JTA Parent Update

Tuesday, September 30

• Lemonade for sale in the cafeteria during lunch for $1.50
• 7th Grade Trojan Store (during school)
• Football HOME vs. LaRue County @ 5:30 - This is our first official game at JTA for football. Coach Tone is asking that everyone "Blue Out" for the game!

Wednesday, October 1

• 6th Grade Trojan Store (during school)

Thursday, October 2

• Lemonade for sale in the cafeteria during lunch for $1.50
• Girls Basketball AWAY vs. LaRue County @ 5:30

Friday, October 3

• Progress Report #2 coming home - please reach out to teachers about grade concerns (trimester 1 ends October 31!)
• Snack Cart - send money with your student to school if they'd like to purchase items. Most items range $1 - $3.

Monday, October 6 - Friday, October 10

• Fall Break - Enjoy some family time, relaxation, and recharge!

Monday, October 13

• NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS - Professional Development Day for Staff

Tuesday, October 14

• Students return to school

As we move deeper into the school year, I want to take a moment to celebrate something that doesn’t always show up on a report card: growth.

At James T. Alton, we’re proud of our students’ academic achievements—but we’re just as proud of the quiet victories happening every day. The student who finally mastered a tricky math concept. The one who raised their hand for the first time in class. The one who showed kindness to a peer or bounced back after a tough day. These moments matter.

Our teachers are using tools like iReady and formative assessments to track progress and personalize instruction. But more importantly, they’re building relationships, encouraging effort, and helping students believe in themselves. That’s where real learning begins.

I encourage you to ask your child not just “What did you get?” but “What did you learn?” or “What are you proud of today?” You might be surprised by the answers.

Thank you for partnering with us to nurture not just scholars, but confident, compassionate young people. We’re proud of their progress—and grateful for your support.

Warmly,

Danielle Cassady, Principal

James T. Alton Middle School

• JTA will be hosting its first spirit week to celebrate the last week of school before Fall Break. Please see the graphic above for details on each day. ALL OUTFITS MUST BE IN DRESS CODE!
  
  
• 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!
  
  
• 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!
  
  
• Mrs. Rosa would like to let everyone know that letters came home this week to update student records. Please check with your student each day next week to see if they received it and return the information requested. Thank you!
  
  
• JTA has started a TikTok page if you'd like to be updated with all the positive things happening in our building. Follow us @jtatrojans

Students had their first Fun Friday this week. Students signed up for a free period and club that allowed them to decompress and have fun with friends. Each month, students will be able to change their club, so they can experience different interests.

This week students voted for their newly elected Student Government President, Vice President, and Representatives. Congratulations to the following students who were elected by their peers.

Congratulations to the following students for making the Academic Team for the 2025 - 2026 school year:

We would love to recognize these students and parents for showing characteristics of a Personal Champion:

• Creates goals, identifies necessary actions, and utilizes resources to reach them
• Demonstrates skills to manage emotions to make responsible decisions and successful choices
• Perseveres through challenges to complete a task and recovers quickly from setbacks
• Understands and communicates own strengths and needs
• Seeks and responds positively to feedback

"Shout out to Jerell Spencer, who greets everyone every morning during 'WIN' with a smile. Before eating his breakfast, he begins organizing the chairs. His behavior is fantastic, and he is a wonderful helper whenever I ask him to do anything." - Mrs. Shabib

"Jerell Spencer represents the characteristics of a Personal Champion everyday. He is responsible, asks for help when needed, and is always assisting his peers. He works hard everyday and I know he will continue to do so! I can't wait to see him continue to elevate throughout the rest of the year." - Mrs. Barber.

"Noah Mendez always displays a strong work ethic and works hard on every single assignment. He asks for clarification or support when he needs it and is a great addition to the JTA family this year. He balances sports with academics like a pro."

"Shout out to Elijah Britt. He has been working hard in class! He has been putting in a lot of effort in class to understand the material and get his work completed. He is always making jokes and coming to class with a positive attitude, I appreciate the effort that he puts into his work and it does not go unnoticed."

"Shout out to Bella Cockriel who is a very charismatic and responsible leader. Not only does she take care of her responsibilities, but whenever she is in a group, she inspires those with her to rise to her level of responsibility. "

"Shout out to Javier Serrano Collazo who shines as a Personal Champion. He’s always eager to jump into class discussions, offering thoughtful insights and making strong connections that deepen everyone's understanding. He works well with others, bringing a positive attitude and friendliness to every group activity. His curiosity, collaboration, and thoughtful engagement show exactly what it means to be a Personal Champion."

"Shout out to Baylaa Martin who is a true Personal Champion. She’s always ready to participate, help out, and support her classmates with a big smile. Her friendly attitude brings so much positivity to the class. When she brought in personal items to share about Islamic culture while connecting it to our social studies lessons, she showed her confidence, self-awareness, and willingness to help others learn—key traits of a Personal Champion. She leads with kindness, curiosity, and a love of learning every day."

"Shout out to Arion Wilson for being a positive and hard working student in the classroom. He is always doing his work, asking for help when he needs it, and always willing to collaborate effectively with his peers. He shows his hard work and dedication each day with a positive attitude in the classroom."

The girls basketball team finished their regular season this week. The team is preparing for district tournaments.

The JTA Football team played Meade County this week and won 28 - 6. Way to go Trojans! The Trojans remain undefeated this season. Catch their next game Tuesday, September 30 against LaRue County at 5:30. This game will take place at JTA.

Students interested in playing lacrosse for North Hardin can pick up information in the front office.

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 (serves 4–5)

• 2 cups cooked rice (white or brown, whatever is cheapest)

• 1 head broccoli (or 2 cups frozen florets), chopped

• 1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup (low-sodium if possible)

• 1 cup milk or water

• 1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar works best, but any will do)

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp black pepper

• Optional: 1 cup cooked shredded chicken
  
  

Directions

1. Cook broccoli: Steam or boil broccoli until just tender (5 minutes).

2. Mix base: In a large bowl, combine cooked rice, soup, milk, half the cheese, garlic powder, and pepper. Stir in broccoli (and chicken if using).

3. Bake: Spread mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Top with remaining cheese.

4. Cook: Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes, until bubbly and cheese on top is golden