JTA Parent Update

Monday, November 10

• Boys Basketball AWAY vs. LaRue County @ 5:30 pm

Tuesday, November 11

• Veteran's Day Breakfast @ 8:30 am
• This is for our Veterans and their student
• Each student can bring up to 2 guests
• Guests will have to sign in at the front office so please bring an ID
  
  

Wednesday, November 12

• Last day of the Book Fair

Thursday, November 13

• End of Trimester Rewards @ Sky's the Limit (all 6th graders & 7th graders with last name A-K)
• Boys Basketball HOME vs. East Hardin @ 5:30 pm

Friday, November 14

• Make-up Picture Day
• End of Trimester Rewards @ Sky's the Limit (all 8th graders & 7th graders with last name L-Z)

Monday, November 17

• Boys Basketball HOME vs. Scott Middle School @ 5:30 pm
  
  

Tuesday, November 18

• Boys Basketball AWAY vs. North Middle School @ 5:30 pm
• HCS Orchestra Fall Showcase at the PAC @ 7:00 pm

Thursday, November 20

• Thanksgiving Holiday Meal in the Cafeteria (6th grade parents are welcome to join; 7th & 8th grade parents will be invited for Christmas meal)
• Boys Basketball AWAY vs. TK Stone @ 5:30 pm

• 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!
  
  
• The last day to turn in food for the canned food drive is Monday, November 10
  
  
• Make-up Picture Day is Friday, November 14

Our students celebrated the end of the first trimester with a pep rally. Each of our houses competed in games. Then each grade level competed for the Spirit Stick by being the loudest in singing the school fight song. Way to go 8th graders for winning the Spirit Stick!

We would love to recognize these students and parents for showing characteristics of an Engaged Learner:

• An individual who applies academic content and skills to deepen understanding, thinks critically to solve problems, demonstrates practical life skills for current and future successes, and asks questions to clarify and seek new learning.
  
  • Analyze how new knowledge and skills were learned, compare and contrast learning with prior experiences, and apply them to new contexts or tasks independently or collaboratively.
  • Analyze a complex problem and integrate information to develop creative approaches, solutions, products, or work; collect and incorporate feedback; and analyze the outcome and its impact.
  • Demonstrate practical life skills connected to relevant/practical contexts or personal plans/goals for the future.
  • Ask clarifying and thoughtful questions about what they are learning and explore connections to a larger theme or idea.

"Kiya Patterson! She came to my science class for trimester 2, and she has been engaged in discussion by contributing her own thoughts on topics in Genetics, and she asks great questions!"

" Ta'liyaha Campbell does a great job in math. Even when the material gets difficult, she asks questions and tries to figure out how to solve the problems".

"Owen Hood is the epitome of an engaged learner. He is always leading his group in collaborative activities, making sure his work is high quality and full of effort, and always asking questions to ensure his understanding of the content he is learning."

"Mirayly Ortiz and Kalie Medley showed up and did awesome explaining their progress in school at the Parent Night and Chili Supper."

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)

• 1 lb (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 Tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 1 medium apple, diced (adds natural sweetness!)
• 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice (white or brown)
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp dried sage (or use poultry seasoning)
• ½ tsp salt, more to taste
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 cup frozen peas (or green beans, corn, etc.)
• Optional: a sprinkle of grated cheddar or Parmesan for serving
  
  

Directions

1.Brown the Chicken: Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces and cook 4–5 minutes until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.

2. Sauté Veggies: In the same pot, add onion, garlic, and carrots. Cook 3–4 minutes until softened.

3. Add Rice and Seasoning: Stir in rice, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Toast for 1 minute to bring out flavor.

4. Simmer: Add chicken broth, water, apple, and browned chicken back to the pot. Stir, cover, and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes (or 35–40 minutes if using brown rice).

5. Finish: Stir in frozen peas and cook 5 more minutes until tender and heated through.

6. Serve Warm: Top with shredded cheese if desired and serve with a side of bread or salad.

cornbread, or toasted bread