendance specialists if your team would like to join this opportunity. 

Helpful Articles/Podcasts

How a South Central Los Angeles Elementary School Built a Culture of ‘Family’

Spring Attendance Slump Resources 

Attendance Works 

Upcoming Dates/Information 

*January-March 2025- The Utah Legislative Session has been going the last few weeks and will finish this Friday, March 7th.  

*March 11th at 10:30am- Attendance Webinar Series #2 

We appreciate all you do. Please let us know how we can best support you and your schools. 

USBE Attendance Specialists 

https://www.schools.utah.gov/prevention/absenteeismtruancyprevention

Megan Menlove

Attendance Support Specialist

Utah State Board of Education

megan.menlove@schools.utah.gov

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● SRO Assignments: UPDATED SRO School Assignments 

● Reply to all school choice applications by March 15th. Review the brief instructional video to see how to approve or deny applications.  Discontinued enrollment notifications must be pre-approved/reviewed by your Area Director.  Parents must be notified no later than March 15th. 

● SHARP Survey Principals, please select the survey window for your school.  Parent permission was gathered at registration. Call Student Services with any questions. 

● Mental Health Series through Parent Guidance: Schools and parents now have access to a series of regularly scheduled webinars and a monthly Ask-a-Therapist event to support student mental health and wellness. Reach out to your school counselor or Stacey Lindsay for ideas about how to promote this to your community.

● SafeUT Administrator Portal Training Be sure to assign, enter a disposition, and close every tip.

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Dear Team, 

I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to highlight our district’s strong commitment to afterschool programming, which is pivotal in supporting the academic, social, and emotional development of our students. 

Afterschool programs offer students the chance to explore interests outside the classroom, engage in enrichment activities, and receive academic support in a safe, structured environment. These programs are vital in creating a sense of belonging, improving academic outcomes, and developing life skills that benefit students well beyond the school day. 

In our district, school administrators play a key role in supervising afterschool programs. Their involvement helps create a secure and nurturing environment for students, strengthening their connections with staff outside of regular school hours. This approach elevates the quality of our afterschool programs and promotes stronger collaboration between classroom learning and extended opportunities for growth. 

At the Salt Lake City School District, we are fully committed to ensuring our afterschool programs: 

  • Remain accessible to all students, regardless of background or circumstances. 
  • Have ample space across all sites. 
  • Offer a variety of activities that meet the diverse interests and needs of our students. 
  • Provide academic support and enrichment that aligns with our instructional goals. 
  • Inspire student engagement, creativity, and personal growth. 

We encourage all staff to actively support and promote these programs, whether through direct involvement, communicating with families, or helping students access these valuable opportunities. Your contributions are critical in ensuring the ongoing success and positive impact of afterschool programming throughout our district. 

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or suggestions on how we can further enhance our afterschool initiatives. 

Thank you for your continued dedication to our students and for helping ensure the success of the Salt Lake City School District. 

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The Salt Lake Education Foundation would like to express appreciation for your unwavering support of SLCSD students and families. Your dedication and advocacy play a pivotal role in enriching the lives of the students at your school.

I am sharing with you the list of available resources for your students. You can also find this information in the District Document Center under Salt Lake Education Foundation - District Document Center - Salt Lake Education Foundation - All Documents (slcschools.org)

Available Resources:

·         Community Learning Centers/Clinics

·         Vision Referrals

·         Dental Referrals

·         West High Clinic

·         High School Student and Family Support/Teen Centers

·         Bus Passes

·         DI Vouchers

·         Bishops’ Storehouse Vouchers

·         Food Pantries

·         Volunteer Opportunities

·         Emergency Gift Cards

·         Foundation App

·         PeachJar

·         Internet (Submit a ticket to IT to request a hotspot)

·         Computers (Please check with the school IT or designee to check out a computer for your students)

Reminder:

Please be sure to download the Salt Lake Education Foundation App, which provides access to partner agency information and community resources to assist students and their families.

To build on this incredible momentum, I am pleased to invite you to an in-person meeting with your student and family support designee or key stakeholder. The purpose of this meeting is to strengthen collaboration, streamline processes, and enhance achievement through the effective use of available resources.

Meeting Details:

Secondary Schools

Date:          Wednesday, February 5, 2024

Time:         8:00 to 10:00 a.m.

Location:    District Administration Building, 406 East 100 South, Room 1055

Elementary Schools

Date:          Wednesday, February 5, 2024

Time:         10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Location:    District Administration Building, 406 East 100 South, Room 1055

Please RSVP to Liz.Young@slcschools.org or contact her at 801-578-8212.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our students and families.

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Dear Principals,

We have enjoyed observing the progress you are making in your schools around PLCs. Many of you are establishing mission and vision statements, focusing on priority standards, or developing PLC leadership teams. We feel the conversations around the Learning by Doing readings have been productive and informative, and we have seen regular referrals to our district's tight PLC expectations.

As we are midway through the school year, our area director PLC would like to examine, calibrate, and discuss evidence of PLC implementation at all of our schools. Here is the assignment:

We've created a PLC Implementation folder embedded in your SIP folder (to reduce the number of folders). The link is below. Please upload the following artifacts to this folder:

  • One artifact from a PLC that is high functioning (you determine what high functioning means).
  • One artifact from a PLC that is on track at a basic but sufficient level (per our district's PLC phase timeline).
  • One artifact from a PLC that is struggling with an explanation (comment on doc or even separate Word doc) of how you are supporting this group and/or holding them accountable.

Artifacts may include agendas, minutes, placemats, common formative assessments, etc. 
 
Please upload all three documents to your PLC Implementation folder by 5pm on February 12, 2025. Thank you! We look forward to seeing samples of your teachers' work.

Please put PLC artifacts in the "PLC Implementation" folder:

School Folder to submit PLC Implementation artifacts

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As part of our ongoing dedication to ensuring the safety and well-being of our students and school communities, we are reaching out to gauge interest from teachers and administrators in serving as School Guardians. This role directly supports the implementation of the HB 84 Utah School Safety Act, a key initiative aimed at enhancing safety protocols across our schools.

We are seeking committed volunteers to join this important effort. Your involvement would play a crucial role in fostering a secure and supportive environment for all. If you are interested in volunteering, we kindly ask you to complete the survey linked below.

Safety Survey Link

https://forms.office.com/r/QSRakuEzbx

Thank you for your continued dedication to the safety and success of our students.

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Setting the Next School/Next Grade/Graduation Year Indicators During Enrollment

When enrolling students in your school, it is important to ensure that the ‘Next Year Grade’, ‘Next School Indicator’, and ‘Year of Graduation’ indicators are set.  To enter these settings, follow these steps in PowerSchool:

  1. Find the student in PowerSchool.
  2. Select ‘Courses and Programs’ in the left side menu.
  1. Select ‘Scheduling Settings’ from the Registration sub-menu.
  1. Enter the settings in the highlighted field and click ‘Submit’.

Finding Students Missing These Indicators:

  1. Use the following search on PowerSchool’s Start Page:
    1. Next_School  
    2. Sched_NextYearGrade=
  1. Once you find the students, go to Scheduling Settings and add the missing information.

Updating Indicators for Another School’s Request:

If another school calls requesting the Next School/Next Grade/Graduation Year Indicators to be updated for a student, please follow these steps:

  1. Find the student in PowerSchool.
  2. Click on ‘Student Profile’ in the left side menu.
  3. Select ‘Addresses’ in the Student Details sub menu.
  1. Click the Validate button under the student’s address.
  1. Verify if the student lives in the requesting school’s boundary.
  1. OR verify that the student has been accepted through Open Enrollment or is part of a district placed program (ELP, SPED, etc.)
  1. If Open Enrollment is not complete, don’t change the Next School indicator.

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CSTAG (Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines) is a critical component of school safety. Every school has at least one trained administrator, but we encourage everyone to get trained. If you have not yet been to CSTAG training or if it's been more than 3 years since you attended a training, please consider joining our next training session on February 21. For more information or to register, please use this link: https://forms.office.com/r/0ZxQfKMMQX

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We want to ensure that you are aware of the expectations for the chilly time of the school year.   Please reach out to your 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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