WIS Weekly

• Who needs support at home, in school, and in the community? ... Every Child!
• Who needs our guidance, attention, and patience today and every day? ... Every Child!
• Who will shape the future of our world tomorrow and in the years to come? ... Every Child!

WIS Family,

As we settle into the new school year, here are a few important reminders:

• Fully Charged iPad: Please make sure your child has a fully charged iPad each day to ensure they are ready for learning.

• Student ID Number: Encourage your child to memorize their student ID number, which they will need for hot lunch.

• Locker Practice: We understand that adjusting to a new locker can be challenging. If your child is struggling with their locker, you are welcome to come to WIS after school to practice with them. Please email Mr. Hernandez khernandez@duneland.k12.in.us to arrange a convenient time.

I’m reaching out to see if any of you would be interested in helping as greeters at the doors in the morning. If you’re available and would like to volunteer, please email me. Additionally, we are looking for an Exceptional Learning Aide (Special Education). If you’re interested in joining our team in this important role, please email me as well.

I'm confident that with your support, we will have a fantastic school year together!

Mr. Longacre

slongacre@duneland.k12.in.us

Dear Westchester Family,

I hope this letter finds you well, as we begin another great school year in Duneland. My name is Kyle Hernandez, and I am excited to introduce myself as the new Assistant Principal here at Westchester. As I step into this role, I am both honored and thrilled to be a part of such a vibrant and supportive school community.

Having spent seven years in education, and my most recent as a 6th grade teacher here at WIS, I have developed a deep appreciation for the integral role families play in the success of our students. My goal is to work closely with our families, our dedicated staff, and most importantly, our amazing students to foster an environment where every child can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

I bring with me a passion for creating positive learning experiences and a commitment to ensuring that every student feels valued and supported at our school. I am eager to learn more about the unique strengths and needs of our community and to collaborate with you to build upon the wonderful work that is being done at WIS.

As we prepare for the upcoming school year, I want you to know that my door is always open. I am here to listen, to support, and to work with you to ensure that our school continues to be a place where students feel safe, challenged, and inspired.

Personally, this will be my eighth year in education. For seven years I taught grades 3 through 6, while working for four great school corporations. I am a newlywed, and was recently married two weeks before school! We had a great celebration, and were able to spend our last week of summer in Cancun on our honeymoon. In my spare time, I enjoy being active, spending time with our Boston Terrier named “Alfred,” and rooting on the Chicago White Sox and the Notre Dame football team!

I am looking forward to embarking on this exciting journey together. Thank you for your warm welcome, and I am eager to start working with you all and your children.

Warmest regards,

Kyle Hernandez, khernandez@duneland.k12.in.us
Assistant Principal
Westchester Intermediate School

We are striving to achieve a 96% attendance rate this year at WIS.

5th Grade 98.3073%

6th Grade 98.3073%

Our SRO (School Resource Officer), Officer Joe Christian, has put together a detailed video that goes over procedures for student drop-off & pick-up.

Note: Door numbers have changed. We will use Door 17 not Door 8.

Sixth grade students will have the opportunity to participate in both WIS intramural sports and Westchester Middle School athletics. If your child wants to participate in middle school sports, they must have a current physical on file, dated after 4/1/24. Sixth grade students can ONLY participate in Middle School Cross Country, Westling, and Track and Field. This fall, students can participate in Middle School Cross Country. Mr. Rich Gross rgross@duneland.k12.in.us is the athletic director for Westchester Campus. Please reach out to Mr. Gross with any questions.

Our Westchester Cross Country team is looking for more 6th graders to join the team. If your child is interested in being part of this exciting opportunity, please email Coach Zucker at szucker@duneland.k12.in.us. We truly care about providing our students with a variety of experiences, and we would love to see your child get involved.

Dear Parent/Guardians of 6th Grade Students,

Please make sure your child's immunizations are up to date. Exclusions Day for 6th grade students who are not current with their immunizations is Thursday, September 12th.

If you have any questions, please contact WIS School Nurse, Tina Sosby, R.N. at 219-983-3710 or via email at tsosby@duneland.K12.in.us.

Hello WIS Families!

Welcome to your student’s 5th grade year! We wanted to touch base and share some important information to help make your family’s transition to WIS as smooth as possible.

We will be using Canvas to complete and submit assignments. This is where you can find information about lessons and daily work. This is also where you will find comments about assignments. Assignments are posted daily. If your student is absent from school, they will be able to know what lessons and work they missed by checking their Canvas courses. We encourage you to set up a Parent/Observer account in Canvas, and ask your child to show you their Canvas courses regularly.

Skyward is the online grade book. This is where to check your child’s overall grade in a class. We encourage you to check Skyward at least once a week. You can also set up alerts to be informed when an F or missing assignment is posted.

Be on the lookout for the WIS Weekly! This newsletter from Mr. Longacre is delivered via email each Monday. In addition to important announcements and information about what’s happening at WIS, it will also highlight what is happening in the classroom for each subject area.

If you have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us! Email is the best way to reach us. Our email addresses are:

Math/Science teachers:

• kbuhring@duneland.k12.in.us

• jconway@duneland.k12.in.us

• dschmiegel@duneland.k12.in.us

• kguess@duneland.k12.in.us

ELA/Social Studies teachers:

• scasey@duneland.k12.in.us

• csteinbeck@duneland.k12.in.us

• ldarnell@duneland.k12.in.us

• smitchell@duneland.k12.in.us

We are looking forward to an exciting year!

Sincerely,

The WIS 5th Grade Team

Language Arts

• To start off our 5th grade year, last week we spent some time getting to know each other and reviewing how to write out a short answer. This week, we will be reading our first IRA (Interactive Read Aloud), which introduces the theme of empathy. IRAs are picture books that are used to help introduce, practice, and reinforce the skills of a good reader. We will also be starting our first novel of the year, Gordon Korman's Swindle.

Math

• In these first weeks, we are taking some time to practice thinking mathematically. We are learning some games and activities that we will use all year to strengthen math skills. We will learn about our online math book, McGraw Hill Reveal and Get More Math, an online mixed skills review platform. Next Monday, we will take the NWEA math test. After that, we will begin more structured lessons and independent practice. Students are always encouraged to work on Get More Math and math facts at home at any time!

Social Studies

• In social studies, we will be starting off the year with a short unit on geography. This week, students will receive their text books, and students will begin using their spiral notebooks. As you are out and about, perhaps you could ask your student to determine in which direction you are heading, or have them point out any landforms you might be passing.

Science

• This week in science, students will begin to learn about specific scientific tools. At the end of the week, students will test their knowledge of tools by participating in their first science lab

Language Arts

• This week, in Language Arts, sixth grade students will take notes, read, find evidence, and discuss a short narrative while focussing on priority standard: 6.RC.2 Determine how a theme or central idea of a work of literature is conveyed through particular details; provide a detailed, objective summary of the text.

Math

• This week in mathematics students will continue reviewing whole number operations and decimal operations. Students will be taking notes. They are expected to study key vocabulary. Students should also continue to study their basic facts for addition, multiplication, subtraction, and division. Please make sure your students’ ipads are charged and ready for the day.

Social Studies

• This year Social Studies will be complementing Language Arts. This week students will be working on the countries and their capitals along with the geography of the Americas. A formative assessment will be given on Friday.

Science

• This week in 6th grade science students will be focusing on critical thinking and collaboration. Students will be doing a critical thinking game on Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday will be where the students will be coming up with a way to save Sammy by working together. Thursday and Friday will be introducing hydroponics which introduces producers and photosynthesis.

PE

• This week in PE students will be starting their soccer unit. They will be working skills and playing lead-up games!

Art

• This week in Art students will be reviewing the procedures and expectations we learned in art last week. Students will continue working on their personal artist logo as we continue exploring the artistic process in creating a work of art.

Music

• This week in Music students will begin organizing sounds to express an emotion or tell a story. 5th grade students will be using our bodies or classroom instruments to produce the sounds, while 6th grade students will be utilizing Garageband. A reminder to 6th grade students to bring your iPad to Music class and make sure it is fully charged.

Media

• Westchester Library Media will be focusing on social media and positive vs. negative interpersonal communication.

PLTW

• This week in PLTW, students will begin learning more about computer science. 5th grade students will be researching different types of robots and how they are used, while 6th grade students will begin to explore how different parts of a computer work together.

Orchestra

• It's been a great start to the year in WIS Orchestra! This week we're discussing what good practicing looks like. Students received their Practice Journal papers today, where they will fill out what songs they need to practice for the week, and the number of minutes they practice. They will have this signed by a parent/guardian at the end of each week (Sunday), then take a picture to submit to Canvas on Mondays. Both fifth and sixth graders have some great songs to practice this week, and they're doing well!

Have your student see their Trojan Time teacher for an order form.

Our Trojan Cafe has a new look! We have a new serving area with 2 lines to serve our students. We will also have new trays available for our students to use during lunch.

Please help your student memorize their student identification number, as they will need to know this number in order to purchase their lunch.

Here are the meal prices for the 2024-25 school year.

Elementary Breakfast Price: $1.45

Elementary Lunch Price: $2.55

Intermediate/Middle/High Breakfast Price: $1.60

Intermediate/Middle/High lunch Price: $2.95

• iPads are the property of Duneland Schools. Students should keep the devices in operable condition.
• Students should refrain from downloading apps, pics, etc. that are not permitted under school and/or corporation policy.
  
• Students are required to bring their charged iPads to class.
• Our Intermediate curriculum is designed to utilize iPads for lessons, remediation, and enrichment activities.

5th and 6th grade students are not allowed to use their personal communication devices (cell phones and smart watches) during the instructional day. Items used for communication should be stored in lockers to be kept safe throughout the day. If students need to contact a parent/guardian during the day, they are welcome to do so from the office. Classrooms also have phone access. Similarly, students are not permitted to wear personal earbuds with bluetooth capabilities attached to their phones (e.g. Air Pods, etc.). Students will need to use their school-issued iPad earphones for Exact Path lessons and select ILEARN testing sessions. The only time audio ear pieces are permitted are for teacher-assigned classwork and medically-approved needs.

Westchester is committed to supporting students' use of technology. To get your problems solved as fast as possible, choose one of the following methods:

1. Open a new Incident IQ online:
   1. AV number is typically located on a sticker on the back/bottom of the device
2. Open a Incident IQ ticket by sending an email to: helpdesk@duneland.k12.in.us
   1. Please be sure to include email address, student or staff name, and a description of the problem
3. Contact Westchester's tech aide (Ms. Bennett) in WIS Library/Media at 219-983-3710 or fbennett@duneland.k12.in.us.

WIS Mission:

WIS provides a safe and engaging environment where students are empowered to explore their talents, build on their curiosity, embrace high expectations, and become responsible, caring citizens.

WIS Vision:

WIS inspires learners to become independent, critical thinkers collaborating in an environment where responsibility, adaptability, and reflection are modeled and developed.

Email: slongacre@duneland.k12.in.us
Website: https://www.duneland.k12.in.us/Domain/14
Location: 1050 South 5th Street, Chesterton, IN, USA
Phone: (219) 983-3710
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westchesterintermediate/