JTA Parent Update

Tuesday, October 27

• Boys Basketball HOME vs. West Hardin @ 5:30 PM

Wednesday, October 28

• Halloween in the Halls 5:00 - 6:30 (or when candy runs out)
• Book Fair Begins

Thursday October 29

• Boys Basketball HOME vs. Bluegrass @ 5:30 PM

Friday, October 30

• Last day of Trimester 2

Monday, November 2

• NO SCHOOL - FDEA HOLIDAY

Tuesday, November 3

• NO SCHOOL - ELECTION DAY

Friday, November 5

• Last day of Book Fair
• Career Fair Field Trip - 8TH GRADERS ONLY
• Report Cards coming home

1. 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!

2. 8TH GRADE PARENTS - Please return the permission slips for the Career Fair Field trip next week. These are due TOMORROW, Tuesday, October 27. They were sent home last week.

3. The Book Fair begins Wednesday! Parents can set up their kid's e-wallet so students can purchase items. Please visit this website to set up the account.

4. This will be the last Saturday School of the trimester until the next progress reports go out. If you receive a call this week, please heavily consider sending your students as it is their last chance to get grades up before report cards. Please have your student dropped of by no later 8:30. Doors will open at 8:20 and close at 8:30. Please be here at 11:30 to pick your child up.

5. JTA Is hosting a Candy Drive for our annual Halloween in the Halls. We are asking for any donations to give our community the best experience! Students can turn in candy to their WIN teacher. The homeroom with the most amount of candy turned in will earn a ribbon on their flag for the House of the Year Competition.

6. Halloween in the Halls is October 28. That is also the day we will allow students to dress up for Halloween. Costumes must remain school appropriate, and masks are not allowed. Face paint cannot cover the entire face as to hide the student’s identity.

*Jazz Band will be Performing at Halloween in the Halls! Jazz Band Students will stay after school on Wednesday October 28th. They may bring their costumes to change into (Not required). Students will set up and begin performing for the early Birds at 4:45 at the entrance of Halloween in the Halls. Performance ends when the doors open at 5pm.

7. November 19 will be the sixth grade a Holiday Meal. December 17 will be the seventh and eighth grade holiday meal.

8. Impact Aid forms were sent home with students. It is extremely important that EVERY student completes the form and returns them to school ASAP. This form is required for all students, and we need everyone’s help to ensure 100% participation. The last day to submit them is October 30 (THIS FRIDAY). These can be turned into your child's WIN teacher.

9. End of Trimester Rewards Field Trip is coming up November 12 & 13. For students to qualify, students must:

• No more than 2 unexcused absences
• No more than 4 behavior points
• No suspensions
• No F's on their report card

*Permission slips will be sent home soon if your child qualifies.

10. North Hardin High School BETA Club is hosting a Trunk or Treat on October 26, 2026 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM in the Front Bus Parking Lot.

"I would like to shoutout Layah Brown, William An, Hollie Hufnagl, and Nathaniel Pyles. These students go beyond to do whatever I ask them to do. They always complete every project without a complaining word. They ask questions if they are unsure because they desire to give their best at all times. They demonstrate etiquette saying "No ma'am, Yes' ma'am, and always saying "thank you. ..Keep doing what you are doing! Your dedication, outstanding work ethic, and respectful attitudes set an incredible example for everyone around you. Thank you for being who you are."

"Mrs. Varela wants to congratulate James Durbin for completing October's reading challenge. James has read 300 minutes in the month of October!"

"Haven Gaines, you are an AWESOME student! I appreciate you coming to my class twice a week with your beautiful smile and ready to demonstrate all Four Ps: Prompt, Productive, Polite, and Prepared! With your mindset and determination, nothing can stop you from achieving what you set your mind to do. Keep up the great work, and always remember that you have my support every step of the way! Keep shining!"

"Kyndall Thorpe always brings a positive energy and smile that is contagious. He is kind to his classmates and stands out as a natural leader always offering a helping hand without judgement."

"Recently, in a class discussion, Emerson Colasanti was an engaged learner and an effective communicator. She came to the discussion with well prepared talking points and prompted other students with probing questions to facilitate the discussion."

"Congratulations to the members of LEGO Robotics teams "Insert Name Here" and "Jessica Da' Coolest" for earning the trip to the district competition. Wish them luck as they compete next Friday against teams from all five Hardin County middle schools!"

"Shoutout to Izzy Ames who is an amazing student who consistently works hard, stays focused, and gives her best effort in math class! Your dedication, positive attitude, and willingness to keep learning do not go unnoticed. I’m proud of the effort you put into your work and the progress you continue to make. Keep up the great work and continue to shine."

"Shoutout to this wonderful young lady, Abby Miller, for the effort and determination she brings to math class! She continues to challenge herself, stay committed to her learning, and put in the work needed to succeed. Her hard work and perseverance are paying off, and I love seeing her continue to grow in confidence. Keep believing in yourself and pushing toward your goals!"

"Congratulations to Kaylie DeMarsico for winning the Golden STANDard Award for 10/16/2026! Congratulations, I'Anna Marshall, for winning the Golden STANDard Award for 10/23/2026!"

"Congratulations, Westin King, for winning the Golden STANDard Award for 10/16/2026! Congratulations, Ben Lang, for winning the Golden STANDard Award for 10/23/2026!"

We have some updates to our performances coming up soon! Please take a look and make sure you are aware of our 7th and 8th grade Band Performances coming soon!

• Volleyball Open Gym will begin Wednesday, October 21, 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: