Happy Monday, and we hope that parent conferences were a success. As before, we want to emphasize that those days are not the only time you can communicate or meet with a teacher. We work best with context, and as parents, your context in helping your child succeed is invaluable.
Here’s what’s happening this week:
Spirit Week
Today was Tie-Dye Day. Here’s the rest of the week:
Tuesday: Hawaiian Day
Wednesday: Hat Day
Thursday: Cozy Day (School appropriate, of course)
Friday: School Swag (ERMS, BHS, CHHS, WJHS, etc.)
MESA-STEM After-School Activities
We will be holding our first MESA-STEM after school activity on Wed, Sept 22. We will continue to have a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) related activity each month. All Elk Ridge Students are welcome and encouraged to attend. Each month’s activity will begin immediately after school and will probably last about an hour (approx, 3:00 – 4:00 pm). Flyers are available in the counseling center. For more information or details, contact Mr. Bennett or Ms. Hardy.
8th Grade Job Shadow – Tuesday, November 9th, 2021
As part of our career exploration program, 8th grade students will have the opportunity to participate in a Job Shadow experience on Tuesday, November 9th. This is a chance to take your student to work with you or send them to work with someone you know. It is our hope that you will share your excitement for your profession with your child or that they will have the opportunity to study a career of interest. If your student pre-arranges a job shadow experience, and they complete the required forms, they will be excused from school on this day. Encourage your student to think about a career area they are interested in. Students that don’t arrange a job shadow are expected to be in school on this day. Parents are responsible to provide transportation to the job shadow. More information will be provided but please start thinking about options that your student might be interested in.
We have a lot going on this week. In today’s Skylert, you’ll find:
Parent Conference Dates, Types, and Instructions
Flu Shot Information
Picture Day & Purchase Information
MESA-STEM Activities
National Junior Honors Society Information
Wally Time Weekly Topic
Bingham High School Swim Team Tryouts
Parent Conferences this Wednesday (In-Person) and Thursday (Virtual)
Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held this Wednesday, September 15th (in-person in classrooms) and Thursday, September 16th (virtual). Both nights will be by appointment in Skyward. We want to stress that teachers are available before and after school all year by appointment, and can also be reached via email and phone call as well. Please don’t feel the need to wait until this or the next conference day if you have a concern, question, or information we need to help your student.
To set up an appointment (again, Wednesday in-person and Thursday virtual), you’ll go to Skyward. If you need help, use these instructions. If a teacher doesn’t have any available times that work for you, reach out to the teacher and something can be arranged.
If you have signed up for a virtual appointment on Thursday, or at any other point in the week, use these Zoom Links to join the conference on the day and time of your appointment.
Flu Shots Available Wednesday from 4-7:30 pm During Parent Conferences
Community Nursing Services will be hosting Boo to the Flu during parent conference this Wednesday to offer flu shots. No other immunizations or vaccinations will be offered outside of the flu shot.
Picture Day This Wednesday
Picture Day is this Wednesday, September 15th! To prepay, view package options, and more, check out this flyer. Plan on getting your picture taken even if you aren’t purchasing one, as it’s the picture we use in the Memory Books.
MESA-STEM After-School Activities
We will be holding our first MESA-STEM after school activity on Wed, Sept 22. We will continue to have a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) related activity each month. All Elk Ridge Students are welcome and encouraged to attend. Each month’s activity will begin immediately after school and will probably last about an hour (approx, 3:00 – 4:00 pm). Flyers with more information will soon be provided.
National Junior Honors Society (NJHS)
Attention all 8th and 9th graders who love to help! The National Junior Honor Society is up and running again. This is an organization centered around academic excellence, leadership, and service projects. A 3.75 cumulative GPA is required to join and to retain membership. Honors or Satisfactory citizenship grades required, however you are allowed to have no more than one “N.” There will be monthly after school meetings and occasional meetings during school or Wally Time. Please see your ELA teacher for an application, the main office, or Mrs. Young in room 304. Applications are due Tuesday, September 21 to your ELA teacher or Mrs. Young.
Wally Time
This week, we’ll be using our time on Wednesday to complete a survey of students, and will use the rest of the time to ensure students know their grades, what can still be done or redone, and how to talk to you about it.
The optional survey is one we do several times a year asking about their sense of belonging in school, their academic behaviors (being prepared, etc.), their current classes and workload, etc. A sample of the survey can be viewed here, and we use this to plan our supports as a school and measure the effectiveness of those supports. If you have any questions or concerns, please reply to this email.
Bingham Swim Team
Any 9th grader interested in trying out for the 2021-2022 Bingham Swim Team needs to plan on attending, along with a parent/guardian, the parent meeting on Tuesday, September 14th at 6:30 pm in the Bingham Media Center. Information that is essential to the start of the season will be handed out at this meeting.
This coming Friday, September 10th, will be our first-ever Flex Friday as a district. Each school will be handling it slightly differently, but all within the structure outlined here.
For all Elk Ridge students, they should expect roughly 3 hours total of engagement in schoolwork. This will vary from class to class, but students will be able to complete this work from home. If students have questions about work, they should contact their teacher.
In addition, any student needing extra support will be able to attend in-person between 10 am and 12:15 pm, as long as they have arranged with their teacher beforehand to do so. Busing will be provided following the normal Friday bus schedule. Lunch will be served from 12:15 – 1:15 pm, and students who are bused will work in either the cafeteria or the media center until buses come at 2:30 pm.
PTC
Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held next Wednesday, September 15th (in-person in classrooms) and Thursday, September 16th (virtual). Both nights will be by appointment, and we’ll open up sign-ups later this week. We want to stress that teachers are available before and after school all year by appointment, and can also be reached via email and phone call as well. Please don’t feel the need to wait until the conference day if you have a concern or question.
To set up an appointment (again, Wednesday in-person and Thursday virtual), you’ll go to Skyward later this week much like you’ve done in elementary school and in the past. If a teacher doesn’t have any available times, reach out to the teacher and something can be arranged.
Wally Time
This week’s time on Wednesday during Wally Time will focus on getting ready for parent-teacher conferences. Students will first take time to look into their grades, what can be made up and when, etc. Next, they’ll make a plan for what to do to improve their grade if improvement is needed. Last, they’ll work on how to talk with their parents about their grades leading up to next week with a focus on having answers for the questions parents are going to ask about their grades.
PTSA Newsletter
Our wonderful PTSA has a newsletter they release quarterly. If you’re a PTSA member, you likely already received this, but we’re posting it here as well so that you have the information. Thank you as always to the PTSA for their hard work and commitment to our students!
Social-Emotional Learning Survey
We periodically administer a survey to students asking about their sense of belonging in school, their academic behaviors (being prepared, etc.), their current classes and workload, etc. A sample of the survey can be viewed here, and we use this to plan our supports as a school and measure the effectiveness of those supports. This survey will be administered next week. If you have any questions or concerns, please reply to this email.
It’s been a great first two weeks, and we appreciate your support as parents in the learning process. We love having your children with us again, and hope they are enjoying being back in school as much as we are.
COVID Testing at ERMS
The Utah Department of Health sets up testing sites throughout the state, and we’ve been hosting one for the past few months in our parking lot at their request. Due to increased demand, they are now offering COVID testing M-F from 4 – 7 pm. You can register for an appointment at coronavirus.utah.gov, and they will also allow drive-up testing without an appointment when wait times allow for it to be done reasonably. See this flyer for more information.
If you have other COVID questions (exposure, quarantine, etc.), this new one-page flyer from the Salt Lake County Health Department does a great job of outlining the most common topics. Full and regularly-updated information for the state can be found at coronavirus.utah.gov/education.
Wally Time – A Small Space for Life Skills
Each day of the week except Fridays, students have half a half hour set aside for Wally Time (our school mascot is Wally the Wapiti). Most days, this time is used for students to read a book, which has proven benefits in many academic areas and has a history at Elk Ridge (we used to call it DEAR – Drop Everything and Read). This also allows teachers to work with students individually if they are struggling with a concept being covered in class. The teacher they go to during this time changes each day so that they can get help in all classes if they need it.
But kids have a lot going on, and we often don’t have a space to talk about life skills they need to thrive in school. To give students a space to learn these skills, we take that time each Wednesday to cover a topic we’re seeing as an area our students in our school need some support. To give you an idea what this looks like, our topic this past week was Emotional Regulation. Students got a chance to discuss what emotions they are feeling (stressed being at a new school, overwhelmed, tired, etc.) and were given a few basic strategies for regulating their emotions: self care like exercising and getting enough sleep, breathing exercises, etc.
This next Wednesday, we’re talking about how to speak to adults. We can’t read minds – not that we’d want to in middle school, mind you – and if a student doesn’t understand a concept, has an issue seeing the board, is feeling overwhelmed, etc., we want them to speak up. We’ll give a few scenarios and have them actually practice how to bring it up with an adult. If you can support this at home by talking with them about things they can speak up about, we’d love the support and reinforcement.
We’ll work to include each week’s Wednesday topic in our Monday email so that you know what’s coming and can work with your students at home or ask questions if you have them. Some weeks will be more focused on college and career readiness, some on building community, and others on academic strategies. You are always welcome at any time to talk with us or your students about what we’re learning that week.
School Community Council Elections & First Meeting
If you want to have a say in what happens at the school, we’d love to have you join our school community council! Fill out an election application here, or just attend our first meeting. We will meet at 6 pm on September 21st in the Media Center. We will also have a Zoom option for those wishing to attend virtually. That link will be posted on the Community Council page of the school website on the date of the meeting. We would love to have you, so mark your calendar!
We hope your students are enjoying being back in school as much as we are! With the first week under our belts, we’re settling into the more routine aspects of school. As always, check your email each Monday for a Skylert, and check our website and social media pages for both the Skylert information and highlights from life at school.
7th Grade Student Government Elections
Since our 7th graders come from various elementary schools, we hold elections for student body officers when they get here to Elk Ridge. If your student is at all interested – or you as their parent think they should give it a go – have them check out this page on the school website for dates, deadlines, and application information.
Dress Code
Please make sure you send your students to school in clothing that follows the JSD Dress Code. A good rule of thumb if you aren’t sure it works is to make sure your student is covered from shoulder to shoulder and from the neck to the knee. If you have any questions please contact a member of the administration.
School Community Council Elections & First MeetingIf you want to have a say in what happens at the school, we’d love to have you join our school community council! Fill out an election application here, or just attend our first meeting. We will meet at 6 pm on September 21st in the Media Center. We will also have a Zoom option for those wishing to attend virtually. That link will be posted on the Community Council page of the school website on the date of the meeting. We would love to have you, so mark your calendar!
Interested in running for student body officer? Check out the dates and deadlines below, as well as the promotional video from our current 8th and 9th grade SBO’s.
August 23 – 27: Applications available in the Main Office
August 31: Applications, questionnaire, poster examples, and video outline due to Mr. Fife in Room 406 by 3 pm.
September 2 – 8: Posters up in the cafeteria and hallways – You need to get Mr. Fife’s approval before hanging your posters.
September 8: Primary elections (if needed). 8 students move on. Mandatory meeting at the end of the day for the results for all applicants. Interview sign-ups start if moving on. You will have only ONE interview.
September 10: Interviews after school.
September 13: Videos are due to Mr. Fife by 3 pm.
September 14: Final Elections – Winners will be notified at the end of the day in the library. School-wide announcement of winners will be at the end of the day or the following morning.
SBO Advisor Contact Information: Mr. Fife, jason.fife@jordandistrict.org – Room 406
We will be holding the in-person half of Back-to-School Night from 6 – 7:30 pm at the school. We will have a brief introduction, allow the PTSA to conduct some business, and then give you the rest of the time to visit teachers, work on locker combinations, etc. Many of you did this last Friday unofficially, and we will hold next year’s night before school starts to capitalize on such high interest.
We also have brief videos from teachers explaining things you might want to know as parents for your child’s classes. Those videos can be found here. They will be available at any time for the next few weeks – like when your kids come home and tell you about their favorite teacher and you want to know who they are talking about.
Immunizations at Back-to-School Night
The required 7th grade immunizations (not COVID-19 vaccinations or flu shots) will be offered through Certified Nursing Services during Back-to-School Night. They will arrive before Back-to-School Night begins if you’d like to come a bit early.
Chromebooks & Registration
We can’t give your student a Chromebook until you have completed registration, as it contains an acceptable use agreement for electronic devices in the district.
More Information Always Online
We always post every Skylert and as much important information as possible on the school website (elkridgemiddle.org). Please check out our last Skylert/post regarding much of the start-of-school information we get asked about most frequently.
We also do our level best to avoid overloading your inbox/phone/texts with information so that when we do send it out, it’s something you actually read. Plan on a message from us once a week (usually Monday evening), and always check the website if you’re wondering if you’ve missed something.
Lego Robotics
Like Legos? Like Robots? Join Lego Robotics at Elk Ridge Middle School. It meets after school Tuesday and Thursday from 3:05-4:00. We build and program Lego robots. We also solve engineering problems. To join: https://forms.gle/8bM5icRJquV54sCc9
It’s time to get this school year started! We kick off Monday for 7th graders and Tuesday for everyone else. There’s a lot of great information in this Skylert, so be sure to check it all out so that you come prepared. We can’t wait to see everyone!
Contents of This Skylert
7th Grade First Day (Aug. 16, 8 am – 12 pm)
8th/9th Grade First Day – All Grades Attend (Aug. 17, 8 am – 3 pm)
Class Schedules (Check Again on Sunday Night!)
Lunch Schedules
New School Start & End Times for 2021-22
COVID-19 Updates & Information
Meeting with a Counselor
Back-to-School Night (Aug. 16, 6 – 7:30 pm)
Immunizations During Back-to-School Night
Drop-Off & Pick-Up Procedures & Map
Back-to-School Night
Free School Lunch for 2021-22
Calculators & Elk Ridge Math
7th Grade First Day of School (Monday, August 16, 8 am – 12 pm)
School starts on Monday for 7th graders at 8:00 am. We’ll run through students’ entire schedules, cover important information they’ll need being new to the school, and have some fun along the way. School will end at 12 pm. This is a school day for your 7th graders, so parents don’t need to attend. We’ll take good care of them!
8th/9th Grade First Day / All Students Attend (Tuesday, August 17, 8 am – 3 pm)
This will be a normal schedule (8 am to 3 pm), and the students will attend all of their classes for the normal times.
New School Start and End Times
Along with most other middle schools in the district, our start and end times have been shifted back 10 minutes. We will now start school at 8:00 am and end at 3 pm. If you don’t ride a bus, make sure you’re arriving at 7:50 and not right at 8 am.
Class Schedules
There may have been necessary last-minute changes to your schedule. Please look at and print your schedule Sunday night to be sure you have the most up to date schedule. Be sure to print your locker information as well.
Schedule changes are only taking place if there is a mistake. If you believe there is a mistake in your student’s schedule please email your counselor.
If you are an 8th or 9th grade Honors Math student and you would like to be a Peer Tutor for an elective class, please contact your counselor.
Lunch Schedules
Your lunch will be based on your 4th hour teacher if you are a 7th grader, and based on your 5th hour teacher if you are an 8th or 9th grader. This will be posted throughout the school next week, and can also be found on this page of the school website.
COVID-19 Updates & Information
We will be following district and county health department guidelines regarding COVID-19. Starting out the year, this means masks are not required. If you choose to wear or not wear a mask, please be respectful of that same choice for others. For more complete information regarding quarantine protocol, recommendations, and more, visit this page. This information was also emailed to you directly by the district.
Meeting with a Counselor
If you need to meet with your counselor, please sign up on our website at elkridge.jordandistrict.org > Students > Meet With A Counselor
Counselors will be contacting you as soon as possible to meet with you.
Back-to-School Night
Our back-to-school night will be held Monday from 6-7:30 pm. We will start with a brief opening meeting in the auditorium to answer questions and give our wonderful PTSA a chance to say a few things, and then you’ll be able to take a map and move about the school to meet with teachers. We had a huge turnout to tour the school this morning, and that’s great. If you came in today, you don’t need to come again on Monday night unless you want to chat with a teacher or get involved with the PTSA. We’ll most likely move next year’s back-to-school night up to the week before school starts going forward.
We will also be offering a virtual back-to-school night option in the form of videos from our teachers giving you a brief introduction to them and their classrooms. That link will be sent out Monday afternoon in a Skylert.
Immunizations During Back-to-School Night
The required 7th grade immunizations (not COVID-19 vaccinations or flu shots) will be offered through Certified Nursing Services during Back-to-School Night. They will arrive before Back-to-School Night begins if you’d like to come a bit early.
Drop-Off and Pick-Up
We have a large number of students that arrive via car, and it makes a HUGE difference if everyone follows the established procedure. Use the map below, pull as far forward as you can in front of the school, and please ask your children to use the center crosswalk directly in front of the main doors. With Bangerter construction, it’s especially important this year that we get as many cars in the parking lot at a time as possible, and get everyone through as quickly as possible.
School Lunch is Free for the 2021-22 School Year
The USDA has decided to provide free lunch to all students for the 2021-22 school year. A la carte items (donuts, brownies, cookies, etc.) will still cost money as they are not a part of the regular school lunch. If you would normally qualify for free or reduced lunch, please still fill out the free and reduced lunch application, as that helps with a variety of things for both you and us.
Calculators & Elk Ridge Math
It is strongly recommended that students purchase their own personal calculator for use at home. Please see the attached information about the calculators that are used at Elk Ridge Middle School.
8th and 9th grade students will start using calculators immediately, so this will require timely action. Please use this LINK for information about the TI-84.
7th grade students will not be using calculators until late October or early November, so if your student is a 7th grader you have some time. Use this LINK for information about the TI-34 Multiview.
Elk Ridge does have a calculator rental program, but the quantity and quality of the calculator is limited. Use this LINK for information about the rental program. Rental forms will be available in your student’s math class.
You may talk to your student’s math teacher should you have any questions.
We hope your summer is going well, and we are excited to welcome you back in a few weeks. To prepare you, we’ve updated our registration portion of the website with important dates, deadlines, and links. You can visit this page to access the most up-to-date information on getting started at Elk Ridge in the 2021-22 school year, including:
Registration Instructions
Important Dates and Deadlines
Frequently Asked Registration Questions
How to Test of out Reading Classes (7th & 8th Graders)
Parent-Teacher-Student Association (PTSA) Membership
7th Grade Immunization Requirements
Student Picture Packages
School Community Council Nominations
Registration Definitions
Important dates to remember include:
Online Registration (Skyward): August 2nd – 15th
7th Grade First Day of School: Monday, August 16th (8 am – 12 pm)
Back to School Night: August 16th from 6 – 7:30 pm (In-Person or Virtual)
First Day for All Students: Tuesday, August 17th (8 am – 3 pm)
If you are taking elective courses that have a fee associated with them, these can be taken care of in-person during the first few weeks of school. 7th graders wishing to see the school before school starts can come in on Friday, August 13th from 8 am – 12 pm. However, the first day of 7th grade will include time for students to go on a guided tour of the school, test lockers with the help of an adult, etc.
We can’t wait to see all of you, and it’s a great day to be a Wapiti!
