SecondaryELA September 2026

secondaryela@lists.uen.org

2 participants
5 discussions

Fw: Battle of the Books / Book Buzz
by Naomi Watkins 30 Sep '26

30 Sep '26

Exciting news everyone! The Utah State Library has added Battle of the Books book sets to Book Buzz, their free book club lending program. I have attached the flyer and a link to the blog post<https://library.utah.gov/empower-your-students-free-battle-of-the-books-set…>, which includes instructions on how to check out the sets. [Battle of the Books flyer (1).png] [cid:e89d4692-9407-4b55-ab15-3dd36af8650d] Join the USBE Library Media list serve<https://lists.uen.org/mailman/listinfo/library-media>

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Fw: New titles to be removed from Utah public schools
by Naomi Watkins 29 Sep '26

29 Sep '26

Dear Colleagues, Please excuse any cross postings. I wanted to make sure you receive this information below. I encourage you to reach out if you have any questions. [cid:a5983b58-daf6-4d13-a2c0-ca2adaac4bbb] Join the USBE Library Media list serve<https://lists.uen.org/mailman/listinfo/library-media> [cid:f998a46f-c8ca-4c48-aecb-fe766149475a]<https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/c9b4eddcdf24487d978ef6960a4bc233…> Book time to meet with me<https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/c9b4eddcdf24487d978ef6960a4bc233…> virtually Request professional learning, training or technical assistance through the USBE Learning Portal<http://bit.ly/usberequest>. LEAs have the duty to select instructional materials that best correlate to the core standards for Utah public schools and graduation requirements. (UCA 53G-4-402(1(a)). Posting of resources by USBE staff curriculum content specialists does not imply the resources have received official endorsement of the State Board. Educators are responsible to ensure use of these materials complies with LEA policies and directives. ________________________________ From: Davina Sauthoff <Davina.Sauthoff(a)schools.utah.gov> Sent: Monday, September 28, 2026 4:58 PM Subject: New titles to be removed from Utah public schools Dear LEA-appointed representatives for reporting sensitive materials, We appreciate all your efforts in the implementation of §53G-10-103 and Board Rule R277-628. As required, this email serves as communication by USBE to all LEAs that the following titles have met the statewide threshold and should be removed from student access in all Utah public schools. * House of Earth and Blood — Sarah J. Maas * Identical — Ellen Hopkins * Kingdom of the Cursed — Kerri Maniscalco * Me and Earl and the Dying Girl — Jesse Andrews * Perfect — Ellen Hopkins * Storm and Fury — Jennifer L. Armentrout * The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue — V.E. Schwab The entire list of titles to be removed from Utah public schools, along with additional resources, can be found on the USBE library media webpag<https://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/librarymedia>e under the "Sensitive Materials" tab. It will be updated regularly as any additional titles meet the statewide threshold. Please work with district leadership and all appropriate personnel to communicate this information to all educators and staff who this may affect. I encourage you to reach out any time if you have any questions or concerns. Sincerely, [cid:c53168fe-38cb-4845-bbd2-537b9b8fd60d] Join the USBE Library Media list serve<https://lists.uen.org/mailman/listinfo/library-media> [cid:8c956cc7-b605-48be-89da-9e742746979e]<https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/c9b4eddcdf24487d978ef6960a4bc233…> Book time to meet with me<https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/c9b4eddcdf24487d978ef6960a4bc233…> virtually Request professional learning, training or technical assistance through the USBE Learning Portal<http://bit.ly/usberequest>. LEAs have the duty to select instructional materials that best correlate to the core standards for Utah public schools and graduation requirements. (UCA 53G-4-402(1(a)). Posting of resources by USBE staff curriculum content specialists does not imply the resources have received official endorsement of the State Board. Educators are responsible to ensure use of these materials complies with LEA policies and directives.

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INFO: Statewide Read-a-Thon
by Naomi Watkins 24 Sep '26

24 Sep '26

Statewide Read-a-Thon Utah schools are invited to join the statewide Read-a-Thon on Friday, October 2, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The goal is to provide students dedicated time and space to enjoy reading. While optional engagement ideas are available, schools are encouraged to participate in whichever way best fits their schedule. Governor Cox will host a livestream welcome message to kick off the event at 9:30 a.m. Schools, libraries, businesses, and community members are invited to tune in. Access the Governor's welcome livestream link HERE<http://youtube.com/live/tX9kh7qi4kU?feature=share>. To feature your school or classroom during the broadcast, please submit photos via one of the following methods: 1. Advance Submission: Email a group photo of participating students along with your school name and location to hbronson(a)utah.gov prior to the event for livestream recognition. 2. Live Event Submission: Submit photos during the event for potential inclusion during the broadcast. A customizable event flyer is attached to support your promotional efforts. Thank you for helping us make reading a celebration across Utah. We can't wait to see students throughout the state pick up a book and read together! For questions, contact Sarah Allred at sarah(a)showuputah.org. You can also complete this form<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1_LsnzOa48-kaeRXNtIqsvyoBrKgvzv_cGtm3RZaeTh…> to receive more information. [cid:06504f5f-b659-4d90-ae87-7eedddabd9a0] Subscribe to the Secondary ELA Newsletter<https://lists.uen.org/mailman/admin/secondaryela>

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Fw: Join Us! Help Write Questions or Join the UBOB Steering Committee 📚
by Naomi Watkins 14 Sep '26

14 Sep '26

[cid:77ed1d5e-0353-4fb7-9466-538f2c811034] Subscribe to the Secondary ELA Newsletter<https://lists.uen.org/mailman/admin/secondaryela> ________________________________ From: UBOB via K-12-library-media <library-media(a)lists.uen.org> Sent: Friday, September 11, 2026 4:56 PM To: library-media(a)lists.uen.org <library-media(a)lists.uen.org> Subject: [Utah K-12 Library Media] Join Us! Help Write Questions or Join the UBOB Steering Committee 📚 Hi everyone, Utah’s Battle of the Books is gearing up for a fantastic season, and we need a little extra help to pull it all off! We are looking for a few more passionate individuals to join our Question Writing Committees or our UBOB Steering Committee. If you are looking for a high-impact, manageable way to get involved, we would love to have you onboard. Here is where we could use your help: 1. Question Writing Committees (Grade Bands: 2–3, 4–5, 6–8, 9–12) * The Commitment: Read 1 or 2 books from the official list, draft questions using our template, and attend 1 or 2 short virtual meetings to review and finalize the questions. * Support Provided: We provide clear guidelines, sample questions, and a simple template to make the process smooth and quick. 2. UBOB Steering Committee (1–2 Positions) * The Commitment: Join our core planning team to help shape the direction of UBOB, coordinate regional efforts, and make key decisions for the season. * Support Provided: Work alongside an amazing team dedicated to making this statewide program a success for Utah students. Whether you can read a couple of books or want to help guide the bigger picture, your voice and time will make a huge difference for our readers. Interested? Reply directly to this email by Friday, September 18th and let us know which committee (and grade band, if applicable) you're interested in! Thanks for all you do to support student literacy! Warmly, [cid:36f71034-21ef-4306-8967-f622dbb9628a] Join the USBE Library Media list serve<https://lists.uen.org/mailman/listinfo/library-media> [cid:898c75b0-80b8-4532-bc5e-c9996e0526d1]<https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/c9b4eddcdf24487d978ef6960a4bc233…> Book time to meet with me<https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/c9b4eddcdf24487d978ef6960a4bc233…> LEAs have the duty to select instructional materials that best correlate to the core standards for Utah public schools and graduation requirements. (UCA 53G-4-402(1(a)). Posting of resources by USBE staff curriculum content specialists does not imply the resources have received official endorsement of the State Board. Educators are responsible to ensure use of these materials complies with LEA policies and directives.

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Fw: Scrible is Replacing Utah Compose & Train the Trainer Opportunities!
by Naomi Watkins 01 Sep '26

01 Sep '26

See below. Note that this opportunity is specifically for district leaders, instructional coaches, tech directors and RESA personnel — not for classroom teachers. [cid:84949dac-b5c0-4179-9ffe-55d91f547636] Subscribe to the Secondary ELA Newsletter<https://lists.uen.org/mailman/admin/secondaryela> ________________________________ From: Shilpa Duvoor <shilpa(a)scrible.com> Sent: Monday, August 24, 2026 4:55 PM To: Shilpa Duvoor <shilpa(a)scrible.com> Cc: Emily Shank <emily(a)scrible.com>; Victor Karkar <victor(a)scrible.com> Subject: Scrible is Replacing Utah Compose & Train the Trainer Opportunities! Hello! As you may have heard, Scrible is officially stepping in as Utah's all-in-one writing platform following the retirement of Utah Compose. This fall we're rolling out a major set of updates — richer feedback tools, a sharper Outline Editor, automated scoring for argumentative essays, and more — and we want to make sure district and school leaders like you are equipped to support your teachers through the transition. To help with that, we're offering a two-part Train-the-Trainer series designed specifically for district leaders, instructional coaches, tech directors and RESA personnel who train teachers or coordinate PD. You'll get an early, in-depth look at each round of new features so you can turn around and support your teachers with confidence. Session 1: September Release Deep Dive Covers Rubrics and Reviews, the updated Outline Editor, the Bibliography Editor, and Rese controls. Register for one of the following: * Tuesday, September 22nd at 3 pm MT <https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/3s8HQDq6ROSvUOzoxpmg5Q> * Thursday, September 24th at 9 am MT<https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/bfMlhRX_SHStiV-ZWJuF_g> * Monday, September 28th at 12 pm MT<https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/kMK9zhlYRKehGaTG1pb9WQ> Session 2: October Release Deep Dive (these are the features that replace Utah Compose) Covers automated scoring for argumentative essays, personalized "glows and grows" feedback, and the new prompt library (grades 3-12). Register for one of the following: * Wednesday, October 21st at 3 pm MT<https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/bXzoTjAzQJi1_GgRgAgYYg> * Thursday, October 22nd at 9 am MT<https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Trh9jgN7RA27gMjBVLEkDQ> * Monday, October 26th at 12 pm MT<https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/vTQfZZI7SIyh1ciDvdtiyQ> Each session will be recorded and paired with a short trainer's guide you can reuse for your own staff PD. This training is NOT designed for classroom teachers. This is intended for leaders and coaches who will be supporting teachers and librarians in the classroom. We are actively working with USBE to provide Fall webinars that any educator can join to get trained on Scrible. Stay tuned! If you'd like a dedicated training session<https://drive.google.com/file/d/18IYDScutM9E5E--IZjMXDX9IEEwWA-Jr/view> tailored to your district or for your faculty specifically, book a check in with me<https://calendly.com/shilpa-scrible/30min> — I’m happy to work with you directly. Please feel free to forward this to leaders or coaches in your district. Folks who might be especially interested include librarian leaders, ELA department heads or district personnel, and SS department heads or district personnel. Looking forward to partnering with you this year! Best, Shilpa -- Shilpa Duvoor Head of Customer Success, Scrible<https://www.scrible.com/> shilpa(a)scrible.com<mailto:shilpa@scrible.com> 650-268-4047 [https://outlook.office.com/mail/id/AAkALgAAAAAAHYQDEapmEc2byACqAC%2FEWg0ARA…]

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SecondaryELA September 2026