JTA Parent Update

Monday, November 3

• NO SCHOOL - FDEA

Tuesday, November 4

• Book Fair begins until November 11

Wednesday, November 5

• Chili Supper & Student-Led Conferences 5:30 - 7:00 PM

Thursday, November 6

• Report Cards Go Home
• Boys Basketball HOME vs. SPMS @ 5:30 PM

Tuesday, November 11

• Veteran's Day Breakfast - more information to come

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)

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)

Welcome to November! This month always feels special—it invites us to slow down, reflect, and embrace gratitude. In the midst of busy schedules and cooler days, November reminds us to appreciate the people and moments that truly matter.

We begin with Election Day, a powerful reminder of the democratic values our public schools are built upon. While I won’t be campaigning, I do want to acknowledge the importance of civic responsibility and the role schools play in shaping informed, thoughtful citizens. Teaching students to engage respectfully and responsibly in their communities is one of the most meaningful parts of our mission.

Next, we honor Veterans Day on November 11. We are proud to recognize the veterans in our students’ lives and invite them to our annual Veterans Day Breakfast at 8:30 AM. If you or a loved one has served, we would be honored to have you join us. It’s a small way to say thank you for the sacrifices made in service to our country.

And of course, Thanksgiving is just around the corner—a time to gather, reflect, and give thanks. At James T. Alton Middle School, we have so much to be grateful for. We are thankful for our incredible students who bring energy, curiosity, and kindness into our building each day. We are thankful for our dedicated teachers and staff who work tirelessly to create a safe, engaging, and supportive learning environment. We are thankful for our families and community partners who trust us and walk alongside us in this journey.

Personally, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve this school and to witness the daily acts of compassion, resilience, and growth that happen here. Whether it’s a student helping a peer, a teacher staying late to support a learner, or a parent volunteering their time—these moments matter. They shape our school culture and remind us that we are stronger together.

Gratitude is a powerful force. It helps us see the good, even in challenging times, and it connects us to one another. On behalf of the entire JTA staff, thank you for your continued support. We wish you a joyful, peaceful, and gratitude-filled November.

Warmly,

Danielle Cassady

Principal

• 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!
  
  
• Congratulations to Mrs. Coleman's WIN Class for winning the Candy Competition for Halloween in the Halls. Their class earned a pizza party. Thank you to everyone who donated candy for our community event.
  
  
• Student-led Conferences Wednesday, November 5 from 5:30 - 7:00 with a chili supper
• Learn about your child's i-Ready scores and where they are with reading and math grade levels
  
  
• Learn about your child's Portrait of a Learner and how students are presenting defenses of learning at the end of the year
  
  
• Visit the Book Fair in the library
  
  
• Visit different booths set up to learn more information about JTA and the District
  
  
• Get your child's report card a day early!
  
  
• Come enjoy chili and soups so you don't have to cook dinner
  
  
• If you come and visit all stations, you will be entered to win a $50 gift card. 3 winners will be drawn. Your student will also receive 10 Trojan Dollars to use at the store/auction.

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.

"Kameron Kendall, Liamor Smith, Addisyn Hale, and Jayden Ellison showed that they were engaged learners on Tuesday during our water cycle journey game in science. They did great work as they followed the instructions and focused on completing the activity about all the different places a water molecule can go! Way to go!"

"Audrianna Johnson always focuses on her work, ALWAYS checks in if she is absent and completes her make-up work. She is already a strong writer, but takes feedback to improve her skills."

"Cameron Joshua Coe is always showing the characteristics of an engaged learner. He always ensures to produce high quality work, asks questions in class, engages in classroom discussions, and always checks his grades to ensure he is doing his best."

Mrs. Ricks and Mrs. Cunningham's 6th grade science classes have started a mini project about the journey a water molecule can take in and around the Earth. On Tuesday students became the water molecules traveling around to different places water could be. At each station, students drew a scenario out that told them what happened next. Students will each share their water molecule’s unique adventure as a Comic strip, journal entries, a story board, or a slide show!

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 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts (or leftover rotisserie chicken)

  • 2 medium potatoes, diced

  • 2 carrots, sliced

  • 2 celery stalks, chopped

  • 1 small onion, diced

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes

  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

  • 1 tsp dried thyme

  • 1 tsp dried parsley

  • ½ tsp salt (adjust to taste)

  • ¼ tsp black pepper

  • 1 cup frozen corn or peas –

  • 1 tbsp olive oil or butter

  
  

Directions

1. Sauté base: In a large pot, heat olive oil or butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook 5 minutes until softened.

2. Add garlic and chicken: Stir in garlic for 1 minute, then add chicken pieces. Cook until lightly browned (about 5 minutes).

3. Simmer the soup: Add diced potatoes, canned tomatoes (with juices), chicken broth, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 25–30 minutes until potatoes and chicken are tender.

4. Add final touches: Stir in frozen corn or peas. Simmer for another 5 minutes. (If using pre-cooked or rotisserie chicken, add it now instead of raw earlier.)

5. Serve: Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve warm with crackers, cornbread, or toasted bread