JTA Parent Update 2026 - 2027

Monday, September 7

• NO SCHOOL - Labor Day

Tuesday, September 8

• Football AWAY vs. EHMS @ 5:30 PM

Wednesday, September 9

• High Attendance Day AKA the Best Day Ever! Please send your child to school! We have lots of fun activities planned for them!
• Site-Based Decision Making meeting in the library @ 4:30 PM
• Girls Basketball AWAY vs. EHMS @ 5:30 PM

Thursday, September 10

• Girls Basketball AWAY vs. Scott Middle School @ 5:30 PM

Monday, September 14

• Girls Basketball HOME vs. North Middle School @ 5:30 PM

Tuesday, September 15

• Football HOME vs. Scott Middle School @ 5:30 PM

Thursday, September 16

• Girls Basketball AWAY vs. TK Stone @ 5:30 PM

1. Progress reports are coming home today. Please check with your student and reach out to teachers about grade concerns.

2. We are looking for volunteers to help us with events throughout the school year. If you are interested in volunteering, please refer to the flier to the right. You must also visit this website to complete verification steps. Thank you!

3. High Attendance Day is this Wednesday, September 9. All schools in the district compete to have the highest attendance. We have a history of being the winner of this competition. We are asking that you please send your child to school this day. We also have fun activities scheduled throughout the day that students don't want to miss!

Pre-order your yearbook for the 2026 - 2027 school year! There is NO guarantee of extra copies if you don't pre-order. Use code YBKICONS to save up to $20 on your pre-order!

"We did presentations in class using what we've learned about Money Skills so far, and Eli Morris's presentation was flawless. He presented without reading his slides, he made good eye contact, used appropriate voice level, and his slides and examples were well-thought through. Great job, Eli!!

"Mirayly Ortiz won the "Best Hook" contest in her 2nd period ELA class. Mirayly works hard in class, communicates well, and encourages her classmates. She is currently working on an Artifact, a tiny book, about the novel, Summer of the Mariposas. Her tiny book is full of beautiful drawings and thoughtful reflections.

"Elijah Brown has been so great to have in my class so far. He always takes initiative of his learning and asks for help when needed. He is kind to his peers and is always willing to offer a helping hand."

"FJ Stinson has been working so hard during class time- he always wants to work his peers and help where he can- he has been doing such an amazing job about making friends and completing his work! We are having such an amazing year!"

"Ja da Taylor is such a great person and student! She is always kind to those around her, takes initiative in her learning, works hard, and is a positive influence at JTA. I am super proud of you!"

"Ava is an outstanding student who consistently demonstrates responsibility, dependability, and a strong work ethic. She has been an All-A student throughout her time at JTA and has proven herself to be someone we can trust.

Outside of school, Ava is actively involved in gymnastics and cheer, demonstrating her commitment and dedication beyond the classroom as well.

Last school year, Ava served as an Office Aide, where she proved to be extremely dependable and trustworthy. This year, she has continued to demonstrate those same qualities as a student concession worker. Each night Ava has worked, a different staff member has taken the time to seek me out and share what a great job she did. That consistency says a lot about the kind of student and person Ava is.

Ava represents JTA extremely well. She is responsible, dependable, hardworking, and willing to step up and help wherever she is needed. She is exactly the type of student we want representing our school."

"Adrian Moore comes in every day with a positive attitude. He works through struggles and firmly commits to solving any challenge. He works well with others and is always offering a high five to peers and teachers in the halls."

"Jayceon Williams is always willing to help us clean extra tables in the cafeteria after lunch. We appreciate him taking the initiative to lend a helping hand when we need it. Thank you Jayceon!"

"Catalena Taylor shared with another student who did not have what they needed. She saw a need and was more than willing to help them out, to make their day. Her thoughtfulness made an impact on not only that student, but others around, too. I am so glad she is here!"

"True Dowdell is the epitome of a Trojan! He always comes in ready to learn, participates in class, is kind to peers and adults, and always doing his best. Keep up the great work True!"

Students in Ms. Barber's 7th and 8th grade ELA classes went on a trip to the library where they participated in a book sampling activity. With the help of our librarian, Mrs. Varela, students were able to explore a variety of literature from different genres. Some students liked the books so much they checked them out to read at home!

• Volleyball Open Gym will begin Wednesday, October 14, from 3:00-4:30 PM and will be every Wednesday until November 18
  
  
• Tryouts will be on November 20th and 24th
  
  
• Athletes who want to go to open gyms and try out must have their physical updated in Healthy Rosters. If students have any questions, please see Ms. Barkley or Mrs. Colston

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.

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.

KENTUCKY STATE LAW

Students may have cell phones and electronic devices (including Bluetooth headphones) 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. If students use these devices, teachers will take the device and turn them into the office to collect at the end of the day. They will also face a consequence per school policy.

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.

Please refer to the links below for information on these topics: