MEET NEW SUPERINTENDENT ANDY JENSEN
Andy Jensen (soon to be Dr. Jensen) is an accomplished educator and administrator with over two decades of public education experience. He has served at the post-secondary, high school, middle school, and elementary levels in four states and six school districts. He has been a teacher, coach, principal, and assistant principal. Mr. Jensen currently serves as the Director of Human Resources and Student Services in the Morgan School District.
Mr. Jensen will receive a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership in April and holds K-12 Administrative Supervisory Licensure and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. He has received various recognitions and awards, such as the Doilney-Barnes Teaching Excellence Award from Park City School District in 2012, and the Wyoming Conference Coach of the Year Award at Northwest College in 2006-07. As an undergraduate, Jensen was named Outstanding Physical Education Teaching Major by the Weber State Department of Health Promotion and Human Performance. He was also the starting center for the Weber State men’s basketball team, which won the 1999 Big Sky Conference Championship and defeated the University of North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament.
Andy has demonstrated a commitment to Morgan County schools, promoting an inclusive educational environment and positively impacting the lives of students and educators alike. He and his wife, Micah, and three of their five children reside in Morgan. He will begin his new assignment on July 1, 2023.
November 15, 2022
Hello Everyone,
There’s snow on the mountains and pumpkin spice in the air–I’m feeling sweater weather. Here is your update from Tuesday’s Morgan School District Board of Education meeting.
On behalf of President Ron Blunck, a veteran himself, and the rest of the Board, thank you for honoring our veterans in the variety of programs throughout the district last Friday and for instilling reverence for veterans and their service.
Thank you, also, to our employees of the month from Morgan Middle School. Catherine Henderson, a Morgan graduate, is a paraprofessional, about whom Principal Morrell stated, “Her connection with kids is unbelievable.” Whitney Bunn, a Frisbee gold enthusiast, is a math teacher who, according to Principal Morrell, “has a way of making kids believe that math is easy.”
Congratulations to MHS’s extracurricular programs on their successes this fall. Special recognition goes to drama on their sold-out performances of The Mouse Trap, to Volleyball and Football with their decisive State titles adding to Girls Tennis, and to Mountain Bike’s Payson Norman, who rode through a sandstorm to take first in State.
Congratulations also to our Morgan schools, who earned top marks on this year’s report card from the Utah State Board of Education, receiving “exemplary” for growth and post-secondary readiness. For more details visit School Grades.
Reminder: Tomorrow is an asynchronous day. Teachers will be involved in professional development; see your administrator for more information. Students will be working online–please make sure that you have clearly communicated your directions for students.
Our Human Services Director is guiding efforts to structure more equitable pay for our Personal Care Aides (SPED) and to establish our Human Rights Committee, specifically to provide oversight for special circumstances involving special needs students.
The Board also approved policies EEE, EEEA, EEEB, EEEC Evaluation/Selection of Sensitive Materials. You can read the policies for yourself on the district page; administrators should be clarifying implementation with staff.
Thought of the night: President Blunck, describing the information from The Truth about Kids & Social Media, referred to it as “nothing short of frightening” and noted that “parents have their hands full with these smart phones.”
The next meeting is December 13. Have a happy Thanksgiving.
–Gwen Romero, PIO
Hello Everyone,
I hope your Fall Break was refreshing. Here are your highlights from last Tuesday’s meeting of the Morgan School District Board of Education.
Welcome to our new student school board member Addison Morgan; Addie will be a voice for all MCSD students this school year. In her first report to the board, she commented on benefits of extracurricular programs.
Congratulations and thank you to our Employee Spotlight honorees from Mountain Green Elementary School: MHS graduate, horse riding enthusiast, and custodian/recess monitor, Zoe Fife, and former drum major, class valedictorian, and second-grade team leader, Maria Hansen. Thank you, ladies, for your enthusiasm and dedication.
Counseling services are a primary focus this year, as we continue to address our students’ needs for expanded services. The secondary counselors will have their state-level review in April, regarding services such as crisis intervention, ongoing counseling, and support for career-college planning. Also, counselors now have the updated referral for services form; please see your school’s counselor(s) for more information.
Kudos to Mr. Mikesell’s team for effectively evacuating and accounting for all students in less than five and a half minutes in their recent drill. All campuses are adapting and practicing safety plans; please see your administrator for clarifications.
The Board approved the following items:
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Extended Travel Policy to allow a maximum of three missed days
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MGMS Science Olympiad team’s travel request, noting, “If any school was going to go to a state-wide STEM competition, we would make an exception to the [travel] policy.”
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Sex Education Policy ECH and Curriculum
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2022-23 LEA Special License list
Please see your administrator for more details.
Finally, if you happen to see Dr. Andreasen talking to the shrubbery, do not be alarmed: she’s just trying to coax a kindergartener into the building.
Next Board Meeting November 15, 2022. Reminder: Election Day, November 8.
–Gwen Romero
Public Information Officer
September 19, 2022
Hello Parents,
The Morgan School District Board of Education is sounding better than ever–thanks, in part, to the
new microphones they debuted at their September 13 meeting. Here are some other highlights from
that meeting.
Congratulations to Ryan Hoffman, father of three, aspiring licensed pilot, and MCSD Aspire guru.
Thanks for your ingenuity, patience, and contributions to Morgan’s schools.
The district is also implementing new bus routing software to identify bus stops and monitor
maintenance needs, and for parents to track their child’s bus (forthcoming). Visit the district
website to access the new tracking system: https://www.morgansd.org/ .
Heads up to our families in Croydon: when the bridge closes in November for infrastructure work,
the district will be running an additional bus to help get kids to school on time. Do plan on pick
up being 15 minutes earlier and drop off being slightly later. Construction is scheduled to take up
to 160 days.
After a presentation by Morgan City Manager Ty Bailey and much discussion, the Board voted to renew
the redevelopment agreement between the school district and the city as the partnership works to
attract new businesses, and the revenue that comes with them, to Morgan. If you haven’t recently,
now is a great time to check out the businesses on Commercial Street.
School Community Council elections just closed. Thank you to all our parents who have volunteered
to serve. With those councils, committee meetings are also under way, including policy and
curriculum committees. Details on existing policies, USBE policies, and Attorney General guidelines
are available through the district website and office. As member Kelly Preece noted, “We are public
servants, and we’re going to follow the law . . . That’s our duty.” More information will be
provided as policies are updated.
Euphoric from MGMS Science Olympiad team’s State win last spring, advisor/coach Jenna-Marie Harris
was on hand to request that the Board expand its travel policy to include middle school teams,
laying the groundwork for more opportunities for MCSD students.
Finally, with growth always an essential concern, the Board voted to purchase additional acreage
off Island Road; and member Gaylene Adams complimented MES on having “lofty goals for reading
improvement” as well as plans to put those goals into action.
Gwen Romero,
Public Information Officer
Morgan School District
Hello Parents,
The Morgan School District Board of Education held its first meeting of the new school year last Tuesday; here are some highlights.
Public comment and some board discussion concerned the review of books that are available from MSD libraries. The Board is in the process of reviewing policy regarding the selection and retention of library materials and currently has several titles under review. Further details will be available as the Board clarifies policy.
Major kudos to the faculty, support staff, and administration of Morgan High School on another successful accreditation review, which validates the school’s credentials and diplomas. Every five years, MHS’s programs are reviewed based on many factors that support educational standards and student growth.
Other reasons to celebrate include MSD’s receiving the Grow Your Own grant to support teachers and counselors who are working toward licensure and another graduate of the MCSD Adult Education program, which has moved to the Northfront Business Center on State Street.
Speaking of student growth, our faculty have already kicked off the year with professional development aimed at improving instruction and targeted interventions for students. We will be providing our teachers with even more support throughout the year with additional professional development and collaboration opportunities, including on a few early out and asynchronous days. To borrow from a colleague, “The only way to increase student learning is to increase the capacity of the adults who work with them.” (Garrick Peterson, Wasatch SD)
In another area of growth, work will begin this year on the additional ten classrooms to be added to the third floor of MHS. All work will be completed over the next five years enabling us to pay-as-we-go.
The Board also approved the Selection Process for Parent Participation on District Committees, to include parents who serve on the schools’ Community Councils and an at-large member to be selected from other parent volunteers, and the Policy FDB Suicide Prevention-2022, which supports such programs as HOPE Squad and the SAFE UT App.
Parents who are interested in more involvement with their children’s schools are encouraged to volunteer for their respective Community Council(s) and PTSOs.
Finally, as many new faces are joining us, I am happy to report that, unlike several other districts, we will be beginning school fully staffed with faculty. We do still have positions available for aides, cooks, custodians, and bus drivers. If you know of anyone who may be interested, please refer them to https://www.morgansd.org/470377_3 or to our human resources director, Andy Jensen.
Thanks for your continued support!
Doug Jacobs, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Morgan School District
djacobs@morgansd.org
Hello Parents,
We are excited about the upcoming school year and offer our heartiest WELCOME! The first day of school is August 24th. You will see many familiar faces and a few new ones this year. We welcome our new principals and give a shout-out to our new teachers, staff members, and all our returning employees. Our transportation department will be using new bus-tracking software this year that has some pretty amazing features. More information will be forthcoming.
Our great custodians and maintenance personnel have cleaned and shined each school. Every classroom in the district now has an air purifier. The girls’ restrooms have been equipped with dispensers and free sanitary products - thanks to Utah House Bill 162 and corporate sponsors.
The kitchen remodel at MMS is nearly complete and will hopefully be ready for the first day of school. The heating/airflow system at MMS has been upgraded. MHS is beginning an extensive auditorium upgrade this year. Old and cracked cement sidewalks, the ramp, and bus lane are being replaced in front of MES. Our playgrounds and playfields have thankfully survived a long, hot summer with limited watering.
We continue safety upgrades at each school. The fence at MES will be extended to enclose all outdoor classroom exits, MGES will be adding a visitor buzz-in system and if all goes well, MES and eventually the middle schools will add them. Our schools are finding ways to overcome the difficult challenge of securing each exit and entrance. Each of our schools have surveillance cameras. We are fortunate to have a district resource officer, in partnership with the Morgan County Sheriff's Office, and hope upcoming legislation provides funding for more.
We have safety protocols in place at each school. You can check them out at:
https://iloveuguys.org/The-Standard-Response-Protocol.html
https://risk.utah.gov/utah-schools-critical-incident-commission/
All students are encouraged to use the SafeUT App https://safeut.org/students.
Discussions with your children are always helpful to make sure they understand the protocols and always take drills seriously. The school principal is an excellent resource for answering questions and providing more specific school information. It’s a fact that possible school tragedies were averted because suspicious circumstances were reported. Please encourage your child - if you see something, say something!
You have probably heard our district calendar has 4 additional early release days this year for teacher professional development. Teachers in the primary grades and special education are engaged in language essentials training for reading and spelling (LETRS). The Board has also approved 3 asynchronous days where students do their learning from home with lessons and materials preselected and provided by teachers. These days are essential for teacher professional development. We will continue to make Chromebooks available to every student.
You are invited and strongly encouraged to participate on your schools’ community council. NOW IS THE TIME to contact the school principal to have your name placed on the ballot. Our parent-school-community councils are vital and essential to the success of our schools and district and the best way to have your voice heard!
Again, welcome, and thank you for your continued support!
Sincerely,
Doug Jacobs
Doug Jacobs, Ed.D.
Superintendent
djacobs@morgansd.org
Here are some important reminders -
The Morgan School District recognizes that you have the primary responsibility for the education of your child and that the district is in a secondary and supportive role to you as a parent.
We encourage you to stay in regular contact with your child’s teacher(s). You may arrange to meet with the school principal or teacher at a mutually agreeable time, in addition to parent/teacher conferences. You are invited to run for a position to serve as a member of your school’s community council.
Please notify the school when changes in residence and telephone number take place. You may review your child’s school records at any time and request changes as needed. We are required to have your written permission to release information about your child.
It is the responsibility of the Morgan School District to identify any child who is a resident of the county who may have a disability. If you suspect that your child, at any age, may need an evaluation to determine eligibility for special education services, you may request an evaluation, at no cost, at your child’s school or the district office.
Instructional materials used in your child’s classes are provided by teachers to you via CANVAS and Google Classroom. Login information is available from the teacher or school. Additional resources have been created by the Utah State Office of Education to help you better understand grade level standards for students in Utah Public Schools. The resources can be found here. We strongly encourage our students to participate in all testing because it helps us to measure their progress, but you also have the right to opt your child out.
We are currently reviewing all books and materials in our school library collections. Some books may have been removed temporarily. The Morgan Board of Education is updating policies dealing with the selection and identification of books and materials that may be selected or disqualified.
And finally, your written permission is required before your child takes part in any survey conducted at school or participates in any course that includes instruction on topics related to sex education.
Thanks for your continuing help and support!
Sincerely,
Doug Jacobs
Superintendent
Morgan School District
djacobs@morgansd.org
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