DuneNews

ONLINE ENROLLMENT is NOW OPEN for incoming Duneland Kindergarten students for the 2025-2026 school year. Families are asked to complete online enrollment prior to attending Kindergarten Round-Up on Thursday, February 27, 2025. To get started please visit: DSC Kindergarten Enrollment 2025-2026

Nominations on are now open. Click on the image below to learn more and to caste votes for your favorites.

Above, left to right, Brummitt ElementaryTeam 34160A GLAM Techs: Rhys Johnson, Heidi Dortmund, Cooper Bruss, Cameron Olson, and Grace Mundt; and Team 34160G: Lee Capodice, Phoebe Gallo, Audriana Mcherron, Brooklyn Bradford, and Grant Mundt.

The Duneland VEX IQ Robotics Duneland Invitational was hosted this past weekend on Saturday, February 22, at the Westchester Campus. Brummitt Robotics Teams 34160A GLAM Techs and 34160G The Firebots won the Teamwork Challenge placing first place in the competition and earning the highest match score of the day - 56 points! These two teams are headed to the State Robotics Competition in Indianapolis on March 22. Brummitt team 34160D Robo Raptors received the Judges Award. The Judges Award is given to the team that displays special attributes, exemplary effort, or perseverance at the event.

Above, Brummitt Elementary Robo Raptors, left to right, Owen Johns, Nora Peffers, Frank Christopher, Piper Koniarz, and Elias Fernandez.

Liberty Intermediate robotics team the Cwazy Cats with their Excellence Award. Left to right, C.C. Fryer, Caleb Curiel, Harriet Hennigar, and Isaac Anderson.

LIS Robotics sent six teams to compete this past weekend on Saturday, February 22, in the Duneland VEX IQ Invitational, where they competed against other elementary and intermediate school teams from Duneland Schools. In preparation for the event, each team member set a personal goal, and nearly all of them achieved their goals.

Two of the teams made it to the finals. The Cwazy Cats (Isaac Anderson, Caleb Curiel, Camille (C.C.) Fryer, and Harriet Hennigar) and The Pythons (Nathan Lam, Davis Perryman, and Colyn Ward).

The Pythons received the Skills Award for achieving the highest score and The Cwazy Cats earned a spot in the state competition by winning the prestigious Excellence Award! This award is one of the highest honors in VEX IQ, recognizing exceptional robot design, teamwork, and programming.

LIS Robotics team,The Pythons, with their Skills Award. Left to right, sixth graders Davis Perryman , Nathan Lam, and Colyn Ward.

Team A: Matzen Finck (8) Riley Evans(7) Noah Hyde (8) Catherine Ward (7) and Robert Hundt (7)

On Saturday, February 22, WMS Robotics participated in its fourth competition of the season in Crown Point, IN, exclusively for middle school students. All four teams improved their performance, making it to Round 8. Their next competition is on Saturday, March 1 at Chesterton High School.

Team A won the Design Award. This award highlights organized and professional work in the Engineering Design Process, project management, and team organization. Demonstrating this process is crucial in REC Foundation programs. The award also acknowledges a team's skill in documenting and explaining their work through an Engineering Notebook and Team Interview.

Above, front row, left to right, Emily Ponce, Jany Zhang, Hannah Welch, Conleigh Murray, and Ria Kashyap. Back row, Aly Malinovsky, Rylin Rietman, Maeci Mullet, Marissa Roe, Michael Izguerra, Ellie Johnson, Emily Ilges, and Alina Summer.

Chesterton High School won the state championship in the third and second-year divisions at the Japanese Olympiad of Indiana at DePauw University in Greencastle on Saturday. Additionally, the fourth-year team was runner up. CHS has now won the Japan Bowl/Japanese Olympiad state championship twenty-five times along with three national Japan Bowl championships and one national runner-up.

The Japanese Olympiad of Indiana is an academic competition for second, third and fourth-year students with categories including speaking, culture, kanji characters, proverbs, listening, geography, history, and onomatopoeic expressions. The students also experienced an impressive performance by an Indiana taiko drumming group.

The CHS third-year team of Michael Izguerra and Hannah Welch defeated Highland and Fort Wayne (FW) Carroll high schools in the final round to win the state championship.

In the second-year division, the team of Conleigh Murray, Emily Ilges, and Alina Summer won their division over FW Carroll and Lafayette Jefferson high schools.

The fourth-year team of Jany Zhang, Ellie Johnson, Maeci Mullet placed second behind FW Carroll High School, and ahead of Wabash High School.

Marissa Roe, Emily Ponce, and Rylin Rietman placed fourth in the fourth-year division. Ria Kashyap and Alyssa Malinovsky also placed fourth at the third-year level. The teams are coached by John Sparks and Akiko Tsugawa.

The CHS Show Choirs competed in Anaheim, California Saturday at the Esperanza Spectacular.

The Drifters captured 2nd Runner-Up in their Division alongside an INCREDIBLE performance by The Business Show Choir Band and Hannah Loving was named the outstanding performer.

The Sandpipers and The Business earned Grand Champion honors and the award for Musicianship in their division - both the Sandpipers and the Business boasted their best performances of the season.

Pictured at right, Quartet of Ava Cunningham, Emme Curran, Hannah Loving and Jane Maddex named the group's Outstanding Performer!

Congratulations to Chesterton High School senior Sam Macker, the Duneland Exchange Club’s outstanding Youth of the Month!

Sam has had a diverse and well-rounded high school career. He was a varsity goalkeeper for the soccer team, receiving the Mental Attitude Award. He also volunteered as a coach at CHS Youth Soccer Camps for four summers and is part of Chesterton's Unified Track and Field team.

Beyond athletics, Sam is actively involved in numerous CHS organizations. He is a member of the National Honor Society (NHS), where he serves as Parliamentarian, and participates in the Academic Super Bowl Team and Quiz Bowl Team. He also serves as an AP Social Studies mentor and has participated in the Trailbound program. Through NHS, Sam has played a key role in organizing various charitable and community events, including the charity Beanbag Tournament, Dunes Beach Cleanup, Slipper Drive for Hospice, the 2024 CHS Graduation, and the organization of this year’s Homecoming Dance.

Outside of school, Sam is currently working as a server at Story Point Retirement Community. During his sophomore and junior summers, he worked as a camp counselor.

Academically, Sam has achieved remarkable success. He is a National Merit Commended Scholar, an AP Scholar with Distinction, and a recipient of the prestigious Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship. With a 4.75 GPA, he currently ranks 6th in the CHS Class of 2025.

On February 26th, Mr. Ortiz's Duneland Building Trades class, in collaboration with Mr. Lambersie's Framing and Finishing class, successfully completed the demolition a picnic table shelter at Lakeland Park in Burns Harbor. They completed the entire job, including cleanup and disposal into a dumpster, in just one day—an impressive achievement. The Building Trades class will now construct a new 40' x 22' shelter, set to be ready for the upcoming summer season.

Help us celebrate DSC Child Nutrition staff during National Nutrition Month and beginning on March 1. Take this time to thank the Child Nutrition Associates in your school for all they do in keeping our students nourished.

Help VOTE Chesterton High School 'Best Public High School' for the 3rd year in a row! Voting opened TODAY. Participants may vote one time daily in each category today through March 23. Click on the image below of this link to vote: https://www.nwitimes.com/exclusive/readerschoice/best-of-the-region-ballot-2025/

ParentSquare, the new communication platform, allows parents and guardians in DSC to receive all of their communications from the district, schools, classrooms and school activity groups in one unified app and service.

Duneland School Corporation has adopted ParentSquare as its new communication platform for the 2025-2026 school year and will begin inviting DSC families to verify their accounts over the next few months before launching in June.

ParentSquare is a communication platform designed for schools to connect with students’ families and keep them informed. It’s used by K–12 schools and districts to streamline messaging - such as announcements, attendance notifications, event reminders, one-on-one messages, and more - into a single, user-friendly interface. This decision has followed careful consideration of the needs of our school community as well as laws and regulations surrounding student data privacy. ParentSquare will help us to centralize messages and announcements to improve engagement with our students’ parents and guardians.

By unifying multiple tools into one communications app and service, ParentSquare provides a seamless experience for parents and staff. Parents will be able to keep track of news, activities and events from all their children’s schools in one place.

DSC hopes that ParentSquare’s intuitive, two-way platform will foster greater communication and family involvement. With ParentSquare, parents can enjoy photos posted by teachers, fill out forms and permission slips, sign up for parent-teacher conferences, check grades and attendance, and much more. School staff and parents can engage in both one-to-one and group messaging with real-time language translation.

“Effective school-to-home communication has never been more important, which is why Duneland School Corporation adopted the ParentSquare communication platform. We’re looking forward to reaching 100% of our families no matter where they are, unifying all our communications tools, and adopting a more eco-friendly approach by reducing the amount of paper used to send important communications,” said Bridget Martinson, DSC director of Public Relations/Marketing.

DSC’s partnership with ParentSquare will enable stronger engagement between school and home, and help empower everyone within the school community to stay connected and informed. For more information on ParentSquare, please visit www.parentsquare.com.

The Chesterton Tribune has ceased publication, but the Duneland community can still enjoy Tom Keegan's exceptional sports coverage and more through his new website.

To read Tom Keegan’s latest stories, visit onwardtrojans.com and stay up-to-date with Chesterton Athletics and districtwide news.

In keeping with our Core Values, Duneland School Corporation is committed to fostering partnerships to improve the quality of life in our community. One of our most important partnerships is with our families. As we strive to continue to build upon and strengthen our family partnerships, DSC is applying for renewal from the Indiana Department of Education as an IDOE “Family Friendly Schools” corporation. In doing so, we will continue to “focus on addressing students' academic, physical, emotional, and social needs while providing the needed resources and fostering the active involvement of their families through schools and the community.” (Indiana Department of Education Family Friendly Schools Handbook)

Please help us as we continue to support our students and community by completing the IDOE online survey.

Your ongoing support in educating the children of our community is greatly appreciated!

SURVEY LINKS AND INSTRUCTIONS:

Survey Links:

• 2025-2026 Family Friendly Survey Questions for Families

• 2025-2026 Family Friendly Survey Questions for Families-Spanish

School Name: choose your school from the drop-down list

School Corporation: 6470 Duneland School Corporation

School Liaison Name: MICHELLE PALKO

School Liaison email: mpalko@duneland.k12.in.us

School Codes for your convenience:

6928 - Bailly Elementary School

6819 - Brummitt Elementary School

6817 - Jackson Elementary School

6823 - Liberty Elementary School

6941 - Newton Yost Elementary School

6821 - Liberty Intermediate School

6927 - Westchester Intermediate School

6925 - Chesterton Senior High School

6926- Northwest Indiana Online School (Trojan Virtual Academy)

The goal of the Duneland School Corporation district school newsletters is to inform students, parents and the school community about school-related information.

The Duneland Schools share information that pertains to opportunities our students may be interested in and outside of school on a special page on our website. These available opportunities are offered by not-for-profit partnerships and organizations within our school district boundaries and local communities. Follow this link to Community Opportunities.

Want your event/activity/camp posted on this page? Submit a request by email with the flyer/information to the Duneland Schools Administrative Center to ahicks@duneland.k12.in.us and bmartinson@duneland.k12.in.us.

Click on the image below to register

Click on the image below to register

Online registration is now open for State Park Little League Baseball 2025. New or Returning players may register by clicking the State Park Little League logo at left.

Online registration for 2025 Liberty Rec. Baseball and Softball. Register by clicking the Liberty Rec. Baseball and Softball logo at left.

The Duneland Exchange Club is thrilled to announce the 33rd Annual Youth Talent Showcase, an exciting event designed to spotlight the incredible talents of students in grades K-12. Whether you sing, dance, play an instrument, perform magic, or have another unique talent, this is your time to shine!

The showcase will take place on Saturday, April 12, 2025, at 6:00 PM in the Chesterton High School Auditorium. Proceeds from the event will directly support the Chesterton High School Natural Helpers Club, a student organization dedicated to peer support and community service.

Audition Information:
Auditions are required for participation and will be held at Bailly Elementary School on:

• Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at 6:00 PM
• Thursday, March 13, 2025, at 6:00 PM

Students interested in participating can apply online by visiting the Duneland Exchange Club’s website at www.dunelandexchangeclub.com. Applications can also be accessed via the QR code on event posters.

Both group and individual acts are welcome to apply. With a professional stage at Chesterton High School, this is a fantastic opportunity for young performers to showcase their skills in front of a live audience.

Don't miss your chance to be part of this incredible tradition. Apply today and join us for a night of fun, talent, and community spirit!

For more information about the Duneland Exchange Club and its programs, please contact mariabachuchin750@hotmail.com.

This is an excellent opportunity for parents/caregivers and team members to gain valuable insights and resources for navigating the IEP process.

The SEPAC team will be on hand to share information about resources available outside of the school setting.

Mark your calendars and join us for an informative and supportive evening. We look forward to seeing you there!

The Duneland School Corporation Early Learning HUB is proud to be the first birth to school initiative in Porter County. The HUB is a place for caregivers and their children to learn, play and grow together.

The HUB is learning about feeling, Valentine’s Day, community and more with our HUB families for February. If you have children ages 0-5, come join in the fun M-F at the HUB. Check out this FREE program at our DSC website.

https://www.duneland.k12.in.us/programs-services/duneland-early-learning-hub

Explore the Duneland School Corporation’s Trojan Learning Center (TLC)!

The Trojan Learning Center offers a variety of educational opportunities for young children and their families. Here's what we provide:

• Duneland Early Learning HUB: A FREE birth-to-school program for children ages 0-5 and their caregivers. Learn more about this exciting program here: Duneland Early Learning HUB.

• Preschool Programs: We offer preschool options for children ages 3-5 with developmental delays and Individualized Education Plans (IEPs).

• Duneland Family YMCA Partnership: In collaboration with the Duneland Family YMCA, we also offer two additional preschool classrooms.

All of our preschool programs use a proven curriculum to support children's social skills and emotional growth. The TLC ensures that every child enjoys a fun and nurturing learning experience, with engaging activities that bring all preschool students together!

Click on the image below for more information and to apply TODAY!

Ready to make a difference in the lives of students? Interested in a fulfilling and rewarding position with no required evening or weekend work? Looking to enjoy the same summer and holiday schedule as your kids? The primary responsibilities of Exceptional Learning (EXL) Instructional Aides range from sharing smiles, making connections, building confidence, encouraging learning, supporting students with instruction in & out of the classroom, and assisting children with self help & self management skills.

DSC is currently searching for select individuals to serve as EXL Instructional Aides. Available positions can start at $19.00, $17.00 or $15.00 per hour. Opportunities exist at elementary, intermediate and secondary levels and can:

• be full-time/benefit-eligible
• be part-time and follow the student school day
• involve sharing the day with a single student
• involve engaging with multiple learners in a classroom setting
• 
  

Do you want to earn money but still be home with your family?

Does the cost of childcare hinder your plans to work?

Does your child participate in the many afterschool opportunities?

Would you like to spend quality time with your kids during spring, summer and winter breaks?

https://www.applitrack.com/dune.../onlineapp/default.aspx...

Did you know that Duneland Schools has an online Spirit Wear Stores where you can buy your Duneland all school spirit wear? Check out our Spirit Wear Store platform at: https://dunelandschoolsopenstores.itemorder.com/shop/home/

The DSC Child Nutrition Department utilizes NutriSlice as its menus program. This app is available for iPhone and Android through your mobile app store. Parents can also access the full website for Duneland Schools on a computer via this NutriSlice link.

This app will allow parents and students to view the menus as well as the nutritional info for each menu item at any of the Duneland Schools. This program will be developed further incorporating images of the actual food items being served at each of the Duneland schools.

In the Fall of 2023, a strategic planning team was formed to review and update the current four-year strategic plan into a five-year plan that will be used to guide the Corporation from 2024-2028. The Board of School Trustees for the Duneland School Corporation approved the new DSC Strategic Plan at its December 4, 2023 regular meeting. The plan will guide DSC for the next five years in the areas of Student Achievement, Safety & Operations, People & Culture, and Finance & Facilities.

These timelines were revised as of December 2024 to reflect necessary adjustments to the plan and to ensure the continued success and growth of our educational community.

Click this link to view the new 2024-2028 Strategic Plan

Contact the Duneland School Corporation IT department via one of these methods:

1. Open a IncidentIQ ticket by sending an email to: helpdesk@duneland.k12.in.us
   
2. Log into IncidentIQ and submit a request duneland.incidentIQ.com

Families without internet due to financial hardship have access to programs from two local providers.

Comcast Internet Essentials:

• Families that qualify for public assistance programs such as the National School Lunch Program, Housing Assistance, Medicaid, SNAP, SSI and other programs may also qualify for the Internet Essentials program from Comcast.

• This program offers internet at a low cost per month.

• Additional options and services are also available

• More information is available at this Comcast link

Frontier Lifeline Program:

• Families that qualify for public assistance programs such as the National School Lunch Program, Housing Assistance, Medicaid, SNAP, SSI and other programs may also qualify for the Lifeline Program from Frontier.

• More information is available at this Frontier link

Email: bmartinson@duneland.k12.in.us

Website: www.duneland.k12.in.us
Location: 601 West Morgan Avenue, Chesterton, IN, USA
Phone: 219-983-3600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dunelandschools/
Twitter: @dunelandk12