Author: Mr. Jenson

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Wally the Wapiti

Rubik’s Cube Mosaics

For the last week, 7th and 8th grade students at Elk Ridge have been able to learn to solve Rubik’s cubes in their math classes. Using those skills, each class period has worked to build a mosaic. They only see the 12 cubes they are solving, and can’t see the whole picture until everyone has completed their part. It’s problem solving, teamwork, algorithmic thinking, and endurance all rolled into one chaotic and fantastic project.

A lot of the student favorites were mosaics relating to the Utah Jazz:

We also had a mosaic of Jordan School District Superintendent, Anthony Godfrey – who made a cameo appearance without knowing what he was in for:

Word got out, and we ended the day having Fox 13 News come over and film as the students pulled off a truly heroic mosaic of Donavan Mitchell in under 20 minutes. With 420 cubes to solve, it was a race against time that required some of the speediest solving we’ve ever seen. We’ll update this post with a link to the story once it aires.

If you see one of your math teachers, especially Jonathan Lawes, thank them for finding such meaningful and enjoyable ways to keep our students not only entertained, but actively learning and laughing. It was a great way to send off our students into the summer, and we look forward to doing it again with 7th graders next year.

Categories
Skylert

The Last Week of School

It’s the last week of a very interesting year, and we have a lot of exciting things going on. Below are the things happening school-wide, and students will also have a range of fun activities in their classes. We will be running our normal bell schedule both Wednesday and Thursday.

In this Skylert:

  • This Week’s Highlights
  • Memory Book Information
  • Free EBook/Audiobook Opportunity
  • Option to Test Out of Reading Class
  • Summer Gap Programs

THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

Wednesday

  • 9th Grade Memory Books (Given out during 1st, Signing Party during 7th)
  • Year-End Assembly (Awards, Performances)

Thursday

  • 9th Grade Lagoon Day (Go to 1st period, purchase your pass online beforehand, and bring lunch or money for lunch)
  • 7th & 8th Grade Memory Books (Given out during 1st, Signing Party during 7th)
  • 7th & 8th Grade Activity Day (Each class will have activities and sign yearbooks on our regular bell schedule)
  • 7th Grade Last Day of School

Friday

  • Virtual Day for Students (No students in the building)
  • 8th & 9th Grade Last Day of School – Enjoy a well-deserved break!

MEMORY BOOKS

We have a limited number of memory books available for purchase for $30 using cash or a check made out to PTSA ERMS. 9th graders can purchase them on Wednesday during 1st hour and 7th/8th graders can purchase them during 1st hour on Thursday. 

If you are going to be out of town on the day your child’s memory book is handed out, you may pick it up any time AFTER that date.

FREE EBOOKS / AUDIOBOOKS ALL SUMMER VIA THE SORA APP

We are pleased to introduce a free reading service providing digital books through Sora, a student reading app. The collection of titles in Sora is an extension of Jordan School District’s physical library, only it’s in an app with 24/7 access to ebooks and audiobooks. It’s convenient for students to check out titles at home, on the weekends or during school breaks.

Install the Sora app from your app store or go to soraapp.com. The service can be used anywhere on a computer, tablet or smartphone.

Browse the EXPLORE tab and borrow a book

  • If the book is available, it will say BORROW
  • If not, place the book on HOLD to read when it becomes available

Close the book and go to your shelf to see your books, from there you can:

  • Tap OPEN BOOK or OPEN AUDIOBOOK to read or listen to the book
  • Tap OPTIONS to renew or return the book and more
  • Allow easy access to Salt Lake County Library’s collection, too! In the Sora menu select: + add a public library

ATTENTION READING STUDENTS:

If you are new to the school district, or feel that you have grown and improved as a reader since your last Reading Inventory which indicated your Lexile score, you will have the chance to test your reading proficiency before the school year. If you are hoping to test out of reading, this will be your only opportunity for Reading schedule changes until second semester. Come to Elk Ridge Middle School for an open house testing window on the following dates:

  • Wednesday, August 4, 8:00-12:00 
  • Thursday, August 5, 12:00-3:00

*This test should take about 30-40 minutes. Check in at the main office

SUMMER GAP PROGRAMS

We are excited to be able to offer help to students who could use some optional reinforcement of the past year’s work in the following areas over the summer: Math, Science 7, Spanish 1 & 2, Spanish DLI, Art, Drawing, Painting, and Robotics. This is designed for students who are behind and need help to be ready for next school year. If you are interested in these programs and your student has not already been approached by their teacher, please have them talk with their teacher to see if what is being offered suits the needs of your student.

Categories
Skylert Wally the Wapiti

The Last Two Weeks

We’re nearly to the end of the school year, and now is definitely the time to remind your student to check on grades and with teachers before deadlines for turning in work have passed. You can always check Skyward and Canvas for up-to-date information in each class.

We have a lot of exciting things planned for the last two weeks of school, and we look forward to a lot of fun as we wrap up a year for the history books.

THIS WEEK (Masks Still Required)

Ongoing: BHS Arena Scheduling (more info below)

Monday, May 24

  • Theatre Performance @ 6 pm and 7:30 pm
  • Calculators checked out from math teachers are due  

Tuesday, May 25

  • Orchestra Concert @ 7 pm

Wednesday, May 26

  • Dance Concert @ 6 pm and 7:30 pm

Thursday, May 27

  • Locker Cleanout During 2nd Period
  • Band Concert @ 7 pm
  • Lagoon Bus Permission Slips Due (9th Grade – Found Here)
  • Bingham cross-country team meeting @ 6:30 pm in the Bingham media center

Friday, May 28

  • AP Human Geography Test (In seats and ready with charged Chromebooks at 9:30 am)
  • Virtual Student Chromebook Return/Checkup (Instructions Below)

NEXT WEEK (Masks Recommended, but not Required)

Monday, May 31

  • No School (Memorial Day)

Tuesday, June 1

  • Chromebook Return/Checkup (Instructions Below)

Wednesday, June 2

  • 9th Grade Memory Books (Given out during 1st, Signing Party during 7th)
  • Year-End Assembly (Awards, Performances)

Thursday, June 3

  • 9th Grade Lagoon Day (Go to 1st period, purchase your pass online beforehand, and bring lunch or money for lunch)
  • 7th & 8th Grade Memory Books (Given out during 1st, Signing Party during 7th)
  • 7th & 8th Grade Activity Day (Each class will have activities and sign yearbooks on our regular bell schedule)
  • 7th Grade Last Day of School

Friday, June 4

  • Virtual Day for Students (No students in the building)
  • 8th & 9th Grade Last Day of School – Enjoy a well-deserved break!

Chromebook Returns

All students should plan on bringing their Chromebooks to the media center during their Language Arts class on Tuesday, June 1st. All Chromebooks will be checked for damage and then either checked right back out to the student (7th & 8th Grade, if desired) or checked in to the school (9th Grade).

Virtual Students are welcome to come at any point that day to check them in. Because the mask mandate will be lifted at that point, we will also happily take virtual student Chromebooks this Friday from 9:30 am – 2 pm while the mask mandate is still in effect. Simply check in the main office and bring it to the media center.

Before Checking In

  • Remove any stickers you applied
  • Wrap up the charger nicely
  • Wipe down the outside (not the inside, and spray the cloth and not the Chromebook)

Fees will be assessed for any missing chargers, cracked or damaged screens, excessive wear, missing keys, or a Chromebook missing entirely. And again, 7th & 8th graders can keep their Chromebooks over the summer if they would like, but will still need to bring it to be assessed.

BHS Arena Scheduling

If students have incomplete or incorrect schedules for BHS next year, they can log into skyward and make those adjustments. Arena scheduling will be open now until June 2 at 11:59pm. It will open again Aug. 2 @ 3pm until Aug. 17 @ 11:59pm.

Lagoon Permission Slips Due May 27th

There is no fee to ride the bus, but we do require a signed parent permission slip. They can be found on the school website and in the main office. Actual tickets to Lagoon are purchased online only on Lagoon’s website.

Categories
Skylert Wally the Wapiti

Lagoon Permission Slips

Our annual Ninth Grade Lagoon Day will be on Thursday, June 3, 2021. This activity is for ninth graders only.

YOU MUST RETURN THIS SIGNED PARENT PERMISSION SLIP TO RIDE THE BUS. THIS IS DUE BY MAY 27th.

Download Permission Slip

How much does it cost? $37.00 (tax included)  ONLINE STUDENT TICKETS: Student tickets will be available to purchase online, in advance.  Students can go onto Lagoon’s website and purchase tickets using the promo code  SCHOOLS21. If tickets are purchased online, in advance, your student  can go directly to the Entrance Gates with their digital ticket.Lagoon ticket windows will still be open for students to purchase from Lagoon. Checks are not accepted. Students may use their Lagoon 2021 Season Passport. 

STUDENT FEES AND FINES MUST BE PAID IN ORDER TO ATTEND LAGOON. PLEASE CHECK SKYWARD.

Please note: X-Venture Zone Attractions (Skycoaster, Double Thunder Raceway and Catapult) are not included with the Single Day Passport. Lagoon-A-Beach will not be open.

What should students bring?

  • Lunch, or money for lunch
  • Sunscreen, hat, water bottle, sunglasses, etc.

What should students wear? 

All students attending this activity must follow Jordan School District dress code. There are many water-related rides at Lagoon, so please dress appropriately.

Student Discipline 

  • Suspensions and discipline referrals may affect your student’s opportunity to attend this activity.

Transportation

  • ERMS ninth grade students may ride the bus at no cost. Buses will leave ERMS at 9:00 am.
  • Buses will leave Lagoon between 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm and return to ERMS between 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm. The school assumes no liability for students who choose not to board buses on time. Students who need a ride home from school should make arrangements beforehand, as the school will be locked by the time the buses return to ERMS.
  • PERMISSION SLIPS TO RIDE THE BUS ARE DUE: MAY 27, 2021
Categories
Skylert Wally the Wapiti

Medallions, Summer Programs, & BHS Arena Scheduling

Our counseling center team has a few upcoming events we want to make sure you are aware of:

WAPITI MEDALLION

Every year at ERMS, students have the opportunity to be recognized for their contributions to our school and community by earning a Wapiti Medallion. Points are assigned for different activities that show students have gone “above and beyond” what is expected of them. Students must earn a minimum of 40 points to earn their medallion this year. The instruction sheet can be found here.

In order to apply, students must send an email by Wed. May 19th and submit their essay by Monday May 24th. Please see the application information sheet on our website or in the main office for details. Questions should be directed to Camille Francis at camille.francis@jordandistrict.org or Kristy Weldon at kristine.weldon@jordandistrict.org. Thank you!

IN-PERSON SUMMER PROGRAMS

We are excited to offer help during the summer for students that could use small-group instruction. If you are interested, please reply to this email and let us know. We won’t be able to offer help in every subject, but will be able to work with other middle schools if a subject you need isn’t available here.

ONLINE SUMMER COURSE ENROLLMENT

Summer enrollment has begun for Utah Students Connect as well as other credit recovery and original credit options. Please email or speak with your counselor for more information.

ENGINEERING/TRANSPORTATION CAMP

The University of Utah is excited to announce their free 2021 Transportation Camp. Explore engineering in this week-long event dedicated to introducing 7th and 8th grade students to the transportation industry. Selected participants will experience hands-on activities while working with the professional researchers and faculty of the University of Utah. Participants will have the opportunity to experience on-campus amenities, guest lectures and explore career opportunities while focusing on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fundamentals. Space is limited. More information can be found at https://www.civil.utah.edu/transportation-camp/ or the attached flyer.

BINGHAM ARENA SCHEDULING

Arena scheduling for incoming sophomores (9th graders) will open up on Thursday, May 20th at 3:00 pm and close on Friday, May 21st at midnight. It will open up again for everyone on May 24th at 3:00 and close on June 2nd at midnight. Ninth graders that are going to Bingham are encouraged to click on Arena Scheduling in Skyward and check their schedules for missing classes. 

Categories
Skylert Wally the Wapiti

Wapiti Medallion Instructions

Every year at ERMS, students have the opportunity to be recognized for their contributions to our school and community by earning a Wapiti Medallion. Points are assigned for different activities that require students to go above and beyond the normal student expectations. The award can be earned in each grade (bronze for 7th, silver for 8th, and gold for 9th), and for earning the award all three years at Elk Ridge (platinum).

In order to apply, students must send an email by Wed. May 19th and submit their essay by Monday May 24th. Please see the application information sheet here, below, or in the main office for details. Questions should be directed to Camille Francis at camille.francis@jordandistrict.org or Kristy Weldon at kristine.weldon@jordandistrict.org. Thank you!

Application Instructions
Categories
COVID-19 Skylert

End-of-Year Events, Chalk Art Festival

Thank you to our wonderful community as we have worked through our test-to-stay events this past week. We are excited to have nearly all of our students back in person, and appreciate your ongoing help keeping our cases low heading into the final stretch. 

We have a lot of great things to look forward to in the coming weeks. Here are some of the highlights, and we’ll send out updates for each as we get closer.

Upcoming Events

  • Fri, May 14 – Chalk Art Festival (Info Below)
  • Th, May 20 – Choir Concert
  • Tu, May 25 – Orchestra Concert
  • We, May 26 – Dance Concert
  • Th, May 27 – Band Concert
  • M, May 31 – Memorial Day (No School)
  • Th, June 3 – 9th Grade Lagoon Day, Last Day of In-Person Learning
  • F, June 4 – Virtual Only, Last Day of Quarter

Chalk Art Festival – Spring 2021 is Friday May 14th

Students participating will be outside in the front of the school showing off their art skills and creating artwork based on our theme: Vintage:1920’s vs. 2020’s. This school tradition is a fun, colorful display of student art. That afternoon at 2:00 pm, the community is invited to visit and look at their hard work. 

Categories
COVID-19

Test-to-Stay Results

Parents,

Our recent test-to-stay COVID testing Friday, April 30 and Monday, May 3 resulted in 31 positive cases as of today. After consulting with health officials, Elk Ridge will continue in-person learning. Those who tested positive or opted not to test will continue with virtual learning until their designated return dates. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to continue to provide a safe learning environment at Elk Ridge Middle School.

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Uncategorized

Pre-Register for COVID Testing

We won’t test your student until you have completed pre-registration using the link below. Students not tested will be able to return to school Monday, May 10. The online registration takes the place of the paper forms noted in previous communication.

IMPORTANT BEFORE PRE-REGISTERING

  • Choose ‘School Site’ as the location
  • Just put date of exposure as today – it won’t affect anything
  • Ignore anything that says you’ll test at the Maverik Center – it’s still here at Elk Ridge
  • Ignore anything that says you’ll test between 4-7 pm – it’s still during school on Monday, May 3
Pre-Register for COVID Testing
Categories
COVID-19

COVID-19 Testing at Elk Ridge Middle School

Choose ‘School Site’, either test type, and simply note Elk Ridge as the school. As long as you are in the system at all, we’ll be able to test your student. Don’t worry if it says Maverik Center on any part of the process; you’ll still test here with us.

Pre-Register for Testing

UPDATE ON TESTING:

Thank you for your patience and support as we work through COVID-19 testing. We have two quick updates to share with you regarding on-site testing at Elk Ridge:

  1. Anyone in the vehicle can be tested for COVID during Friday’s testing from 4-7 pm, thanks to tremendous efforts on the part of the county and state health departments. 
  2. The pre-registration link has sometimes returned the default testing information for the Maverik Center. As long as you have registered at all, regardless of location, test type, or time, you will be able to be tested at Elk Ridge with both a rapid and PCR test on either Friday or Monday.

ORIGINAL TESTING INFORMATION

Parents and Students:

We are notifying you because Elk Ridge Middle School has experienced a significant increase of positive COVID-19 cases over the last two weeks. Because Elk Ridge now has over 30 cases on the County dashboard, the law requires us to conduct school-wide COVID-19 testing in order to continue in-person learning.

In partnership with Salt Lake County Health Department, we will be conducting COVID-19 testing at Elk Ridge Middle on Friday, April 30, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. and Monday, May 3 during school. We will administer two tests at the same time for each student: a rapid test and a PCR (saliva or nasopharyngeal) test. 

Students who do not get tested by Monday, May 3 will be able to return to in-person learning on Monday, May 10th. 

Rapid Tests

  • Students should not eat or drink for 30 minutes before they are tested.
  • Results of the rapid test will be emailed shortly after testing.
  • If a student’s rapid test result is negative, they will be able to continue learning in person while they wait for PCR test results. 
  • If a student’s rapid test result is positive, they will need to isolate for 10 days from the date of the test and learn virtually until they return.

PCR Tests

  • Students should not eat or drink for 30 minutes before they are tested.
  • PCR test results are typically emailed within 24-48 hours. 
  • If the rapid and PCR test results do not match, the PCR result is final.
  • If a PCR test comes back positive, a student will need to isolate for 10 days from the date of the test and learn virtually until they return. 

Friday, April 30, Drive-through Testing (4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.)

We strongly prefer that your student be tested on Friday to minimize disruptions to learning. You must pre-register your student for testing at this link prior to arriving on Friday. You will also need to sign physical copies of this release of information and this consent for testing. When you arrive, please follow the pathway used during daily drop-off and pick-up in front of the school. You will not need to leave your vehicle. If you are unable to print and sign the forms, we will have them available on site, but the online pre-registration must be completed prior to arrival.

Monday, May 3, In-School Testing

Even if they did not test on Friday, your student may attend school on Monday if they have pre-registered for testing and bring signed consent forms. You must pre-register your student for testing at this link before sending them to school. You will also need to sign physical copies of this release of information and this consent for testing. Students will be tested throughout the day during class time. 

Students Who Participated in COVID Testing at Elk Ridge on April 26

If your student participated in COVID testing at Elk Ridge this past Monday, April 26, your student is not required to be tested again unless they have symptoms.

A Note on End-of-Year Academic Testing

We will be administering end-of-year academic testing over the next few weeks, and any student who is quarantined or receives a positive COVID test result will either be able to make up end-of-year testing upon their return or will be excused from the test. 

Thank you for your understanding and support as we continue working together to keep our school and community safe.