JTA Parent Update

Monday, January 19

• NO SCHOOL - MLK DAY

Tuesday, January 20

• 6th Graders ONLY - Percy Jackson permission slips coming home

Thursday, January 22

• 8th grade permission slips due. They were sent home Monday 1/12

Friday, January 23

• 8th Graders ONLY go to NHHS for tour - please return permission slips to Mrs. Howell by 1/22.

Monday, January 26

• 100th Day of School! Dress like a grandma or grandpa.

Wednesday, January 28

• 8th Graders ONLY - one to one scheduling with NHHS Counselors

Friday, January 30

• 6th Graders ONLY - Percy Jackson permission slips DUE
• LAST DAY TO PRE-ORDER YEARBOOKS!

• PER KENTUCKY STATE LAW, if your students shows up late for school, a parent/guardian must sign them in. Please walk your child inside and sign them in. Thank you!
  
  
• Hardin County Schools has launched an app called Stopfinder that will allow parents and guardians to accurately track their children’s school bus in real-time. Go to this link to learn more - https://www.hardin.kyschools.us/post-detail/~board/hardin-county-schools/post/hcs-launches-bus-locator-app
  

We would love to recognize these students for showing characteristics of an Effective Communicator/ An effective communicator articulates ideas clearly, actively listens to understand and respond, uses communication for various purposes and audiences, and communicates respectfully while responsibly evaluating print and digital media.

"Audri Johnson does a great job clearly sharing her ideas and listening carefully to others. She asks thoughtful questions, uses strong evidence to support her writing, and adjusts her language to fit the task and audience. She always communicates respectfully and puts effort into making her work clear and meaningful."

"Eri Henry consistently asks clarifying questions to better understand the topic and goes above and beyond by supporting her ideas with strong evidence. She communicates clearly and respectfully with both teachers and peers, making discussions and group work more meaningful."

"Avery Powell demonstrates exceptional communication by articulately expressing complex ideas with clarity and confidence during class discussions."

"Arthur Martinez is a great communicator because he explains his ideas clearly so everyone can understand him. He also listens carefully to others and responds in a way that is always helpful and kind."

"I would like to recognize Alexa Valdez and Lexi Barkley for doing such a good job at leading student council meetings. They make great effort at communicating with the representatives of all grades, and strive to lead orderly student council sessions."

" I would like to put in Ashley Wallace and Gavin Daugherty. Ashley does a great job communicating with both peers and adults during both class time and unstructured time. She is quick to see if one of her classmates or an adult is in need of assistance and is right there to help. She works hard even when the work is difficult.

Gavin is a leader in class. He helps adults and is a good friend to his peers. Many of his peers look up to Gavin and he takes this role seriously. He is quick to give encouraging words when someone is feeling down or is struggling with work."

"I am glad Michael Thomas is in my class. Michael is a big help to me during the Career Class. Michael is always willing to help others; He looks out other students in need. He has a big heart of love. Thank you Michael, and keep doing what you are doing. Great things come to those who do good."

"Alex (Chevy) Reid's enthusiasm for all things creative is contagious. I love and appreciate how he thinks out of the box to the point that I often ask him what he thinks about ideas that I have for ELA. He gives his best 100% of the time and never expects accolades. Students like Alex inspire me as a teacher! Big thanks to Alex. "

The school nurse paperwork was sent home the first week of school. If you want your child to see the school nurse for any reason, they must have it completed and returned. That documentation MUST be on file for school health personnel to see and treat students.

Important Student Health Information

• In alignment with updated requirements from the Kentucky Board of Nursing and the Kentucky Department of Education, a written provider order must be on file before any prescribed medication can be administered by the school nurse. In the past, a grace period was allowed for submitting this documentation. However, effective with the 2025–2026 school year, that grace period will no longer be permitted. When bringing prescribed medication to school for administration by the nurse, you must also bring the written provider order at the same time. Without it, the medication cannot and will not be given to your student.
  
  
• Also in alignment with updated requirements, effective for the 2025-2026 school year, over-the-counter medications (i.e. Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Neosporin, Tums, etc.) cannot be given to a student without a written consent on file. If you give permission for your student to receive over-the-counter medications administered by the school nurse, please return your Healthy Kids Clinic registration forms with your consent. We will no longer be able to accept verbal permission.

We are encouraging our teachers to use Apptegy Rooms with you, so you can get consistent, quick, and reliable communication. The best feature is it is similar to texting because we know how busy life can be. Please download the Apptegy App and sign up to receive communication from your student's teachers!

A new Kentucky law, KRS 160.145 (aka Senate Bill 181), requires school districts to adopt a traceable communication system that “shall be the exclusive means for school district employees and volunteers to communicate electronically with students.” You can read more about HCS Traceable Communication when you CLICK HERE.

Hardin County Schools has another tool to communicate with students, parents, staff and the community. Smart device users can download the HCS App from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Each school and the district will still communicate through the all-call system with phone calls, text messages and/or emails. That is why it is critically important that your phone number and email address are current in the HCS Parent Portal

The Parent Portal is a wonderful tool to keep track of grades and attendance. Log in to the Parent Portal by CLICKING HERE. A Parent Portal app is also available from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. If parents do not have login credentials for the Parent Portal, they should contact their child’s school.

A new Kentucky law requires schools to provide a moment of silence or reflection at the beginning of each school day's first class. It shall be of at least one (1) minute but not to exceed two (2) minutes in duration. Students will be required to remain seated and silent and do nothing to distract others. See KRS 158.175 and Hardin County Board of Education Policy 8.1351 for more information.

Proper appearance and dress makes a good impression and keeps the educational and learning environment professional. The Hardin County School District asks that students and parents accept responsibilities concerning student dress code.

• Tank tops, tube tops, halter tops, crop tops, shirts that show the midriff, bareback tops, off-the-shoulder tops, spaghetti straps, low-cut and/or revealing tops, blouses or dresses are prohibited.
• Shorts, skirts, and dresses must meet the 5 inch rule, (no more than 5 inches from the top of the knee all of the way around using an index card placed vertically for measurement)
• Pajama pants are not allowed.
• Visible rips, tears, or holes located higher than finger-tip length are not permitted, unless an underlayer (ex: leggings, form-fitting pants, a neatly sewn patch, undershirt, etc.) is worn underneath the affected area.

Students may have cell phones and electronic devices in their possession, but they must be turned off or silenced during the school day. Cell phones, earbuds/headphones, & other electronic devices must remain out of sight from the time class starts at 8:00 AM until the time they exit the school building, except when authorized by a teacher or administrator. This includes use in the cafeteria at lunch and in the hallways during transition.

PARENT CONTACT DURING SCHOOL HOURS

If a student needs to contact their parent or guardian, the student should use the Student Signup form to put in a request to come to the front office to call home.

To minimize disruption to the learning environment, parents are kindly requested to contact the school's front office directly at 270-877-2135 if they need to relay an urgent message to their child during school hours. This allows school staff to deliver messages efficiently and ensures that classroom instruction remains uninterrupted.

Ingredients

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter

• ½ cup honey or maple syrup

• 2 cups quick oats

• ½ cup mini chocolate chips

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• Pinch of salt (optional)
  
  

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix peanut butter, honey (or maple syrup), vanilla, and salt until smooth.
2. Stir in oats until fully coated.

3. Fold in mini chocolate chips.

4. Press mixture evenly into a parchment-lined 8×8 pan.

5. Refrigerate for 1–2 hours until firm.

6. Cut into small squares and enjoy!

7. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days