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.
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.
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)
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.
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 pmand 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
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.
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!
We are thrilled to announce that tickets are available now for next week’s school performance of Matilda the Musical! Shows are Tuesday to Saturday night at 7:00 pm, with a matinee on Saturday at 2:00 pm. Updated COVID guidelines for performances allow us to increase audience capacity, and our cast members have already had a chance to get tickets for family. We would love to have you join us. Please note that masks must be worn at all times, and no eating or drinking will be allowed in the auditorium. Our cast members and all of our wonderful volunteers and staff have been working tirelessly for months to prepare, and we can’t wait to have you at our performance!
To purchase tickets, visit this link or go to showtix4u.com, search Elk Ridge and Matilda the Musical at Elk Ridge Middle School.
We are nearly to Spring Break, and we hope you all are geared up for the quarter to end this Thursday as well. As always, we encourage you to communicate with teachers and check grades before the term ends and grades are finalized. Also, the School Board has approved Lagoon for 9th graders (with precautions) and increased capacity at in-person performances (again, with precautions). More information on both of these topics will follow as we get it.
In this Skylert, you’ll find updates on:
Student Surveys
Volunteer Opportunities & Upcoming Career Activities
Bangerter Construction
Student Surveys
We have two surveys in progress this week with students. Information on each can be found at the end of this message, but they are essentially a survey to all students about the school itself (one goes out to parents as well) and one about students’ social and emotional health. Both surveys help us do better at being what our students need. Students will take these in their classes and nothing needs to be done from home aside from the parent survey sent out by the district. If you would like more information about either survey, please let us know and we’ll get you anything you need.
Bangerter Closures & Detours
The Utah Department of Transportation is planning to close 10400 S East-West travel across Bangerter starting late April or early May, and it will remain closed through November of 2021. UDOT animation of traffic flow and current information will be posted here by the end of the week. You can also see the detour plan here, and traffic patterns here.
We expect this will mean more traffic on 9800 S as two lanes will exit Bangerter turning left there in the construction plan, and the detour routes people on 9800 S as well.
Volunteer Opportunities & Upcoming Career Activities
8th Grade Job Shadow – Tuesday, April 13th
As part of our career exploration program, 8th grade students will have the opportunity to participate in a Job Shadow experience on Tuesday, April 13th. 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 and they will do a career related activity in Language Arts. 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.
9th Grade Job Interviews – Tuesday, April 13th
Adult volunteers are needed to help with our 9th grade Job Interview experience. We need 15 volunteers from 7:45-11:35, and 15 volunteers from 11:25-2:50. The PTSA will provide lunch for both sessions. Volunteers will be providing short mock job interviews for our 9th grade students. We will provide a list of suggested questions. For more information, please contact the counseling center. If you can help with this fun activity, please fill out this form
