Wolf Pack Weekly
Echo Trail Middle School Weekly Newsletter
Welcome!
March 18, 2024
Hello Wolf Pack Families!
We are only two weeks away from Spring Break. We will continue to stay the course with our expectations and consistency implementing our systems for student success. We are seeing an increase in students “joking/horseplaying” with one another and ask for your support in explaining to students why we are asking them to stop. This can lead to hurt feelings and disagreements which can be completely avoided. Additionally, we want to keep our building looking nice. Students are not allowed to chew gum as it doesn’t always find its way to the garbage can which can lead to other issues. Thank you in advance for partnering with us to address these concerns.
Congratulations to Mrs. Alexander and our choir who earned Distinguished scores at KMEA! Congratulations to Mrs. Bonomo, Mrs. Salamon, and our KUNA students (Kaleah T., Alice H., Karissa M., Adamy B., and Patrick R.). They did an incredible job presenting their resolution and World Expo booth to their peers and exemplified the GREAT Pillars throughout the entire conference. As a result, they received the Conference Life Award as a delegation! This is voted on by other schools and advisors and is awarded to one delegation recognized by its peers as creating a positive conference environment through the embodiment of the Y’s core culture values: nurturing, welcoming, genuine, hopeful, and determined. As a delegation, they received Premier Delegation status and Kaleah T. was awarded as Outstanding Ambassador.
This week, we will begin our last round of MAP testing. Students will start with the Reading Section this Wednesday 3/20. Our Science and Social Studies teachers the last several weeks have been setting stretch goals and discussing specific strategies to help our students to perform their best. Please make sure students get plenty of rest and feel free to give them encouragement to do their best! We know what our students are capable of and we are also cheering them on!
Save the Date(s):
3/20-4/16 MAP Reading and Math Testing
3/22/24 Greatie’s (School Mascot) First Birthday!
3/26/24 Spring Pictures if purchasing & Dress Down Day
4/12/24 PTSA Spring Fling Festival
4/12-4/18/24 Spring Book Fair
5/22/24 Explore Selection Ceremony
5/24/24 End of Fourth Grading Term/Last Student Day
#ExpectgreaTness
Dr. Ammerman, Principal
Twitter: @KaraJo_Ammerman
Counselor's Corner
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 along with their Character Dare.
Monday, March 18th:
Lesson Title/Description: Naming Emotions - This is the 2nd of 2 sessions on emotions. Research shows being able to name our strong emotions helps us stay calm and think through difficult situations.
Character Dare: Support Surprise - Write a note thanking someone on our school’s support staff. List two things you appreciate about them.
HERO Student and Teacher Leaders
Check out our HERO point leaders for last week!
Upcoming School Wide HERO Incentives
Our primary objective is to acknowledge students for their exemplary behavior, and we are very proud of their progress. To achieve this, we use HERO to record positive behavior and students receive points for exemplifying the GREAT pillars. Here are some exciting incentives we have in store to celebrate our students for the rest of the year. All incentives and dates are subject to change.
March 29th - Staff vs Student Basketball and Quick Recall Game - 175 TOTAL points by March 22nd
May 8th - Louisville BATS Game - 225 TOTAL points by May 2nd
Bullying Prevention Parent Night!
Thank you to the families who joined us for an awesome parent! Click the link below to view the information that was presented.
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 (Mr. Rul-lan and/or Ms. Thomas) or our Mental Health Practioner (MHP) Mrs. Sanders by filling out the Counselor Google Form.
Important Information & Upcoming Events
Athletic Sportswear Store is Open!
Check out our All-Athletics Sportswear Store designed by our very own Mrs. Johnston!!!!
All team shirts may be worn as school uniforms M-F, with the exception of hoodies which may be worn on Fridays. The logo shorts and sweatpants may be worn on Fridays as well. The stores will be open through 3/25/24 and delivered to school the week of 4/15-19. All proceeds will benefit ETMS Athletics!
Spring Athletics - click here!
Baseball, Softball, Soccer, Flag Football, Lacrosse, Track
Fall Athletics - click here!
Volleyball, Football, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Golf, Tennis, Cheer, Dance
Winter Athletics - click here!
Archery, Swim, Bowling, Basketball, Cheer, Dance
Order now before the store closes on Monday, March 25!
Spring Picture & Dress Down Day - Tuesday, March 26th
Spring Picture Day will be on Tuesday, March 26th. Only students who have ordered pictures online or have an order form with payment will be photographed.
All students will be invited to dress down on Tuesday, March 26. Students must follow the dress down guidelines - linked HERE.
Our New SBDM Council Member!
Congratulations to Ms. DeeDee Robinson for being elected to the SBDM Council of Echo Trail!
MAP Testing
It’s that time of year again in which your student will be taking part in MAP testing. MAP measures a student’s academic progress in reading and math. Each time your child takes MAP, we use the data to compare their growth from their previous score. On March 20th-22nd, your child will take the Reading MAP test. The average goal for a 6th grade student in spring is 215. On April 15th-16th, your child will take the Math MAP test. The average goal for a 6th grade student in winter is 222. These average scores are a prediction that a student will answer 50% of given questions correctly at a specific difficulty level.
Please encourage your child to try his/her best on this test. Please also make sure your child is here on time each day for testing. We appreciate your continued support in ensuring your child is successful!
Dance & Cheer Showcase, This Friday!
Come join us this Friday, March 22 and catch an awesome performance at our Dance and Cheer Showcase!
Echo Trail Middle School Cheer Team
Come join us at Main Event to support our Cheer Team!
20% of proceeds will go to Echo Trail
March 26th, 2024, at 5:30pm – 8:30pm
12500 Sycamore Station Place
Louisville, KY 40299
KDF Marathon / Mini Marathon Discount
Thinking about signing up for the Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon or Marathon?
Here is your sign! Head over to derbyfestivalmarathon.com and use code EchoTrail24 at checkout and receive 10% off race registration.
Code expires 4/22. Hope to see you out there!
-Ms. Boone
Donuts for FCA
Our Echo Trail FCA is back for all students and meets every Wednesday from 7:00-7:30AM in the Band Room (132). As we anticipate large groups again, we are in need of families to help by signing up to bring in donuts.
Please click here to see our sign up genius which has all the information needed.
Thanks in advance for your generosity!
CELEBRATIONS
Student Spotlight
As we continue to celebrate our students and update the hallways with branding, we have created Student Spotlight posters! 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 to the following students: Team Perseverance-Ava Enderle, Team Determination-Raylee Riggs, Team Endurance-Marely Yanes
KUNA
The Kentucky United Nations Assembly (KUNA) is a 3-day, experiential-learning conference in which students participate directly in simulated international diplomacy. KUNA offers students the opportunity to experience the richness of cultures from around the world, develop empathy, and hone their critical thinking skills while engaging with a wide variety of perspectives and global issues.
Echo Trail wrapped up our FIRST EVER KUNA conference! We want to share how incredibly proud of these students we are. We had a small group this year, but these students could not have represented Echo Trail better.
They did an incredible job presenting their resolution and World Expo booth to their peers and exemplified the GREAT Pillars throughout the entire conference. As a result, they received the Conference Life Award as a delegation! This is voted on by other schools and advisors and is awarded to one delegation recognized by its peers as creating a positive conference environment through the embodiment of the Y’s core culture values: nurturing, welcoming, genuine, hopeful, and determined.
As a delegation, they received Premier Delegation status and Kaleah T. was awarded as Outstanding Ambassador.
KUNA Members are Adamy B., Alice H., Kaleah T., Patrick R. and Karissa M.
Congratulations to our Echo Trail students who competed in the Louisville Regional Science and Engineering Fair!
PTSA
General PTSA Meeting - March 26, 7pm
The PTSA will be having our second general PTSA meeting of the year on Tuesday, March 26 at 7:00pm via Zoom.
All PTSA members are invited to attend. We will catch everyone up on all things PTSA.
Zoom link to follow closer to the time.
Thanks!
PTSA Board
Spring Festival, April 12 - Save the Date!
We are excitedly planning a great event coming up soon! Make sure to mark your calendars. You won't want to miss this!
More details coming soon!
Link your Kroger Card to Help Echo Trail
Whenever you shop at Kroger and use your Kroger Card, you use can help Echo Trail!
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!
ClassAct Federal Credit Union's Heroes of Education
ClassAct FCU is giving money to local schools! For each "vote" schools' get, it moves them one step closer to a Heroes Grant Milestone! Visiting the Echo Trail Class Act page, signing up our ClassAct email, sharing on social media and signing up for a ClassAct account all get your school closer to their next Milestone.
Echo Trail is getting closer to the 2 Million Milestone and will receive $2000 more! "Vote" and share with friends and family!
Click here to "vote" for your school and to find out more about ClassAct's Heroes of Education!
Echo Trail Clubs
Science Olympiad
Science Club: Please check Google Classroom with an updated schedule for the remainder of the year.
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
We will continue to meet every Wednesday in the Band Room (132) from 7:00-7:30am. All students are welcome to attend!
If you have any questions, please email sponsors joseph.stivers@jefferson.kyschools.us or jordan.stout@jefferson.kyschools.us.
Wolf Pack Athletics
Echo Trail Spring Sports
Practice Days
Reminder that all athletes must have an updated Sports Physical and Echo Trail athletics packet turned in and on file to participate in an Echo Trail athletics program. This includes getting your packet notarized, which can be done in our front office.
Baseball:
Head Coach - Austin Dukes
Practices: *Times and Locations Vary
F - @ Eastwood Cutoff Field 5:00 - 7:00 PM
Sa - @ Eastern HS Indoor 3:00 - 5:00 PM
Softball:
Head Coach - Elizabeth Conard
Practices: 2:45 - 5:00 PM
M W - @ Eastwood Cutoff Rd Field
Th - @ Echo Trail
**Transportation bus provided to practice from school.
Email: clhbanker@bellsouth.net
Practices: *2:45 - 4:30 PM
T Th - @ The Parklands Egg Lawn
**Transportation bus provided to practice from school.
Boys Lacrosse:
Coach - Phil Brock (Head Coach Eastern HS Lax)
Email: philbrock15@gmail.com
Practices: Contact Coach Brock as schedule and locations may vary
Flag Football:
Coach - Dexter Bowden
TRYOUT Day 2: Wednesday (3/6) 3:00 - 5:00 PM @ Echo Trail (Both boys and girls interested in participating)
Practices: *3:00 - 5:00 PM
M W - @ Echo Trail
Volleyball (6th grade Spring League):
Email: Linked to name (email last name is "Johnson")
Practices: *2:30 - 4:00 PM
M Th - @ Echo Trail
UPDATE: ET Track Team practices are held at 5:30pm on Wednesdays and Fridays at Eastern High School, weather permitting. If your child is interested in joining the team, please make sure they have a completed physical and Echo Trail athletics packet. You can contact Coach Jacoby.
Go be grEaT this spring!
Mr. Carden
Echo Trail Athletic Director
Upcoming Athletics Events
Softball
3/19 vs. CAL
@ CAL
3/21 vs. Christian Academy of Indiana
@ Christian Academy of Indiana
Archery
3/28-3/30
2024 KY NASP State Tournament - 3D tournament
@ KY Expo Center
*Flights begin Thursday at 3:00 PM
Repeat Information
Check for Overdue Library Books
Greetings Parents and Guardians!
Please check with your student and remind them to return any library books to the library. We have quite a few overdue books; notices will be sent out via student email as well as through ELA teachers.
Quick Reference & Reminders
Please reference this map for AM arrival and PM dismissal
Echo Trail MS School Number 502-485-8398
Expectations Slide Deck
Technology Slide Deck
Gum/Candy/Food - we ask that students do not chew gum (it finds its way to new furniture or the floor, etc.) and that any candy/food remains put away unless in the cafeteria.
Please review the uniform guidance and slide deck linked below:
Spirit Store Items and Uniform Approved Items
Common Items we are correcting:
Full zip jackets will need to be removed (once we have assigned lockers students will store them there)
Hoodies that are non-Echo Trail (Echo Trail hoodies with hoods down can be worn on Fridays) Nike women’s dry tempo short, AC women’s tempo luxe 5 in short, and general athletic shorts are not approved school items to be worn.
The only athletic shorts approved on Friday’s are BSN Sports Agility 2 pocket Short and Nike Flex Woven Short.
School Contacts
If you need to reach out to any of our administrators, front office staff, core content teachers or other staff, you can find their names, roles and emails on our school website: bit.ly/echotrailmiddle
Homework Reminder
As your child continues to settle into middle school, we wanted to take a moment to send out a reminder about the importance of completing homework assignments.
Homework is used to reinforce the skills and concepts that your child is learning at home. It is important that you are checking in DAILY with your child about the homework that he/she may have to complete.
We ask that you also check Infinite Campus regularly to stay up-to-date on your child’s progress and any missing assignments that he/she may have. Completing assignments in a timely manner and practicing outside of school will help your child be successful throughout the school year.
As always, if you have any questions, please contact your child’s teacher directly. We appreciate your continued support!
Agenda Use
Starting this week, we will be helping students consistently use their agendas in each class. All teachers will have their students write down the learning target and any homework they might have.
We want to assist our students with organization skills and also completing homework when assigned. We also want to increase communication with you as you support your student.
Wolfpack Weekly in Junk Mail
Teachers and parents both found the Weekly Newsletter in the Junk folder of their email recently.
If you missed a newsletter, you can always find previous weeks listed in the navigation window.
Here are things you can do to make sure you don't miss out next time:
Periodically look in your Junk Folder to make sure you're not missing email from JCPS Teachers
Whitelist our email addresses
For the Weekly, michael.etter@jefferson.kyschools.us and echotrailmiddle_reginfo@jefferson.kyschools.us
Bookmark bit.ly/WolfPackWeekly and use the navigation bar for the latest week's newsletter
Update Infinite Campus Parent Portal to include your phone number to receive SMS Notifications from us
We hope this helps. We never want you to miss out on important information. Please reach out to the school with any questions or assistance!
Weekly Newsletter
Errors? Omissions? If something is missing or needs to be corrected, please email Michael Etter, michael.etter@jefferson.kyschools.us.