Zachary Taylor Elementary

ZT Family Newsletter

September 1, 2025
Quote

We are in the swing of school!

I love the quote to the left and shared it with the teachers and staff this week. I realized, it needed to go in the Family newsletter too. We are all on the same team, your child's team. Together, as partners in your child's education, your child will soar! I say this because sometimes families are hesitant to reach out when they have ideas that they feel may benefit their child or all students. Please don't be hesitant. You are also a part of the team. We value the relationship we have with you and we want to maintain strong relationships with you because we know that is what is best for your child.

As I mentioned last week, one of our primary goals this year is to strengthen our PTA . The first step in this process is to see the level of interest in our parents. Please click on the link to the Google Form below to let us know your level of interest. We would like for EVERY parent/guardian to fill out, even if you just want to be a member but not hold an office. It will only take about 3 minutes to complete.

Elections for the PTA board will take place on Tuesday, September 23 at 7:15pm. This is our Family Movie Night! To vote in the election, you must be a paid member of the PTA. It is $7.00. You can pay on the spot that night. Thank you in advance for your support in this work.

As always, if you need anything, please reach out.

Mrs. Cravens, EdS.

502-485-8336

analese.cravens@jefferson.kyschools.us

ZT Safety Patrol

We work to empower our students to be leaders. One of the leadership opportunities for 5th grade students is the ZT Safety Patrol. They help in Morning Car Rider, Minds In Motion Maze and Breakfast! Check out this year's safety patrol! We are appreciative of their help making sure all of our students arrive to school in a safe and positive way!

Safety Patrol

ZT Lighthouse Leaders

lighthouse

"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 year I wanted to share with families those who are our recognized leaders. So far this year we have recognized Mrs. Denton, Mr. Campbell, Mrs. Knight, Mrs. Robb and Mrs. Newbold.

PTA...Let's Do This!

PTA

Please fill out the Google Form below to let us know your involvement with our PTA.

In person elections will be September 23 at 7:15pm.

Please note: Only paid members can vote. We will be collecting membership dues at this time as well.

https://forms.gle/JS3h5Shz7W7fjKoAA

Family Movie Night

Movie

Please join us on Tuesday, September 23, at 7:15 for our first Family Night of the year! This is the night before the family conferences so it's the perfect time for a movie! The students are going to vote on the movie ahead of time. This is a free night for everyone and we will have the PTA elections at the beginning.

Family Conferences

conferences

Wednesday September 24, we will not have school. This is the date for our Family Conferences. Please make childcare arrangements for this day. Teachers will be sending home sign ups for conference times in the near future.

Opportunities for Your Child

JM Fall Festival
Safe Splash
tippi toes

Tippi Toes is still taking registrations, it isn't too late. They have two great recitals too!

Soccer Shots

Go to the link to register. If you pay before September 1, use the code: FALLFALL for a discount. https://www.ss-louisville.soccershots.com/page/class-registration

In Every Issue

How To Track Your Child's Bus

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.

Bus Behavior and Progressive Discipline

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.

Car Rider Information

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.

Back To School Forms

form

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

Snacks At Lunch

snack

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.

New Kentucky Laws That Impact Your Child

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.

Birthday Treat Reminder

cake

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.

First Family Night Of The Year!

movie

More details are coming, but put Tuesday September 23 on your calendar! We are going to have our first Family Movie Night at school!

JCPS Is An Equal Opportunity Provider

equal opportunity

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