The Panther Prowl

The mission of Edythe J. Hayes Middle School is to engage all learners in a safe and nurturing environment that fosters academic excellence and develops responsible, respectful leaders and citizens

23-24 SCHOOLWIDE KSA DATA

Panther families,

At Edythe J. Hayes Middle, we are committed to helping each student develop their unique abilities, talents, and strengths and explore possible paths to the future. Throughout the academic year, we closely monitor student progress, tailoring instruction to ensure growth in every child.

In Kentucky, all middle school students take a standardized test called the Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) each year to measure their progress on state required material. The Kentucky Department of Education uses these results, along with other measures of student success to evaluate schools and districts. Attached to this email is an infographic to help explain how these scores are calculated.

Just after midnight on October 3, the state released new accountability scores and our school received a rating of BLUE! We are proud to be the only traditional middle school in Fayette County to earn an overall rating of blue, the highest possible rating a school can earn. Hayes achieved a combined reading and math score of 87.9, ranking first in the district among middle schools and eighth statewide. We exceeded our CSIP goals by having 80% of students score proficient or distinguished in combined writing and reduced novice among African American students in math by 6%. Hayes increased the percentage of students scoring proficient and distinguished in all five tested content areas: reading, math, science, social studies, and combined writing! One area we are extremely proud of is reducing our percentage of students with IEPs who scored novice in reading by 13% and in math by 14%. We are committed to ongoing improvement and will continue to identify opportunities for growth to maintain our high standards and strive for excellence.

While these scores help us measure progress and identify areas for improvement, they are just one way of measuring student success. Our students are individuals with a multitude of gifts and talents and test scores cannot fully capture the amazing work and progress happening in our building each day.

Later this month, individual student test scores will be mailed to the families of students who took the KSA last spring. Our goal is for them to become well-rounded individuals as we challenge them academically and encourage their mental and physical well-being, so they are prepared for success in high school.

Our families are crucial partners in this work. We encourage families to continue engaging with the school during our open house events and we would love to see a huge turnout for our curriculum night on Tuesday, January 21st. Family engagement plays a huge role in student success, and we’re so grateful for everything you do at home.

Thank you again for your partnership and support!

SCHOOL PICTURES

School picture proofs were distributed to all students this week. Please return your completed order forms by Thursday, October 24th. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the staggered distribution of proofs and will strive to improve this process for the upcoming school year.

If your child missed their original picture day, we will be offering make-up sessions on Friday, November 15th.

FARM TO SCHOOL MONTH

October is Farm to School Month - Did you know that FCPS Child Nutrition serves Local food on our lines every day?

It’s true, the grape tomatoes we serve daily on our entrée & side salads are from the Kentucky Fresh Harvest. They are in the small town of Lancaster, KY. Lancaster is just a 36-mile drive from Lexington.

In September 2024 alone, we served 2500 lbs. of grape tomatoes to FCPS students & staff. That equals 3000 pints of grapes tomatoes.

Don’t forget to eat school lunch. We Support Farm to School. #buylocal

Learn more about Kentucky Fresh Harvest story here:

https://www.kyfreshharvest.com/our-story-kfh#about-the-farm-kfh

FINAL RESULTS FROM OUR BOOSTERTHON COLOR RUN

Monday, October 14, 2024

• Dance team practice in the gym at 7:00 am
• KYA meeting at 8:00 am in room 412
• Panther Men of Quality will meet after school in Japanese school library
• Sisterkeeper will meet after school in room 914

• Tutoring in the library after school until 5:05 pm
• Football practice on the football field after school
• Volleyball practice after school until 6:00 pm
• Archery practice from 6:60 pm - 8:00 pm in the gym

Tuesday, October 15, 2024

• Cheer practice in the gym at 7:00 am
• Academic team practice in room 1001 at 7:30 am
• Get Fit club after school until 5:30 pm
• Diversity club will meet after school in room 914
• Football practice on the football field after school
• Volleyball practice in the gym after school
• Archery practice from 6:60 pm - 8:00 pm in the gym

Wednesday, October 16, 2024

• Dance team practice in the gym at 7:00 am
• FCA in room 218 at 7:55 am
• STLP will meet in the student center from 8:00 am - 8:30 am
• Art club will meet after school until 4:45 pm in room 513 (6th graders only)
• Math team meet vs. Leestown @ Hayes
• Tutoring in the library after school until 5:05 pm
• Football practice on the football field after school
• Volleyball practice in the gym after school
• Archery practice in the gym from 6:30-8:00 pm

Thursday, October 17, 2024

• Cheer practice in the cafeteria/gym at 7:00 am
• Dance team practice in the cafeteria/gym at 7:00 am
• KYA meeting in room 412 at 8:00 am
• Get Fit club after school until 5:30 pm
• Volleyball practice in the gym after school
• Football game AWAY vs. Leestown @Dunbar High School
• Archery practice in the gym from 6:30-8:00 pm
• Choir Concert at FDHS at 6:30 pm

Friday, October 18, 2024

• Cheer practice in the cafeteria/gym at 7:00 am
• Dance team practice in the cafeteria/gym at 7:00 am
• Academic team practice in room 1001 at 7:30 am
• BETA club will meet from 8:00 am - 8:30 am in room 212
• Football practice after school on the football field
• Fall dance after school until 6 pm

Cafeterias menu

CSIP

Employability operating system (eOS)

Infinite Campus Parent Portal

PTSA Facebook Page

SBDM Policies

Voluntary Student Accident Insurance

Student Handbook

Oct 17 - Chorus Concert

Oct 18 - Fall Dance

Oct 29- Orchestra Concert

Nov 5- Election day (NO SCHOOL)

Nov 8- Veterans day program

Nov 27, 28, 29 Thanksgiving break (NO SCHOOL)

Our 7th Grade class is excited to host our Fall Dance! All students are welcome to attend. Please see the presentation below for details and guidelines.

We’ve been thrilled to see an increase in positive behavior among our students. To recognize their efforts, we've distributed over 8,900 eBucks to students this year. These eBucks can be used to purchase rewards at our EJH Panther Store. We have handed out over 300 items from our panther store so far this year.

While we’ve invested significantly in the store, we're seeking donations to further expand our offerings. If you'd like to support our students' positive behavior and help stock the Panther Store, please consider making a donation (see link below). Your generosity will go a long way in rewarding our students for their hard work

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/EZWVIXUD657W/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_1

Interested in archery? please reach out to our archery coach at stephanie.miner@fayette.kyschools.us

Students interested in joining the Art Club are invited to submit their permission forms and pay the $10 membership fee by October 25th. This fee helps ensure that all club members have access to the necessary materials and resources. Thank you for your continued support of our club!

Diversity Club will meet Tuesday 10/15 in room 914 from 4:05-5:00.

Somos Panteras will meet in room 1006 Monday October 14 at 4pm till 4.45pm due to conflict with Academic Team competition. Students will need a ride.

KYA club will be meeting on Monday morning at 8am and Thursday morning at 8am in the library through the month of October.

The Academic Team will be competing on Monday, October 14th. Students should report to Room 1001 by 4:45 PM. Parents can pick up students at 6:00 PM.

We wish our team the best of luck!

Just a friendly reminder about our first math team match against Leestown Middle School. It will be held here at Hayes on Wednesday, October 16th from 4:30 to 5:30 PM.

We're looking forward to a great competition!

The link below is for parents and students who have paid for drama club to sign up for text reminders about meetings and events.

https://www.remind.com/join/ejhdrama

Interested in STLP? See flyers below:

Mrs. Deener and her students have helped create a new video segment called "Hanging with Hyde." Students will submit questions and I will answer 5 of those questions weekly. Have a look at this weeks segment!

We will begin holding after school tutoring on Mondays & Wednesdays beginning on September 4th. Please review our tutoring expectations.

Please see our tutoring schedule and sign up for dates here.

Hello Panther families! My name is Kylie Qualls, and I am the District Mental Health Specialist at Edythe J. Hayes. My role in the building is to provide emotional and social support to students who are referred to me by school staff or by their caregivers. I assist students by teaching them skills to overcome social and/or emotional barriers that impede on their academic or social success. Please feel free to contact me at the school or via email at kylie.qualls@fayette.kyschool.us if you have any questions!

The fall Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA) assessment will be completed between 10/21 and 11/1. The DESSA is a strengths-based screener that provides information on self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, responsible decision making, relationship skills, and optimistic thinking. The data from this assessment can be used to identify student strengths as well as target goals for improvement.

In order for students to participate in the DESSA screening, parents or guardians must provide consent. FCPS has emailed out the consent form to all families. If you have questions, concerns, or need assistance with completing this form, please contact Kylie Qualls.

This month, students began learning how to set goals and have a positive mindset. Lessons included how to set specific goals, learning from mistakes, overcoming failure, and trying new strategies when having trouble meeting goals.

To help support this development outside of the classroom, here are some discussion questions you can share at home:

“How have you felt about the start of the school year? Have you gotten support from other students or been able to support others who have needed help?”

“What are some things you would like to learn to do this year?”

“What’s a mistake you’ve made in the past and what did you learn from it for the future?” (You can also share your own experiences and what you learned.)

ParenTeenConnect.org is a free resource for parents that provides expert advice and practical tools for dealing with real parent-teen issues. Parents and teens from across the country were interviewed about the issues that cause conflict in their lives, including screen time, independence, responsibility, and communication. Expertise from Dr. Laura Kastner, in collaboration with families, helped to create this website especially for teens and their caregivers, where they can hear from real families, get expert advice, and learn about practical tools to help them connect and communicate with each other.

Visit ParenTeenConnect.org at home with your child, select a topic together, and get talking!

The International Baccalaureate Programme is one of the most rigorous and relevant college preparation programs in Fayette County and is recognized at colleges/universities all over the world. Tates Creek High School will be having an International Baccalaureate Programme information night for 8th graders on Wednesday October 16 at 6:00pm. This event will discuss the details and benefits of the program and will feature current IB students as well as IB alumni. Click here if you would like to receive a reminder for this event. Visit the TCHS IB website for more information or contact John Hatfield at john.hatfield@fayette.kyschools.us with any questions.

Dear 8th Grade Families,

The Gifted and Talented (GT) High School Programs - Liberal Arts Academy, MSTC and SCAPA - want to make families aware that any 8th grader considering a gifted and talented high school program will need to submit an interest form by October 25, 2024. To ensure opportunity and access for districtwide GT programs for the 2025–2026 school year, required

assessments and auditions needed for program inclusion will occur during the district wide approved testing and audition windows (November–December 2024). The GT HS Program Flyer lists program information and links for submitting the GT Interest Forms.

FCPS GT HS Program Flyer

You can learn to navigate and observe all of the content your students will be exposed to through their classroom canvas pages. Please follow the link to learn more.

Monday 10/7: 94.95%

Tuesday 10/8: 95.48%

Wednesday 10/9: 95.22%

Thursday 10/10: 95.30%

Friday 10/11: 93.76%