Echo Trail Middle School Weekly Newsletter

Welcome!

October 20, 2025

Hello Wolf Pack Families!

I wanted to ensure our families had the most recent information with the upcoming community forums hosted by JCPS.

You're invited to attend a community information session regarding the proposed boundary changes for Echo Trail Middle School, which would take effect for the 2026-27 school year. These sessions are an important opportunity to learn about the proposal.

Monday, Oct. 20; 6–7 p.m.; Eastern High School Auditorium
Tuesday, Oct. 21; 6–7 p.m.; Eastern High School Multipurpose Room

Eastern High School Address: 12400 Old Shelbyville Road, Louisville, KY 40243

Can't attend in person? The Monday, Oct. 20 meeting will be streamed live on the JCPS YouTube Channel.

Calling all 8th grade families: we will be hosting our 8th grade Transition to High School evening this Wednesday, October 22nd starting at 5:00 pm in our cafe. Also, please monitor your students Counselor’s Google Classroom for updates on high school events throughout the district.

Important Dates:
11/3/25 - JCPS Online Applications Open
11/15/25 - JCPS Application Workshop Event 10:00 am- 1:00 pm at JCPS Satellite Office at 1107 South 17th Street
12/19/25 - JCPS Submission deadline/application closes
2/2/26 - Applicants notified of admission decision via email on JCPS application

Technology Updates and Communication
At this time, the district has not approved our request for additional devices, so we will not be able to move forward with the teacher loaner system (where extra Chromebooks are kept in classrooms for use). Additionally, devices being sent out for repair at the district level are taking longer than usual to be returned, which means our available inventory is limited. Please continue reminding students to take extra care of their devices, as loaners are not available. Students will have to wait until their device has been returned from repair and will be provided with paper copies or other alternatives of assignments.

Make sure your student does not miss the opportunity to participate in the PTSA Reflections contest. Check out the links below that will guide your student on how they can enter! (More details in the PTSA section of the newsletter)

PTSA Reflection Introduction Slide Deck Reflections Introduction Video

PTSA will begin selling “BOO GRAMS” during lunch this week!

Red Ribbon Week is just around the corner! The Door Decorating Contest will start this week 10/23. Next week, we will kick off our dressdown days supporting Red Ribbon Week. All dressdown days must follow the dressdown guidelines and 10/31 Book Character guidelines.

10/27- PJ Day “Wake Up Drug Free”

10/28- Twin Day “Friends Don’t Let Friends Do Drugs”

10/29- Sports/Jersey Day “Team Up Against Drugs” - Wear a sports jersey or shirt, regular uniform bottoms

10/30 Crazy Sock Day “Sock It to Drugs” - Wear fun mismatched socks, regular uniform day

10/31 Book Character Day NO MASKS, PROPS, OR FACE PAINT- Costumes must adhere to rules

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 Policy 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
- Dressdown Guidelines

#ExpectgreaTness

Dr. Ammerman, Principal

Twitter: @KaraJo_Ammerman

Important Information
& Upcoming Events

Boo Grams

Boo Grams will be on sale this week (October 20-24) during lunches, with delivery on Halloween. $1 apiece, or purchase for an entire class for $25. Proceeds benefit the PTSA.

A Long Walk to Water: 7thGrade Partners with Waterstep

This week, our 7th Grade students are kicking off an exciting collaboration with Waterstep, a non-profit organization that provides safe drinking water around the world.

The Connection: 7th Grade Engineering & Design students are partnering with Waterstep and Congo Connect & Thrive. This initiative connects to the 7th Grade ELA reading of A Long Walk to Water, allowing students to experience some of the same challenges in accessing clean water.
The Goal: We've partnered with a school in the Congo and are raising funds to support their work. Our goal is to raise $5,600 to build much-needed latrines for their school.

Video from Waterstep

How to Help:

Donations begin on October 20th.

The Following Teachers are collecting the donations for their teams

6th Grade: Bohn, Mitchell & Close
7th grade: Bonomo, Myers, McKinney & Schuh
8th Grade: Hillerich, Sutherland & Brewer

Students who donate $2 will get a Dress Down Day (Dressdown Guidelines) on Friday, October 24th.
You can also scan the QR code on the flyer to donate!

IMG_0132.jpg

duPont Manual High School 8th grade Open House

If you are interested in applying to Manual, there are two upcoming Open House dates. Attending an Open House is always recommended for applicants.

October 21st at 6 pm
October 28 at 6 pm

Eat at Blaze & Support Echo Trail

Please join us Wednesday night, October 22, from 5-9pm for the Blaze Pizza Give Back Night! Dine-in, carry out, or drive thru - show the flyer posted below and our PTSA receives 20% of the sales!

If you order online using the Blaze Pizza App or at blazepizza.com, enter code FUNDA as the promo code at checkout to count towards our fundraiser.

EF Tours: Costa Rica

An epic learning experience awaits your child in Costa Rica!

Science and adventure are at the heart of this travel opportunity. Take the first step on this life-changing journey by attending our family interest meeting this Thursday, October 23rd at 6 pm on the ETMS social stairs.

Please RSVP using this link: https://bit.ly/42Tm9Go

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. Be sure to complete a separate form for each child in your household who attends Echo Trail.

Before filling out the form, please read the information below so you understand how our Holiday Assistance Program works:

We will provide Holiday Gift Assistance for the first 30 families who complete the form.
If additional sponsorships become available, we may be able to support more families.
Families who are not among the first 30 will be placed on a wait list.
Our sponsors will focus on providing clothing items or other gift items that you list as priorities.

Veteran's Day Program - Call for Responses

Echo Trail Middle School will host our Veteran’s Day Program on Friday, November 7th, from 1:10–1:50 p.m.

We are excited to announce that our 8th Grade Choir, Band, and Modern Music Students, along with Echo Trail Staff Veterans, will be hosting a special program to honor those in our community who have served or are currently serving in the armed forces. To help us prepare, we kindly ask that our families and community members complete the linked Google Form below by Thursday, October 31st.

If you are a Veteran, or you have a Veteran in your family whom you would like to see honored at our program, please respond below by listing the names of all who will be attending. This will allow us to reserve Guest of Honor seating for your group.

CLICK HERE to complete the Veteran's Form

Thank you in advance for your support. We look forward to celebrating and honoring our veterans together on this very special day!

Scouts Troop 175 Info Meeting

Scouts BSA Troop 175 is a very established and active troop in the J-Town area. We are chartered by St. Edward Catholic Parish, but we are inclusive of scouts from all religious backgrounds. While some scouts do attend school at St. Edward, most of our scouts attend school elsewhere.

If you're interested in scouting, we'd love to meet you! We're having an info meeting very soon.

Date: Sunday, November 2, 2025

Time: 5-7 pm

Address: 9610 Sue Helen Drive, Jeffersontown, KY 40299

For more details about the Troop, you can view info here. RSVP to the Open House Info Meeting here:
https://forms.gle/sndfwUc5NdAVhtJe9

Counselor Corner

Attention 8th Grade: Rescheduled Transition Night - Oct. 22nd @ 5PM

Who: 8th grade students attending Echo Trail and Guardians/Family

What: Receive information from JCPS transition office about high school choice

When: October 22nd, 2025 at 5:00

Where: Echo Trail Middle School Cafeteria

Why: To receive information to help make an informed decision for high school choice prior to Showcase of Schools

Please use the link to RSVP - https://forms.gle/jGCmMPTQ8H8Xf7rw7

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. 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:

October 14th - HERO Store Opens!
November 5th - Dress down day - Cash in 25 points.
November 20th - KONA ICE - Cash in 10 Points.
November 25th - Pizza social (pizza and music in the cafe’) - Cash in 30 points.

Character Strong Weekly Update

Character Strong is our schoolwide curriculum used for social-emotional learning. Students complete lessons during Team Time on Monday's and Friday's of each week.

Below are highlights of lessons for each grade level:

Month of October
October is National Bullying Prevention Month! Counselors are leading lessons to help students define bullying, recognize its impact, and learn how to respond and report it—promoting a safe and respectful school community.

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
7th Grade - Mr. Rul-lan
8th Grade - Ms. Wales
Mental Health Practitioner (MHP) - Mrs. Sanders

Student Spotlight

Clubs

Welcome to Echo Trail Clubs!

Needing information on club meet times, sponsor contact info, or new to clubs in general?

Visit our Club page here for all the information you need!

Echoes of the Arts

Band Newsletter

Click here to read our October Newsletter.

Vision/Mission/Motto
8th Grade Performs National Anthem @ YUM Center!
September Students of the Week!
Sound Connection Highlights
10/9 8th Grade Howlapalooza Concert
10/23 7th/8th Grade JCPS All-County Auditions
10/28 InstaRaise Fundraising Info
10/29 Mark's Feed Store Proceeds Day
2026 Solo & Ensemble Sign Ups!
11/7 Veteran's Day Info

Modern Music Newsletter

Click here to read our September Newsletter.

EXPLORE

👀 Check out what's Happening in Explore this week...

#chasEThecuriosity

Athletics

This Week in Wolfpack Athletics...

Friday 10/24

6:00 ET Swim @ Mary T Aquatic Center

Saturday 10/25

10:20 - Perform Cheer - Boo Classic @ Eastern HS

Step Team Starts

STEP TEAM TRY-OUTS:

THE WAIT is over, and THE ANTICIPATION begins as Clinicals and Tryouts for THE Inaugural STEP TEAM of Echo Trail will be next week on OCT 22nd - OCT 24th.

Please register by scanning the QR on the flyer if you are interested and plan to participate in clinics and tryouts. Flyer is located in the counseling google classroom.

Participants will need to bring an up to date physical with them to the clinicals in order to participate.

Winter Sports Updates

Winter opportunities still to come: Starting Dates - TBA

Archery
Indoor Track

PTSA

PTSA Reflections: I Belong!

The Reflections program provides opportunities for recognition in the arts, which boosts student confidence and success in the arts and in life. Each year, students create original works of art in response to a student-created theme.

For the 2025-2026 school year, the theme is “I Belong!”

Students can create and enter their works in these six categories:

Dance Choreography
Film Production
Literature
Music Composition
Photography
Visual Arts

Find out more about this year's theme and some helpful ways to get started on your project here.

Ready to jump in and make something? Here are the complete guidelines for each category.

Students have access to this intro slide deck in Google Classroom.
Deadline to enter is November 14th.

Reminders

We would love for you to sign up for a PTSA Membership.

--> You can join the Echo Trail PTSA here!

Does your student have spirit wear or school uniforms that no longer fit? Or maybe apparel from a previous grade-level team that your student is no longer on? PTSA is partnering with the FRC to replenish clothing for students and families in need. You can bring donations to the front office or email PTSA to make other arrangements.

Any questions about PTSA, feel free to email echotrailptsa@gmail.com

Volunteers Needed

We will need volunteers throughout the school year. Please fill out this form so we can have you on our volunteer email list.

Bookstore needs help during lunches!
Your Echo Trail Bookstore will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays during lunches! Hours are 10am-noon.

Students may ask to stop by and purchase spirit wear items during these times. We accept card, check (made out to Echo Trail PTSA) and cash. Parents may sign in to the office for a visitors pass to shop as well during these hours.

If you'd like to volunteer during these times, the bookstore chair will walk you through how it works.

--> https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548ADA82EA5FDC34-58162520-etms

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!

Repeat Information

Jefferson County Public Schools is an Equal Opportunity

8th Grade Trip - Save the Date!

Our 8th Grade Trip to Cincinnati will be Thursday & Friday, April 23-24. Make sure to save the date! You won't want to miss this one.

More details to come. Stay tuned!

Nurse Form for Students

Students requesting to see the nurse at school will now have access to this form. This does not include students already scheduled to see Nurse Rincon.

Nurse Form

Volunteer This School Year!

We'd love to have you participate in field trips and other volunteer opportunities!

The Jefferson County Board of Education (JCBE) requires volunteers to submit a background check form every five years. However, if it is brought to the attention of district officials that a volunteer has plead guilty to or is convicted of drug offenses; sexual offenses; offenses against minors; deadly weapons offenses; violent, abusive, threatening, or harassment offenses; or any felony offense, he or she will be required to submit a new criminal records check and his or her volunteer status may be terminated. In keeping with JCBE policy, the School Volunteer Records Check process is as follows:

All JCPS parent and community members whose School Volunteer Records Check was cleared prior to July 1, 2020, are required to submit a new background check.
Volunteers who submitted a School Volunteer Records Check after July 1, 2020, and were cleared will not need to resubmit a records check until July 1, 2025, unless there has been a qualifying incident similar to those listed above.

Get the Latest from our ET Teachers on the JCPS App

Many of our Echo Trail teachers are using the JCPS Rooms feature in the JCPS app to keep our parents updated. We don’t want to overwhelm parents by doubling up info in multiple places. We encourage you to download the app for communication.

Whether you're on Apple or Android, the links to download the JCPS App can be found here:
https://www.jefferson.kyschools.us/o/jcps/page/mobile-application

Standards Based Grading

All teachers at Echo Trail use Standards Based Grading. This means that grades will be communicated as a 4, 3, 2, 1, or 0 and focus on what students know and can do in relation to specific state standards. Click this link to learn more and reach out to your child's teacher or counselor if you have questions.

School Fees

If you still need to pay your school fees, please do so now online at My School Bucks! Click the link below to review the School Fee Sheet. Price does include a 3.95% credit card processing fee.

25-26 School Fees

You may also send fees by cash and checks with your student.

If we can offer any assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to us 485-8398.

Weekly Newsletter

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

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