Echo Trail Middle School Weekly Newsletter

Welcome!

Hello Wolf Pack Families!

Attention 8th grade families: the 8th Grade Transition to High School Night will be October 13th, 2026 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Echo Trail Middle School. More details about the evening are included in the newsletter below.

A couple of uniform items we need your help with:

As the weather changes to colder temperatures. Please double check that students are not coming to school in yoga/legging style pants as pants, but they can be worn under skirts. Sweatpants are not to be worn under skirts Mondays-Thursdays but may be worn on Fridays. We are also reminding students as it is getting colder to remember to put their jackets/full zip items in their lockers. Thank you for your support!

Wednesday, October 13th is the end of Term 1 and students will start Term 2 on Thursday, October 14th. Students schedules will change depending on their grade level and courses they are currently in for Explore and Elevate. Please assure your students, staff in the building will help all students locate their new classes.

Our PTSA Membership Campaign is still going on! We have the goal of reaching 900 memberships, and we are currently at 428! Any student who signs up to be a PTSA member by 10/9 will earn a dress down day on 10/15. If we reach our goal of 900, students will receive a popsicle party hosted by the PTSA!

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

If your student rides a JCPS Bus, please follow the directions linked here to download the JCPS My Ride K-12 App for up to date information about Bus Transportation

#ExpectgreaTness

Dr. Ammerman, Principal

Twitter: @KaraJo_Ammerman

Important Information
& Upcoming Events

ETMS Holiday Assistance

Echo Trail Middle School is offering Thanksgiving and Holiday Gift Assistance to families who may need a little extra support this holiday season.

Families may request Thanksgiving Assistance, Gifts for the Holidays, or both. If your family would like to be considered for assistance, please complete the Holiday Assistance Request Form below.

👉 Complete the Holiday Assistance Request Form

Please note that completing the form does not guarantee assistance. Support will be based on available donations and community sponsors. All information submitted will be kept confidential and used only to coordinate holiday assistance.

Deadline to request assistance: October 9th

8th grade Transition to High School Night

Mark your calendars for 8th grade Transition to High School night. Come hear from high school administrators and learn about the high school application process. More information to come in the following weeks.

When: October 13th, 5-7PM

Where: Echo Trail Middle School

Grading Period 1 Ends October 13

Now is a great time to check Infinite Campus and check in with your student about grades and assignments. The end of Grading Period 1 is October 13th.

Gifted & Talented Opportunity: WKU

Super Saturdays Registration Opens September 8

Registration for our fall session of Super Saturdays opens Tuesday, September 8 at 5:00 p.m. CT. This three-week enrichment program will take place October 17, 24, and 31 and is open to students in grades 1–6 who demonstrate high ability or high interest.

Students spend three Saturdays exploring an area of interest through hands-on, minds-on learning alongside enthusiastic peers. Courses span areas including science, mathematics, art, history, writing, music, and performance. More than 1,000 students participate in Super Saturdays each year.

The three-week program is $120, and financial assistance is available. Courses are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so we encourage families to register early.

Learn more about Super Saturdays

Echo Trail EF Tours Registration is OPEN!

Scan the QR code to the left to enroll in that trip! Enroll by September 18 for a $200 discount on each trip!

Questions? Email the sponsor for that particular trip.

Calling All Veteran's

🇺🇸 Echo Trail Veterans Day Program 🇺🇸

Our annual Veterans Day Program will be held on Wednesday, November 11th, and we are honored to celebrate the Veterans who are part of our Echo Trail community!

We welcome all Echo Trail veterans to be recognized during this special event. Veterans may choose to attend our program as a Guest of Honor or be featured in our Veterans Day slideshow presentation.

Please [click here to complete the recognition form] by October 31st to be included in this year’s program.

We look forward to honoring the men and women who have served our country and making this a meaningful celebration for our entire Echo Trail community!

🇺🇸 We are grateful for your service! 🇺🇸

Community Partner: Class Act

Partner with Class Act FCU.pdf

Class Act Information Flyer.pdf

Counselor Corner

HERO Student and Teacher Leaders

Check out our HERO point leaders for last week!

HERO Roll-Out

We are excited to officially roll out HERO at Echo Trail! HERO is our schoolwide positive behavior recognition program designed to recognize and reward students for the positive choices they make each day.

When we see greatness, we will RECOGNIZE and REWARD it!

How Do Students Earn HERO Points?

Students can earn HERO points from any staff member in the building by demonstrating our GREAT Pillars.

G – Growth Mindset
R – Ready and Responsible
E – Enthusiastic Attitude
A – Actively Participate
T – Treat Yourself and Others with Kindness

Students can also earn bonus points for accomplishments such as having no referrals for the month and making the Honor Roll.

ID + Lanyard = HERO Points!

Students must wear their school ID and lanyard each day to earn and redeem HERO points. Families can help by encouraging students to make their ID and lanyard part of their daily school routine.

No Lanyard = No Points!

What Can Students Earn?

Students will have opportunities for weekly recognition and monthly and quarterly incentives throughout the year. Rewards may include:

HERO Store items
Dress Down and PJ Days
Snack & a Movie
Gym and outside time
Pizza Socials
Silent Disco Dance
Kona Ice
Student vs. Staff games
And more!

The HERO Store will officially open after Fall Break, giving students another opportunity to use the points they have earned.

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

Click here to view our Club page to see our current club sponsors and day/time meeting locations

Echoes of the Arts

Click here to read our October Newsletter!

This months edition includes:

Rolling Announcements
Vission/Mission/Motto
Practice Log Tracking
September Students of the Week
LYO Celebration
8th Grade Band Celebration
Eastern HS Middle School Night
InstaRaise Kickoff Info
All-County Auditions
KMEA Solo & Ensemble Info
Mark's Feed Store Proceeds Day
Veteran's Day Collection Form
Rolling Band Calendar

EXPLORE

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

Engagement, Empowerment, & Connection

💡 Explore Pathways don't replace Academics; it gives academics a purpose. Ratios, geometry, and physical space make sense when applied to real design challenges. #chasEThecuriosity

Athletics

Wolfpack Look Back... Last Week In Athletics

Volleyball stays hot heading into tournament. Varsity and JV beat Crosby and get the clean sweep with wins from all 3 levels
Varsity baseball stays undefeated, while JV splits their week
Field Hockey Beats Crosby in 1-0 win
Rex S. finished 4th and Addie C. finishes 13th in the boys and girls middle school state golf tournament
Getting closer to the end of the Fall seasons. Playoffs getting ready to start.

This Week in Wolfpack Athletics...

JV Volleyball Playoff Bracket

Varsitiy Volleyball Playoff Bracket

Upcoming Tryouts

Winter Sports Sign Ups

2026/27 Echo Trail Winter Sports Tryouts: This form will indicate the Winter sports you intend on trying out for this coming 2026/27 Winter season. Please note that commitment to an Echo Trail team requires showing up to required practices and games.

Winter Sports Options:

Boys/Girls Basketball
Archery
Swim
Indoor Track and Field

*Click on the "Winter Sports Sign Ups" link above to get signed up, or the copied link below:

https://forms.gle/zmWsdAVy9jNzupbZ6

PTSA

Join The PTSA TODAY!!

JOIN THE PACK, 900 STRONG!

Help Echo Trail PTSA reach our goal of 900 PTSA members by October 9th! We currently sit at 428 members.

WEEK 3 CHALLENGE: 100% of ALL Teachers, Faculty & Staff to JOIN!

**Don't forget any student that joins will get a "Dress Down Day" Pass for Thursday, October 15th!**

FOUR EASY WAYS TO JOIN THE PACK

1. Join in person at the Bookstore
Stop by Tuesday, October 6 or Thursday, October 8 from 10:00 AM–12:00 PM. Students may stop by during lunch.

2. Send in the membership form
Return the completed membership form to school with cash or check in an envelope.

3. Scan the QR Code
Scan the QR code on the PTSA Membership Campaign flyer to join online.

4. Join online by clicking the links below
Student: https://kypta-12608072.givebacks.com/shop/items/860548
Parent: https://kypta-12608072.givebacks.com/shop/items/860546
Grandparent: https://kypta-12608072.givebacks.com/shop/items/860547
Faculty/Staff: https://kypta-12608072.givebacks.com/shop/items/860549

PTSA memberships support programs and activities for our students, teachers, and staff throughout the year.

Anyone can join—help us spread the word and reach 900 members by October 9th!

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

Repeat Information

Please Fill out the EBF

We are required to have an Eligibility Benefits Form (EBF) filled out for every family at Echo Trail Middle School to maintain our FREE breakfast and lunch status. The link to complete online is below. IT IS IMPERATIVE that we receive a completed form from every family. Only one form per household needs to be completed if you include all family member's names. All students should be listed in the student section.

If you prefer to not list your income, check the box that says, "Not eligible". If you are eligible to have your school fees waived, you will be notified by JCPS.

Thank you for your attention to this matter, we appreciate your assistance.

Complete online at jcps.me/ebf

Car Rider Morning Drop-Off & Bus reminders

If you are the first car with a student to unload, pull all the way around to the white line before unloading. Once the line has stopped, students can exit out the passenger side anywhere from the white line to the main entrance and enter through the gym.
All students MUST come through the car rider line and exit in the unloading zone. They cannot be let out in the parking lot, on Echo Trail, or in the bus parking lot.

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.

26-27 School Fees

You may also send fees by cash and checks with your student starting Monday 8/10.

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

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.

WEAPON DETENTION REMINDERS

All BLUE items must be removed and passed around prior to walking through the weapons detection system. Staff will be at the pass around table to assist students.

Tables will be available for students and staff to use
Be patient while waiting
Walk through the system one person at a time, continue walking unless you are directed by a staff member to go to secondary screening.

There will be tables for students to place BLUE items back in their bags.

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!

Equal Opportunity Policy - Revised 06-26 (1) - Donna Pappe.pdf

Weekly Newsletter

Errors? Omissions? If something is missing or needs to be corrected, please email Courtney DeKeuster courtney.dekeuster@jefferson.kyschools.us.

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