Dear ZT Families,

We know it’s been a while since our last newsletter. With the recent news surrounding the potential closing of ZT and the long Thanksgiving holiday, we took a pause to regroup. Thank you for your patience and understanding — we’re glad to be back in touch.

Community Forums

We encourage all families to attend one of the upcoming forums to share your thoughts and feedback about the proposal to close Zachary Taylor:

Forum 1: Monday, December 1, from 5–6 p.m.
Location: Kammerer Middle School, 7315 Wesboro Rd.

Forum 2: Tuesday, December 2, from 5–6 p.m.
Location: JCPS Center for Professional Learning, 3903 Atkinson Square Dr.

Forum 3: Wednesday, December 3, from 5–6 p.m.
Location: Academy @ Shawnee, 4001 Herman St.

In addition to attending a forum, you may also share your feedback online by completing this form (open until December 4):
Feedback Form

The board will vote on December 9. Should the vote pass, we will be in immediate contact with families regarding next steps and support.

A Commitment to Our Falcons

No matter the vote, I commit to your child and all ZT Falcons that we are going to provide the best instruction to every student. This is what your child deserves!

Cultural Celebration Day

This Wednesday, December 3, we will be celebrating all of our cultures. Everyone is encouraged to wear clothing that represents who they are and where they come from. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students and families to honor the diversity that makes our community so strong.

Also in this newsletter:

*Our 3rd Graders are rockstars with reading!

*Winter MAP Testing Dates

*The PTA is having a membership drive still going on! Sign up today! There is a pizza party reward for any class that get's 100% membership!

*The PTA Read-A-Thon is going on. Information below. Some of our students are already earning minutes!

* Winter Concert Dates.

Follow our ZT Facebook Page and our ZT Goose on the Loose Facebook Page to see pictures of the great things going on at ZT!

As always, if you need anything, please call the school. 

Thank you,

Analese Cravens,

Principal

On the first day of school, Dr. Yearwood came and visited our school. When he was in Mrs. Proulx's class he challenged them to read 1000 books by the end of the year. Guess what? They did it! Plus, Mrs. Campbell's third graders decided they wanted to take on the challenge too. They met their goal too!!! That means our two third grade homerooms have read over 2000 books collectively and all before the first half of the year! We are so proud of them! They already celebrated with ice cream before the break and they will get a pizza party this Wednesday! 

Way to go Third Grade! You are all destined for great things!

Below are the upcoming dates for Winter MAP testing. Please make sure your child is well rested the night before. We will use this data to determine the academic growth of your child and make individual plans in instruction for them. 

This week, the following classes will take the test. 

12/3/2025 - 3rd Grade Reading

12/4/2025 - 4th Grade Reading

12/5/2025 - 5th Grade Reading

Our new PTA board is up and running and the first step is to have a membership drive! It starts now and will run through November 10. Let's grow our membership! Thank you PTA Board!

This runs through December 16. As your child logs their reading, the minutes will be added to their class account. As the class total minutes grow, the class will earn rewards. You will also be able to share the link with your friends and family in case they want to donate to the ZT PTA. 

Flyers will go home this week. 

Reading Goal Rewards

1. 100 Minutes/class: Free Ice Cream

2. 500 Minutes/class: Popcorn and a Movie

3. 1000 Minutes/class: Pizza Party

Not sure which school is the best fit? Use the JCPS School Finder tool to discover your school choices.

Check out the Choices Guides to learn about programs and offerings at each school.

See the Prospective Student Tours Schedule to plan a visit and get a feel for each school.

Visit the How to Apply page for easy step-by-step instructions.

Visit the Office of School Choice webpage for more information.

Call the Office of School Choice at 502-485-6250 during regular business hours, or visit their office at 4309 Bishop Lane, Louisville, KY 40218.

Attend one of our Application Assistance Events.

When you’re ready, click here to start your registration or application. 

You can also reach out to Mr. Talley for support. 

james.talley@jefferson.kyschools.us

"The lighthouse has but one mission: to protect the journey of the traveler." -Steve Pemberton

Every week in the staff newsletter, we celebrate teachers and staff who are doing amazing work. We call them Lighthouse Leaders because they protect our students by ensuring their educational journey is filled with rigorous work in a caring environment that will allow them to be the leaders of tomorrow.

This week's Lighthouse Leaders are Ms. Layla, Ms. Marlene and Ms. Anna from Nutrition Services as well as Mr. Anthony!

Ms. Layla and her team executed a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving Lunch for our ZT Falcon's. Everyone was thrilled, the food was delicious and we stayed on schedule! Some of you may not be aware, but this was also done on very short notice! They pulled it all off without a hitch!

Mr. Anthony is a lighthouse leader for taking initiative to make the cafeteria his own. We all remember being new to working with students and setting up expectations. Mr. Yanes created rules and expectation and taught them to the students. He's reviewing them regularly and there is a noticeable difference in the cafeteria environment. 

Thank you all for making sure the times when our students eat is a pleasurable and social time for EVERYONE!

• December 4: Winter Concert Grades K-2. We will have one during the day at 1pm and one after school so all families can have an opportunity to watch. 
• December 11: Winter Concert Grades 3-5. We will have one during the day at 1pm and one after school so all families can have an opportunity to watch. 
• December 12: Student Vaccination Clinic
• December 19: Winter Celebrations in the classrooms. Teachers will reach out with information specific to their class. 
• December 22 - January 2: Winter Break (No School For Students)

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfYIE80tpexTo81pDUECZZ_8BIp7MXJ8ephMEZyNJX0we1ZlA/viewform

As we are settling into this new school year, students are getting back into routines and what it means to be back at school everyday!

With that being said, sometimes our students can be going through some challenging times and we aren't always aware of that. This year we are implementing a Student Support Services request form. It is a google form you can fill out if you would like your child to be seen by the Mental Health Practitioner or School Counselor for a check-in or if you would like for your child to receive more counseling services.

Please fill out the google form linked above, and Mrs. Harris the MHP or Mr. Talley the school counselor, will make sure to get to your child in a timely manner to make sure there are not any next steps that may need to happen.

HB 240 is a Kentucky law focused on early reading intervention and proficiency. It outlines required supports for students in kindergarten through third grade who need additional help in reading and provides guidance for kindergarten and first-grade retention. 
Click Here for information about HB 240

To get started, download the Edulog Parent Portal Lite app from the Apple or Android store.

After downloading the app, you’ll be asked to enter a registration code. Use district registration code: 98295545. This code is specific to JCPS buses.

Go to the DISTRICT tab, tap the plus sign (+) in the top right to add the district code. When the code is accepted, you will see the district name and the number of buses you are following (initially zero).

Next, tap on the slide button to activate one or more buses. Tap on My Buses in the Main Menu below. You can scroll to each bus by swiping the vehicle box. Tap on the plus sign (+) to add an Alert Zone. Enter an address or move the map, name the alert zone, add a time frame, adjust the radius with the slide button, then hit Save. Once your vehicles have been added and alert zones created, they will be listed on the Home screen.

To access your Inbox, tap the envelope icon on the Home screen, where you can view Messages and Notifications.

You can view the location of a bus by tapping that particular bus in the MY BUSES tab.

Notifications are sent immediately when a GPS ping from your bus occurs within the notification zone. The school bus sends regular GPS pings to the app database in the cloud every 15-20 seconds. As with all technology, disruptions can occur. A lag can be produced if there is a disruption in cellular service or the GPS unit on the bus is disconnected. Make sure to monitor the app for bus movement before the expected bus time.

You can view the instructions in Spanish and learn more about the app at our website.

Below are our behavior expectations for all bus riders, this includes when riding on field trips. This information is also in the ZT Student Handbook and the JCPS Behavior Handbook that went home at the start of the year.

Expectations for Students Riding The Bus

B - Be Responsible For Your Behavior. Obey the driver’s instructions. The driver of a school bus is in complete charge of their passengers. • Eating, drinking, and smoking are not permitted on the school bus. • Keep the bus clean. Do not throw trash on the floor. Do not mark or deface the bus. Seat covers must not be damaged in any manner. Anyone caught damaging the equipment will be subject to consequences and/or to making restitution. • Pets and animals are not allowed on the bus at any time.

U - Use Respect. The driver has the authority to assign seats. • Use your inside voice. • Do not wave or shout to pedestrians or occupants or other vehicles. Do not throw objects out of the bus windows. • Know that using profanity and making obscene gestures on the school bus are prohibited. • Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself. • Do not fight or scuffle on the bus or create any loud disturbances. • Refrain from talking to the driver, except in an emergency.

S - Stay Safe. Be seated immediately, and remain seated while the bus is in motion. If a seat is not available, hold onto the back of a seat. • Keep your head, hands, and feet inside the bus. • Students may not stand in the stairwell while the bus is in motion. • Books and backpacks should remain in your lap and not be placed in the aisle way. Instruments and large objects will be allowed on the bus only if they can be held on the lap. • Do not tamper with the emergency door, fire extinguisher, or other equipment on the bus.

Progressive Discipline

As bus referrals accumulate for students', the consequences will be more severe. Please remember, if your child is suspended from riding the bus, they are still required to be at school.

*If a child misses school due to a bus suspension, the absence is considered unexcused for most students. Guardians of students with exceptions are conferenced with on an individual basis.

o 3rd referral gets a 1 day bus suspension.

o 4th gets a 2 day bus suspension.

o 5th gets a 3 day bus suspension and parents/guardians must have a conference with school administrators.

o 6th gets a 4 day bus suspension.

o 7th gets a 5 day bus suspension.

o 8th and up gets 6 days or more of a bus suspension and parents/guardians must have a conference with school administrators. *Please see note below.

*These are on a case by case basis, and according to behavior guidance from JCPS, suspensions can go up to 20 days in length. This is also noted in the JCPS student behavior handbook that went home with every child at the start of the year.

In the morning, car rider line closes at 7:20. This is to allow our building to be secured in a timely manner. If your child arrives after 7:20, they need to enter, WITH AN ADULT, at the front door. Any child arriving after 7:30 must be signed in by the adult and is considered tardy. These are recorded into the state data base. Kentucky has a state law regarding absences and tardies. excessive tardies will add up to an absence. More information on the attendance law is below.

Car Rider Line Protocol

Keeping your child safe is our number 1 priority. Therefore we have the following rules in place in the car rider line.

1. Do not pass a car in the car rider line unless a school staff member signals you to do so.

2. Do not have your child exit the car until they are next to the sidewalk.

3. Do not get out of the car to assist your child in getting in or out of the car, wait for assistance. We have adults and a student safety patrol that will do this. When adults get out of the car, it slows the line down and creates an unsafe situation.

4. AM Car Rider Line closes at 7:20 and PL Car Rider Line closes at 2:25. If you are arriving outside of those times, please come to the front door with your child. Remember, students must come in with an adult.

Please don't forget the back to school paperwork for parents. All students received a folder with paper copies of the forms and a QR code to fill them out electronically. Either way is fine. To fill them out online, please go to the PARENT PLACE link below. Forms need to be completed for EVERY child in the household that attends a JCPS school. It will require you to create an account.

Remember, if you are having a hard time filling these out online, please reach out to the school an paper copies can be sent home. https://apps.jefferson.kyschools.us/ParentAccount

While school meals are provided at no cost, parents may still want to set up on online account.

JCPS Nutrition Services partners with MySchoolBucks so parents can pay for à la carte items or extra entrees by using a credit or debit card. Parents may also monitor transactions and set up convenient email reminders when funds are running low.

HB 611 | This one started in August of 2024. It is very important so I included it for this year too. The Kentucky General Assembly passed HB 611, aimed at addressing student attendance. This legislation mandates that students throughout Kentucky who accumulate 15 or more unexcused absences be referred to their local County Attorney's office. The goal of HB 611 is to reduce unexcused absences, promote consistent attendance, and ensure students receive the support they need to stay engaged in school. To comply with the new law, JCPS began the mandatory referral process to the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office (JCAO) in October.

Below are things specific to Zachary Taylor that you can do to ensure you are doing everything you can to mitigate unexcused absences. Please call the office if you have questions or need support.

If your child is absent, please have them bring in a note explaining why when they return. Students can have up to 10 notes from parents excusing absences.

1. If they are absent or late due to a doctor's appointment, get a note from the office. Students can have unlimited doctor's notes.

2. If there is an extenuating circumstance, please reach out to the school and explain what is happening. The principal is able to excuse some absences based on the information we receive. Communication is key!

3. Avoid tardies! These can accumulate and turn into an absence.

House Bill 208 l This law bans student cell phone use in schools for the 2025-2026 school year, with districts determining the specific enforcement of the rule. This statewide ban aims to address distractions and improve the learning environment, as mandated by the legislation passed during the 2025 session.

What it means for students at ZT: No student is permitted to have their phone at any point during the school day. It must be in their backpack or in the office safe. It is not to be on their body or coat pocket. If you have questions, please ask.

We love celebrating student birthdays and the students love the treats.

Please remember that these treats are shared with students at their lunch time. The purpose for this is to protect instructional time.

It may seem like a 20 minute break from instruction at the end of the day to sing Happy Birthday and eat treats would not be much to miss. However, in a class with 24 students, that 20 minute period can multiply to 480 minutes...8 hours! That is more than one day of school.

If you want to know your child's lunch time, please call the office and we will tell you.

Thank you very much for your understanding with this matter.

https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4298/JCPS/4115244/Equal_Opportunity_Policy_Ad.pdf