JTA Parent Update

Monday, September 8

• Girls Basketball HOME vs. Ft. Knox 5:30 (8th Grade Night; We are asking students wear white this day in support of their 8th grade night. White out!)

Tuesday, September 9

• REGIONAL HIGH ATTENDANCE DAY!
• Football HOME vs. East Hardin 5:30 (at North Hardin High School)

Wednesday, September 10

• PROGRESS REPORT #1 COMING HOME!
• Site Based Decision Making (SBDM) Meeting 4:30 - 5:30

Thursday, September 11

• Girls Basketball AWAY vs. North Middle 5:30

Monday, September 15

• Girls Basketball HOME vs. TK Stone 5:30

Tuesday, September 16

• Football AWAY vs. Bluegrass 5:30 (at North Hardin High School)

Thursday, September 18

• Girls Basketball AWAY vs. West Hardin 5:30

Being a Personal Champion is vital because it equips students with the inner strength and tools they need to succeed in life. This competency helps them:

• Navigate challenges: Students learn to persevere through difficulties and recover quickly from setbacks
• Make smart choices: They develop the ability to manage their emotions and use this self-awareness to make responsible decisions
• Achieve their goals: Children learn to set goals, plan actions, and use resources to reach what they aim for, whether in academics or personal life
• Grow continuously: They learn to understand their own strengths and areas for improvement, and how to actively seek and use feedback to get better.

• 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

• Encourage goal setting and break down steps to reach goals
• Discuss emotions, reactions, and coping strategies
• Promote not giving up, learning from mistakes, and asking for help
• Recognize strengths and areas to improve on

Ms. Schaefers's classroom will be hosting a lemonade fundraiser on every Tuesday starting next week, September 9 during lunches. Students who are interested in a cup of lemonade are asked to bring $1.50. For an extra $0.50 students can add strawberry flavor to their lemonade. Come ready to sip and enjoy!

*CASH ONLY!

Our 8th grade Lady Trojans lit up the court in their home game against Larue County, bringing home a dominant 37–18 victory! Their teamwork, hustle, and heart were on full display—way to go, ladies!

Please join us for the team's 8th grade night on Monday. The 8th graders will be recognized for their work on the team as they near the end of their season and move to high school. We are asking all attendees to dress for our WHITE OUT in support of their special night. We hope to see you there!

Our football team competed against North Middle on Wednesday, September 3 in its huge rivalry game of the season. Both teams competed for bagging rights and the infamous Trojan Head. JTA came out on top and beat North Middle. Congratulations Football Team!

Coaches and parents teamed up for a Labor Day celebration. What started out as a small idea of feeding the team a meal after practice turned into a full blown cookout. Together as a school and as families we can learn from the example the football team celebrated: we are all better when we work together as one.

Mr. Barger's 7th grade science class did an experiment called the "Insulated Cup Project." Their goal was to prevent ice from melting in a cup using given resources.

Students in sixth grade have been studying ecology. They were tasked with making obswervations of the ecosystems around JTA.

Mrs. Ricks's class has been studying about pharmacists and medication. They were given the opportunity to speak with pharmacist, Dr. Greg Olsen, who gave them a live tour of his pharmacy at North Canyon Medical Center in Idaho. Students were also encourage to ask questions related to his field to gain insight into this career.

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.

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

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.

For the chicken:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 lemon (zested and juiced)

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• Salt & pepper to taste

For the vegetables:

• 1 zucchini, sliced

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes

• 1 cup broccoli florets

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

2. Marinate the chicken: In a bowl, mix olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add chicken and coat well. Let it sit while prepping vegetables (or marinate for up to 30 mins if you have time).

3. Prepare the vegetables: In a large bowl, toss all the veggies with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

4. Assemble on a sheet pan: Place the marinated chicken on one side of a large baking sheet. Spread the vegetables on the other side.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through (internal temp of 165°F / 74°C) and vegetables are tender.

6. Optional: Broil for the last 2-3 minutes for a slightly crispy finish.