Parent-Teacher conferences are this Wednesday from 4-8 pm and Thursday from 4-7:30 pm. You can sign up for an appointment time in Skyward Family Access. Drop-ins will be possible, but those with appointments will be given priority. Zoom links will be available on the school website and via email starting Wednesday. If you have a meeting with a teacher before then, they can send you the Zoom link directly.
Sign up early to get the times you want, and remember that if you don’t get the chance to meet with a teacher this week, Zoom, email and phone calls all work all year, so please don’t hesitate to reach out whenever you have questions or concerns.
Last Week to Pre-Register
Don’t forget that all pre-registrations (course selections) must be completed by February 14th. Visit our pre-registration page for information and the pre-registration form. We’ll take this information and use it to offer as many of the classes that you want as possible!
ALPS Orientation
There will be a virtual ALPS orientation meeting for all incoming ALPS students on February 23rd from 6-7 pm. The link to this meeting can be found at gandt.jordandistrict.org.
Memory Books
Memory Books ordered from now until March 15 are $25. Memory Books ordered after March 15 will be $30, and are only available as long as the limited supplies last. Memory books can be ordered in Skyward under the fees sections. If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Whitney in the main office. We have switched to a different vendor this year to hopefully ensure they are here in a timely manner.
Dress Code Reminder
Please take a moment to review what your student is wearing to school, especially now that things are warming up.
Virtual Parent Teacher Conferences will be held Wednesday, February 10th from 4-8 pm and Thursday, February 11th from 4-7:30 pm. The process will be very similar to what we did in the fall with a few modifications. Here are the highlights:
Appointments can be made by logging into Skyward Family Access using your parent account. (This is the same process used by Jordan District elementary schools. You can make appointments with all your student’s teachers in one place. Please see the attached step-by-step instructions if needed.)
Zoom links for each teacher will be available on the school website starting Monday after school.
Zoom meetings will utilize “waiting rooms”.
“Drop ins” are welcome, but teachers will give preference to those with appointments.
We strongly encourage you to check your student’s grades on Skyward and talk with them a few days prior to the conference. If you have any trouble accessing Skyward Family Access, please contact the main office. Instructions can also be found here.
A few more thoughts on the structure of the conference: Our overall goal with any parent conference is to have meaningful, two-way communication with you about your child and how we can work together to support them. If you are unable to meet with us for some reason on those days, please know that in today’s connected age, we are always reachable by email, phone, video conference, or in-person. Don’t let a date set aside for communication get in the way of communication throughout the year.
We look forward to seeing or hearing from you!
Pre-Registration Open Through Feb. 14th
Don’t forget to visit our pre-registration page to choose your courses for next year. All selections made before the 14th will be given the same consideration, so it’s important to get your registration in during that time. Contact our counseling center if you have any questions.
Please visit our pre-registration page to request your courses for next school year. All requests made between now and February 14th will be given the same priority. Take some time to review the orientation videos, course descriptions, etc. before completing the form.
That’s all we’re sending out this week. If you have any questions about selecting courses, don’t hesitate to reach out to our counseling department. It’s national school counselors week, so feel free to tell them thank you if they’ve helped you or your children. We couldn’t do it without them!
Pre-Registration (Course Requests) for 6th-8th Graders Begins Feb. 1st
It’s time to choose your classes starting on February 1st. Visit the pre-registration page on the school website for information on elective courses, requirements, and other information.
Our counselors will be visiting each 7th and 8th science class on Monday and Tuesday to ensure students understand the process. You will be able to edit your choices for the first week or so, after which your selections will be locked so that we can start building the schedule and hiring according to your requests. Requests that come in after February 14th will still be accepted, but some options may not be available depending on demand from the on-time registrations.
It is also worth noting that all students will have the option of enrolling in the district’s new virtual school during pre-registration. More information will be placed at the beginning of the pre-registration form to ensure you have as much information as possible when deciding your path for next school year.
9th grade students will enroll at their respective high schools in late February or early March, and counselors from those schools will come and present to students at that time. Any questions about high school registration should be directed to the respective high school for the most up-to-date and accurate information.
We are adding content to our registration every day as we lead up to pre-registration, so make sure you check back on February 1st for videos from teachers, updated course options, and more helpful information.
Thank You!
We have such amazing students at Elk Ridge, and we just wanted to make sure we take the chance to say thank you for all that you do as a community to support our school. It is never dull and truly a pleasure to work with your children, and it’s a responsibility and an honor that we take very seriously. You have great kids.
Welcome back from winter break! Everyone looked a bit sleepy today, which was hopefully due to all of the rest you got over the break. Please remember that the 2nd quarter ends next Friday, January 15th. Please ensure you have all requisite work turned in early so that you avoid any surprises.
Memory Books
Memory Books ordered from now until April 1, 2021 are $25. Memory Books ordered after April 1,2021 will be $30. Memory books can be ordered in Skyward under the fees sections. If you have questions please contact Mrs. Whitney in the main office. We have switched to a different vendor this year to hopefully ensure they are here in a timely manner.
Pre-Registration
It’s time to start planning for next school year, and pre-registration for classes will open on February 1st. We are moving to an online registration system this year, and you will have two weeks to make and adjust your requests. That process will also include class summaries, prerequisites, and everything else you’ll need to tell us what you want for next year, since a registration night in-person at the school won’t be an option. Once we have that, we’ll work to staff our school according to your requests. This makes it doubly important that you get us your preferences, as it’s much harder to accommodate once the schedule has been built and staffing decisions have been made. More information on registration will come in the Skylert and on our website as we get closer.
Permits
The initial permit window has now closed, and only permits submitted before January 1st will be entered into the lottery. From there, permits will be awarded according to the established waiting list. Unfortunately we do not anticipate having space for many, if any, permits this year.
COVID Updates
Case counts are set to zero per state guidelines after a 2-week break. Positive cases are still reported, and community spread appears to be relatively high based on the number of students and staff currently positive, even though none of them have been in the school while positive due to the break. In short, it’s been a long haul, but now is not the time to get complacent.
In better news, quarantines in school will now only occur for situations where one or both students was NOT wearing a mask. This means primarily only lunchroom exposures or situations where we know a student was not wearing a mask. Quarantines from non-masked exposure are for 7 days with a negative test administered on the 7th day, or 10 days without a test.
The governor also announced that districts can adopt a test-to-stay policy in order to avoid shifting to online learning, but such a policy must be adopted by a school board to go into effect. There has not been an opportunity since the announcement for the board to discuss such a policy, meaning we will still be held to the 15 active cases or 1% threshold for the time being for a shift to online learning.
What follows was sent to parents by the Jordan School District regarding format change requests for 2nd quarter from in-person to virtual and vice versa. Please note that a request does not guarantee the change will occur, as open seats across the district are very limited.
Due to minimal availability in both virtual and in-person courses, virtual and in-person placement changes will be limited.
If you would still like to request a potential change for 2nd quarter, please complete the Quarter 2 Virtual/In-Person Change form. Even if you have already been added to a wait-list at your local school, you will still need to complete the form.
The Quarter 2 Virtual/In-Person Change form must be completed by Tuesday, October 6th at midnight to be considered for a possible change to your student’s 2nd Quarter virtual or in-person placement. This deadline can not be extended. Only complete this form if you are requesting to change your student’s current online schedule to an in-person schedule and vice-versa. A separate form is required for each student.
Skyward instructions:
You will need to log in to Skyward Family Access in a web browser. This form does not work in the mobile version of Skyward. If you need assistance with your Skyward login and password, please contact your school. Once logged in, select the link for “Online Forms” in the tabs on the left. Select the student for whom you want to submit a request. There are two steps that need to be completed. On step 2, you must select “Submit Term 2 Learning Option” to complete the form. You will receive a confirmation email after you have completed the form. If you do not receive this email, please contact your school.
*** (The drop down options here are: 1) Online to In-Person, 2) In-Person to Online, 3) Partial In-Person & Online)
As the parent/guardian of the student for which this form has been completed, I acknowledge that my student will participate in the option selected for the duration of 2nd Quarter, upon approval of this request. I understand that completion of this form does not guarantee approval of this request. Approval is based on space availability for both in-person and virtual classes.
*** Parent/Guardian Acknowledgement: (Yes)
Your request for term 2 has been completed for this student. Completion of this request does not guarantee approval of the request. Approval is based on space availability for both in-person and virtual classes. If you request option 3, you must email your school counselor which courses your student wants to take, either in-person or virtually. If your request has been approved, you will be contacted by your student’s school counselor. Once committed to in-person or virtual learning, your student must continue with that selection for the duration of 2nd quarter.
*** These sections will be the drop down menu options in the skyward form.
Just a few last-minute reminders and answers to common questions for everyone:
Start Dates and First Day Information
School starts for 7th graders on Monday from 7:50 – 11:50 am. School starts for 8th and 9th graders (and continues for 7th graders) on Tuesday from 7:50 am – 2:50 pm. A schedule for which lunch you have can be found here, and will be reviewed on your first day before lunch.
Maps of the school will be given to students who need one as they arrive. For security reasons, we are not allowed to post them online or send them out via Skylert. We’ll also have adults on hand to help students find their classes.
If your student arrives at school prior to 7:30 am, they will need to wait outside. After 7:30 am, they can go to the cafeteria, or to their 1st period class. Students should not linger in the hallway and will be encouraged to head straight to the cafeteria or a classroom.
Schedules
Schedules should be reviewed today or tomorrow before coming to school. They may have changed since you last looked at them. If your schedule has an issue, please use email to contact a counselor. This greatly speeds up the process. Please do not come in to meet with the counselor unless they request it. Your student should attend the scheduled classes while the issue is sorted out. You can download the Skyward app to review your schedule and much more on the go.
Online/Virtual Courses
If you are taking online courses, please be patient as we get things off the ground. You may be taking a class from a teacher at another school in the district. If you are taking a virtual ALPS, DLI, or AP course, you will be participating in the in-person course through virtual means. We have plans to maximize your involvement, but it will take a bit to hone the process.
Chromebooks
Chromebooks for online students can be picked up Monday from 12:00 – 2:50 pm. Students taking any in-person classes will get their Chromebooks on Tuesday during 1st period. You cannot get a Chromebook if you have not completed Skyward registration.
Masks
Per the Utah Department of Health and the governor’s office, masks are required in all Utah schools. All exemptions require a completed and verified mask exemption form, which can be found at movingforward.jordandistrict.org. This FAQ was just released last week, and provides more specifics on many of the most common questions.
While masks are not required when outside, please remember that is only the case when you can stay 6 feet from others. If you’re outside and within 6 feet, you still need a mask. This applies to eating and drinking as well. The mask should only come off for eating and drinking when you can be at least 6 feet from others.
Checking Out Your Student, Confirming Absences via Skyward
Students can now be checked in and out via Skyward. Visit the main page of our school website for instructions. You are now also able to guardian excuse absences without calling in. If you are checking out your student, enter the attendance via Skyward (via app or website), bring in your ID when you arrive, and then wait in your car for your student. It should speed up the process greatly, as well as require less time in the building for you as a parent.
Safety
We have worked closely with the state, district, and other schools to develop a safety plan. That plan can be found here, as well as on our website. Our priorities as we start school again will be to keep students spread out, masks on, and be kind to each other. We couldn’t be more excited to be back, and we want to stay in school. Right now, this is the best way to do it.
Quarantine FAQ’s
Each positive COVID-19 case will be reviewed in cooperation with the health department. Currently, if you are within 6 feet of someone who tests positive for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more within 48 hours of them testing positive or showing symptoms, you will be required to stay home for 14 days (10 school days). A negative test result does not shorten that timeframe, and face masks, plexiglass, and other factors do not change those numbers. If you go home sick with COVID-like symptoms, you will likewise be required to stay home for 10 days from symptom onset and go 24 hours without a fever before returning to school regardless of whether or not you decide to be tested. More on this Salt Lake County requirement can be found here. If a student is working from home during quarantine, we will do everything possible to ensure they are able to participate as fully as possible while they are at home.
Back-to-School Videos
Now that schedules are mostly finalized, you may want to revisit our back-to-school videos. They can be found here.
One Last Thing
Being a Wapiti means being safe, being kind, and being responsible. This mindset is what we try to instill in our students, and we hope that as we launch this adventure together, we can continue to enjoy working with a community that is likewise safe, kind, and responsible. Thank you for all that you do. We truly couldn’t do it without you. Please be patient if things take a little longer, and as we hit bumps along the way.
Back-to-school sales are in full swing. It might be a good idea to get a jumpstart on other shoppers and get your student a calculator and math supplies while they are still in stock.
We suggest students have the following for all math classes at Elk Ridge Middle School:
– Three ring binder
– Lots of pencils (We learn from our mistakes!)
– Loose leaf paper
– Earbuds (to use when watching lesson videos)
– Calculator (see below)
We strongly recommend that each student have their own calculator to assist with practice assignments and to reduce the number of items that are shared in class. Here are links showing the calculators that are used in each class:
Math 7 Calculator (Math 7 does not use calculators until 2nd quarter, but they are cheaper now.)
Elk Ridge will have a calculator rental program, but availability is limited. (Rental information will be forthcoming.) With the emphasis on not sharing supplies and Friday distance learning, it would be a good idea to get a calculator sooner rather than later.
Please contact your student’s math teacher if you have questions or concerns.
Teachers are back in the building, and we are excited to work on bringing all of you back to school in the safest way possible. Here are this week’s highlights:
Memory books still haven’t shipped. Still no update from Lifetouch, and it’s realistically looking like we’ll be getting those out to students while they are at school.
ERMS Registration in Skyward is now open. Read this post and visit our registration page for more information. You’ll also find information there about joining our school community council and PTSA student ambassadors. Student government elections will be held after school gets underway.
Back-to-School Night will be virtual, and open longer than just one night. We’ll send out the link as a Skylert, but you’ll be able to see brief videos from teachers, staff, and processes at the school all in one place. We won’t launch it until after schedules are finalized so that you know which teachers to virtually visit.
Here’s a recap of the major points from last week:
The start of school has been delayed a week for students
August 24th for 7th graders (half day)
August 25th for 8th & 9th graders (7th graders come this day as well)
If you would like to request busing and are not currently in an area where busing is provided, you must contact the school to request a space available permit by August 14th
The district plan can be found here. The most important points are:
Students can learn completely online, partly online, or in-person
Requests for online and partial schedules were due July 31st
If you are coming in-person only, you did not need to request anything or fill out the form
Fridays will be for intervention, enrichment, planning, etc. Students will be able to come in-person between 9:50 am – 12:30 pm (likely by appointment) to work with teachers in small groups. Virtual appointments can also be made in the afternoon between 1:00 pm -2:50 pm.
School will be in-person M-Th
We will be releasing a summary of school-specific COVID-related assurances soon. All school plans will fit within state and district guidelines, but will offer more specifics. With teachers back in the building, more of the answers are starting to crystalize.
We have a new website (same address) with much more of this information in much greater detail.
Thank you for all of your questions so far. If you want to send us a question, just reply to this email or send it to curtis.jenson@jordandistrict.org and we’ll get you an answer. We have also started a FAQ page on the website for common questions and answers. Don’t see a question you need, just submit it and we’ll find out.
For now, start setting your alarm clocks a bit earlier each day to condition out the summer sleep-ins. See you soon!
Now that the dust is settling on state and district plans, we are geared up to start registration at the school level. There’s a more detailed explanation here, but registration as a process means you choose courses in the spring, agree to disclosures and pay fees in Skyward in the late summer & early fall, and then finish anything course-specific at the school in person around when school starts.
When we say registration, at this point we mean the part when you get on Skyward. This will be where you set up contact methods, review district and school documents like Chromebook agreements, and take care of any fees or lunch payments.
This process will open August 5th and run past the start of school. Please visit our registration page if you have any questions and log in via Skyward to get started.
Your schedule is normally released once you’ve paid all fees and agreed to all necessary documents. This year, however, there will be a slight delay while we work through the schedules for those requesting fully or partly online schedules. We’ll post another update once schedules are released.
