Echo Trail Middle School Weekly Newsletter

Welcome!

October 21, 2024

Hello Wolf Pack Families!

This week, we kick off our PTSA “Boo-grams” being sold during lunch! Teachers and students, during their 1st period classes, can begin designing and decorating their doors for Red Ribbon Week. We have another wonderful week of fun and learning planned for our students!

I would like to highlight recent celebrations:

Both our Cross Country 6th Grade Boys AND 6th Grade Girls teams are STATE CHAMPS!

Check out what some of our choir students participating in Carmina Burana here (rehearsal video)

ETMS received the American Institute of Architects Kentucky Branch’s highest design award in this year’s program.

JCPS and JRA’s Echo Trail Middle School was a Bronze winner in this year’s national Brick in Architecture Awards program.

Reminder for next week:

Starting October 28th to celebrate Red Ribbon and School Safety week. We have a variety of fun activities planned for our staff and students including: door decoration contest, dress down days, and more. Check out the slide deck here

Dress Down Day (following guidelines)
Monday 28th - PJ Day "Wake Up Drug Free"
Tuesday 29th- Twin Day - "Friends Don't Let Friends do Drugs"
Wednesday 30th Neon Day - "Too Bright for Drugs"
Thursday 31st- Book Character Day (NO PROPS/MASKS) HERO Costume Guidelines
Friday 1st- HERO Incentive Dress Down (Cash in 50 points) OR Celebrate Diwali (Hindu students dressing in traditional apparel, non-Hindu students wear TOP orange, yellow, or red with UNIFORM BOTTOMS)

Save the Date(s) and Other Important Information:

Echo Trail Family Calendar : This is a living document that will be updated as needed. We wanted to give you a snapshot of what to expect each month.
Uniform Written Guidance and Uniform Slide Deck (visuals) :
- Please be mindful of skirt length
- Full-zip jackets are to be removed for the day
- Uniform Approved hoodies can only be worn on Friday
EDULOG Parent Information

#ExpectgreaTness

Dr. Ammerman, Principal

Twitter: @KaraJo_Ammerman

Counselor's Corner

HERO Student and Teacher Leaders

Check out our HERO point leaders for last week!

Launching HERO!

What is HERO?

HERO is our platform to recognize and reward students for positive actions and behaviors. Students are able to earn points throughout the week for demonstrating the G.R.E.A.T. Pillars of Success.

G - Growth Mindset

R - Ready and Responsible

E - Enthusiastic Attitude

A - Actively Participate

T - Treat yourself and others with kindness

Lanyards: Each student received an Echo Trail Lanyard with their school ID. Expectation is students MUST have their school ID and lanyard with them each day in order to earn points. IDs are used to award points and scan for lunch numbers. In the event, students will need to replace their lanyard, ID and/or plastic ID holder, they can redeem points to do so.

Celebrations: HERO recognitions will take place weekly, monthly and quarterly to celebrate our top HERO earners and staff members who reward points.

Upcoming Incentives:

Nov. 1st - Cash in 50 Points to dress down

Nov. 18th/19th - Cash in 100 Points to attend Kentucky Derby Museum

We need your help! Cellphones and Peer Conflict

We are seeing an uptick in peer conflict that is stemming from social media and group chats (text messages) communication. We are working to educate our students at school on how to resolve conflict and how to form healthy peer relationships. This work cannot be done alone and we are asking parents and guardians to partner with us in order to navigate healthy friendships while living in a tech world. Remind your child to always “Treat yourself and others with kindness” no matter if they are speaking face to face or online. Below are a few suggestions on how you can speak to your child about their social media use:

Help them set boundaries and limits on tech. Make sure using social media doesn't get in the way of adequate sleep.
Have regular conversations with your child about their mental health and well-being. Talk about the platforms they're on, app features, and how they make your child feel.
Make sure they know to go to a trusted adult if they feel uncomfortable about something online.

Counseling Request Form

If your student has an academic question or social-emotional need, you can reach our counselors or Mental Health Practitioner by filling out the Counselor Google Form.

6th Grade - Ms. Thomas/Ms. Wales

7th Grade - Mr. Rul-lan/Ms. Wales

Mental Health Practitioner (MHP) - Mrs. Sanders

Important Information & Upcoming Events

Drama Club

Wonka Kids auditions are on October 23rd. Stay up to date with all Drama Club updates at our club website.

If you have questions, you can email Ms. Knapke at lori.knapke@jefferson.kyschools.us

Boo Grams

BOO Grams will be sold during lunch October 21-25. Delivery will be on Halloween. $1 per BOO Gram or BOO a whole class for $25. All proceeds benefit the PTSA and school programs. *There will be alternatives due to food allergies.

Support Echo Trail
Shop at 5 Below!

Head to 5 Below between Oct 20-26, show this flier and Echo Trail will receive 10% of the purchase price!

Halloween in the Halls

Jeffersontown High invites our families to come Trick or Treat in their Hallways on Wednesday October 23rd, 6-7:30pm.

9600 Old Six Mile Lane, 40299

Blaze Pizza, Oct 24

Invite your family & friends to join us at Blaze Pizza in Middletown Thursday, with 20% of proceeds benefiting our PTSA! We hope to see you there!

Echo Trail Winter Athletics Store

Last chance before the store closes on Wednesday evening, October 30, to purchase Winter Athletic gear!

Follow the link to grab all your great gear!
Echo Trail Winter Sports Gear 2024

Holiday Assistance Sponsors Needed

If you would like to contribute to our Holiday Assistance program for Echo Trail families in need, please click HERE to complete this Google Form by Friday, October 25th! We do not currently have a Family Youth Service Coordinator and appreciate your willingness to support. Thanks in advance for your generosity and caring for our Wolf Pack!

Holiday Assistance Program

If you would like to receive Holiday Assistance for your student, please click HERE to complete a Google Form by Friday, October 25th!. Make sure to complete the form for each child in your home that attends Echo Trail. Before completing the form, please read below to ensure you understand how our Holiday Assistance Program works.

1. 1. We will provide Holiday Gift Assistance for the first 20 families who complete the form. IF we have additional sponsorship, we may be able to support more families.
  2. If you are not one of the first 20 families to complete the form, you will be added to a wait list. You will also receive information from our school about other ways you can obtain holiday gift assistance.
  3. Our sponsors will focus on providing clothing items or other gift items that you rank as priority.

Yearbook Photo Submissions

Do you have some grEaT photos from Echo Trail events? Submit them for consideration to be included in the 2024-25 Yearbook!

Click the photo or this link. Access Code: wolves24

Breakfast & Lunch Menu

Below is the snapshot of this week's menu. You can always see the menu for any school and any day of the school year on the JCPS Nutrislice website. Below is the Echo Trail menu.
--> Echo Trail Menus | Nutrislice

Celebrations

Weekly Student Spotlight

Each team of teachers will select only one student per week. These students have demonstrated what it means to be G.R.E.A.T. at Echo Trail based upon our school-wide expectations.

Congratulations!

Echo Trail on Facebook

Follow Echo Trail Middle on Facebook for updates and celebrations!

Echo Trail PTSA

Class Act Heroes of Education

Please vote for Echo Trail Middle School on the Class Act link! Last year we earned $3500 and this year we are already up to $2000!!

Visit heroesofeducation.org/schools/echo-trail-middle-school and make an impact on our school!

Link your Kroger Card to Help Echo Trail

Whenever you shop at Kroger and use your Kroger Card, you use can help Echo Trail!

Kroger Community Rewards

Link Echo Trail Middle School PTSA to your Kroger Card and every time you scan your card, Kroger will give back 1% of all your purchases ETMS!
Click here to get started and search for “Echo Trail” in the organization search!

Echo Trail Clubs

Club Update

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the Club sponsor for your students club. You can visit our Club Page here to view current sponsors.

Sponsors will be communicating through Google Classrooms and/or announcements on any club related updates. We also will display our Club calendar weekly to students on our scrolling TV's.

We cannot wait to see what our Clubs do this 2024/25 school year!

-Mr. Stivers, Clubs Coordinator, joseph.stivers@jefferson.kyschools.us

Fellowship of Christian Athletes

Meetings occur every Wednesday from 7:00-7:20am outside the Library on the social stairs. Although this is a before school club, parents are to drop off their student as normal by the gym entrance beginning at 7am. This means if your student is carpool, please drive through the single lane as normal and do not divide into two lanes or drop off early. Please be mindful of our morning staff as they are making sure all students are dropped off safely.

If you have questions, you can email Mr. Stivers at joseph.stivers@jefferson.kyschools.us

Wolf Pack Athletics

Athletic Forms

Your student athlete will not be able to participate in any activity (including practices) until they have completed the Echo Trail Athletics Physical Packet (ignore the school year -- it's still the same packet as last year). This includes the WHOLE packet. Use the cover sheet as a checklist to complete all required forms in order for your student athlete to be eligible to start their desired activity.

Thanks for your attention to this! We Expect greaT things from this Wolf Pack!
Kyle Carden, Athletic Director | kyle.carden@jefferson.kyschools.us
Twitter: @ETMS_WolfPack

Athletic Schedule: 10/21 - 10/26

Tuesday 10/22:

FB Playoff Game vs JCTMS @ Moore HS

5:30 PM

Friday 10/25:

Swim Meet @ Mary T. Meagher Aquatic Center

4:30 PM

Weekly Wrap Up

Cross Country Takes State Titles in the 6th Grade Boys and Girls Divisions

On Saturday, the Wolfpack traveled to the KTCCCA Meet of Champions State Meet. With personal bests and strong races across the board, all of the Cross Country runners did not disappoint.

Your 6th and Under Girls Cross Country State Champions

Our 6th grade girls came out strong and took the 2024 Team Title, finishing as this year's 6th grade State Champion Team

Your 6th and Under Boys Cross Country State Champions

Our 6th grade boys went toe to toe with some tough competition, but ended up coming away as this year's 2024 6th grade State Champion Team

Hadley McKee, top finisher for Echo Trail

With a field full of Echo Trail runners that gave great showings, it was Hadley Mckee who finished 2nd overall in the girls 6th grade race.

Calling All Wrestlers

If you are interested in wrestling, Eastern HS will be hosting youth wrestling clinics. Please see the flyer attached and follow the QR code for more information.

Eastern is also looking for 7th grade participants that have interest in wrestling at the high school level. Please contact Coach Ren Pittman for more information.

Ren Pittman - ren.pittman@jefferson.kyschools.us

Repeat Information

Modern Music Website

Our Modern Music class has a new website! Students and families can check in for regular updates on our MM classes!

Bus Transportation Update

At this point in the school year, we know the consistent number of students on each bus. If a student needs to ride home with someone else, we will handle this on a case-by-case basis due to the availability of seats on each bus.

The process will be:

Both parents/guardians would send a note to school the morning of
School Administrators will check to see if there is room on the bus
If there is room, student will be able to ride
If there is NOT room, student will NOT be able to ride and will need to go home their normal way
A call will be made to let parents/guardians know if the transportation change is approved or not approved

Volunteer This School Year!

We'd love to have you participate in field trips and other volunteer opportunities. Head to the JCPS Volunteer page (Get Involved) and click Volunteer Talent Center to fill out a background check form. Background checks are kept on file with the district and are good for 5 years.

Standards Based Grading at Echo Trail

At Echo Trail MS, we believe students learning the content over simply memorizing material is important for the educational environment we want to provide. We want to begin to provide information to you in order to support your student and better understand what Standards Based Grading is and is not. Please know that SBG will not affect GPAs or transitioning to High School. The majority of Middle Schools in JCPS are shifting from traditional grading practices to SBG.

What does SBG do?

Student learning of grade level standards is measured and communicated.
Students know where they are at in their learning of grade level standards.
Clear learning goals are explained to students and students receive communication about their progress towards these learning goals.
Students receive feedback on assignments to further their understanding of content standards.
Students have the opportunity to use feedback and improve their “grade” and to show their mastery/learning of grade level standards.

SBG Visual Grading Chart

Infinite Campus Grading

When viewing your child’s grades on Infinite Campus, you will see two categories: Engagement and Mastery.

What does Engagement mean?

These are assignments given to help students “practice” the current standards/skills that are being taught within the classroom. These assignments could include, but are not limited to, the following: participation, group work, class discussion, journals/ logs/notebooks, homework, projects, teacher observation, student reflection, demonstrations of learning, defenses, and/or other evidence of student interaction.
These assignments will NOT impact your child’s overall Mastery grade. For example, your child may receive 4s on all of his/her Engagement assignments, but may have a score less than 4 under the Mastery category depending on how he/she performs on various mastery assignments including resubmissions.
These assignments help lead up to Mastery assignments. Descriptive feedback will be provided in order to help your child know how he/she is progressing towards mastery of various standards/skills.
Engagement assignments will need to be completed by the deadline given by the teacher in order to complete the Mastery assignments.
Resubmissions will NOT be permitted on Engagement assignments. Remember, these are practice assignments.

What does Mastery mean?

These are assignments in which students will “apply” their knowledge of the current standards/skills being taught within the classroom. These assignments could include, but are not limited to, the following: projects (e.g., project or problem-based), performance assessments, demonstrations of learning, authentic assessments, presentations/ defenses, other evidence of learning toward mastery, or tests/proficiency assessments.
Resubmissions WILL be permitted on Mastery assignments. Your child will need to complete additional “Engagement” assignments at the teacher’s discretion prior to resubmitting a Mastery assignment in order to demonstrate that he/she is ready.
The number of resubmissions will be at the teacher’s discretion. *Please note: If your child receives a 3 on a Mastery assignment, your child will need to initiate the resubmission. If he/she chooses not to resubmit the Mastery assignment, then the final grade on that assignment will be a B. Resubmissions on Mastery assignments in which your child receives less than a 3 will be teacher initiated and your child MUST resubmit. The highest score on the resubmissions will be entered into Infinite Campus.
Mastery assignments will be scored using the 4-point Standards Based Grading scale. (4=A, 3=B, 2=C, 1=D, 0=U)

The following conduct rubric will be used to administer your child’s final conduct grade:

It is important that you are checking your child’s grades regularly to ensure that he/she is completing assignments in a timely manner and demonstrating mastery towards the standards. The goal is not for students to always achieve a 4. The goal of Standards Based Grading is for your child to be able to apply what he/she is learning and demonstrate true mastery of standards. We appreciate your involvement in your child’s learning and we are committed to helping your child have a successful year!

Weekly Newsletter

Our newsletter is sent out every Monday morning. Previous newsletters can be found on the top left side menu bar.

Errors? Omissions? If something is missing or needs to be corrected, please email Michael Etter, michael.etter@jefferson.kyschools.us.

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