JTA Parent Update 2026 - 2027

Monday, August 24

• Girls Basketball AWAY vs. West Hardin @ 5:30 PM

Tuesday, August 25

• Football HOME vs. West Hardin @ 5:30 PM
• Girls Basketball AWAY vs. Meade County @ 5:30 PM

Wednesday, August 26

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

Thursday, August 27

• Girls Basketball HOME vs. St. James @ 5:30 PM

Friday, August 28

• Back to School Dance 3:00 - 5:00 PM

Tuesday, September 1

• Football AWAY vs. LaRue County @ 5:30 PM

Thursday, September 3

• Girls Basketball AWAY vs. LaRue County @ 5:30 PM
  

Friday, September 4

• Picture Day - These will be used in the yearbook!
• Progress Report #1 Coming Home - Reach out to teachers about grade concerns!

1. If you have not filled out and returned your back to school paperwork, please do this ASAP! We need all information up to date for our district and school policies.
   
   
2. Parents that did not complete their annual update in IC should have received a Census Verification Form sent home with their students. Please update any information and sign the bottom. Then return the information back to school. Students can give this information to their WIN Teacher.
   
   
3. Parents of car riders: As we continue throughout the year, please remember to pull as close to the vehicle in front of you as possible when dropping off or picking up your child. This allows us to load and unload more vehicles at the same time and helps the line move much faster for everyone.
   
   
4. Parents of car riders: For families who regularly pick up their child in the afternoons, please make sure you have a car rider tag. We will only use the tags on days when weather conditions require students to remain inside. During inclement weather, students will wait in the library, and we will call them outside by their car rider number. On normal weather days, students will simply wait in the designated area outside and load when you arrive.
   

We've wrapped up our school's annual fundraiser. The APEX team pumped the students up and gave them positivity while in our building. Students have enjoyed two weeks of fun and teamwork. The week ended with our APEX Color Games. The students had a blast celebrating the end of the week and fundraiser!

JTA would like to recognize our new Trojan Mascot! It's been really fun to watch all the kids get so amped up about school spirit at the games. Our mascot is bringing fun and school spirit to the games while getting them all pumped up!

"Lillian Perry works hard every day! She's never scared to ask questions and is always helping with anything she can."

"Wyatt Betner has helped his table with research about Islam. Some students were struggling to find answers in the document, and he was to guide them while remaining patient and kind."

"Jesse McGuire always offers to help someone that doesn't understand something. He is always helpful and trustworthy!"

"Christian Rogers is a phenomenal student and a positive leader throughout our building. He works hard in the classroom, on the field, and in everything he does. His dedication to always doing his best sets an excellent example for all Trojans. We are truly fortunate to have Christian as a part of the JTA family!"

"I'd like to recognize Jaelynn Holbert in my Careers Poetry class. He consistently participates in discussions, eagerly reads his poetry out loud, and shares his ideas with confidence. His writing is thoughtful, expressive, and beautifully crafted. It is wonderful to see him use his voice and talents to contribute so positively to our class."

"I would like to shout out Gavin Daugherty. He is learning about service in class and he and his peer buddy came to sweep and clean the windows in my office. Thank you so much!"

"I would like to shout out John Brown, Kaylee Hulsey, and Beary Kreigh. They worked the concessions for the Girls Basketball Team this week, and did a great job keeping the line moving, representing JTA well, and making sure everything was cleaned up and ready for the next game."

In Ms. Barber's 7th and 8th grade ELA classes, students were active collaborators as they worked together to infer the topic of their upcoming modules. Students analyzed photos, artwork, artifacts and more within their expert groups. They then switched it up and took turns teaching their peers. 7th graders analyzed sources that related to their upcoming module about the "Lost Boys of Sudan" where they will read the novel A Long Walk to Water. 8th graders analyzed sources relating to their upcoming module about Latin American folklore where they will read the novel Summer of the Mariposas.

This is such an awesome the 6th grade GT students doing with Lego Robotics. They’ve been working hard to discuss issues archaeologists face, and will build robots to interact with missions that reflect archaeological experiences. Teachers have received their kits and began building bots.

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

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.