DuneNews

Chesterton High School is proud to announce that senior Luke Sparks has been named a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist. This prestigious honor places Luke among the top high school students in the nation, recognizing his outstanding academic achievements, leadership, and dedication to excellence.

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an annual academic competition for recognition and college scholarships, which began in 1955. Of the 1.5 million students who entered the competition by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), only 16,000 students nationwide are selected as semifinalists. As a semifinalist, Luke will now have the opportunity to continue in the competition for National Merit Finalist status and potentially earn one of the 7,500 National Merit Scholarships awarded next spring.

Luke has distinguished himself at Chesterton High School not only through his academic success but also through his involvement in extracurricular activities. He is an active member of the Duneland School Corporation Health and Wellness Committee, Academic Super Bowl team, Quiz Bowl team, Varsity Soccer, Unified Track and Field, and the National Honor Society.

Principal Brent Martinson praised Luke's hard work and dedication, saying, "Luke Sparks exemplifies the qualities of an exceptional student. His commitment to his studies, leadership in the classroom, and involvement in our school community have truly set him apart. We are incredibly proud of his achievements and are excited to see what his future holds."

To become a finalist, Luke will need to submit a detailed scholarship application, which includes an essay and information about his academic record, extracurricular activities, leadership abilities, and honors received. Finalists will be announced in February 2025, with scholarship winners to follow in the spring.

Chesterton High School congratulates Luke Sparks on this tremendous achievement and wishes him the best of luck as he continues in the National Merit Scholarship competition.

It’s Marching Band Season! The Chesterton High School Trojan Guard Marching Band participated in the Goshen High School Invitational in Goshen, Indiana this past Saturday to compete alongside 22 other Northern Indiana bands. The 92-member Trojan Guard won the Music Ensemble caption, outscoring two perennial state finalists, Penn and Carroll High School. Overall, the Trojan Guard captured third place in their class, while posting a Trojan Guard Record High Score for week one of competition.

The Trojan Guard’s 2024 field show entitled, “¡VIVA!”, incorporates music and design representing a wide variety of Latin American and Spanish culture and heritage. The pieces include: “Bolero” by Maurice Ravel, “Malagueña” by Ernesto Lecuona, and “Concierto de Aranjuez” by Joaquín Rodrigo.

The 92 students in the Trojan Guard include 56 woodwinds and brass players, 20 percussionists, 14 color guard members, and two drum majors. Members of the 2024 Trojan Guard include: Samantha Ames, JJ Ames, Jacob Anderson, Cody Brewer, Jasper Britzke, William Brizendine, Alex Brown, Lyric Brown, Chase Brum, Madison Buckley, Logan Bullard, Tyler Cichocki, Saul Coronado, Holly Decker, Abigail Demsich, Giacomo DePasquale, James Drury, Samantha Duncan, Uriah Elliott-Halinski, Peytin Ellis, Makayla Erickson, Elsa Estridge, Rylan Fields, Ava Garland, Miles Gast, Vanessa Godinez, Oliver Good, Sierra Grant, Liam Gray, Chloe Hall, Lilly Hardwick, Hershel Hardwick, Addison Huffmaster, Jayden Hughes, Logan Hutchinson, Madison Jackson, Aleks Kantowski, Andrew Kazmierczak, Jasper Kniola, Abigail Krueger, Leah Krzan, Lacei Kuckuck, Kevin Landers, Natalie Leensvaart, William Liles, Archer Lohman, Allison Lopez, Kira Lopez, Rowen Love, Brianna Manning, Addison Mason, Addison Matthews, Logan McVicker, Morgan Millis, Vincent Mueller, Elizabeth Navarro, Katherine Newbanks, Natalie Newman, William Newman, Kenzie O'Daniel, Lauren Orsburn, Nate Pace, Cameron Pyace, Nathanael Palmer, Baylee Parrott, Lilyanne Peschke, CeCe Post, Noah Roberts, Amiya Roedel, Ashton Rospierski, Lucy Rutkowski, Zavier Santiago, Hazel Ann Santos, Alice Scharp, Soren Schott, Maverik Simmons, Mady Street, Alina Summer, Olivia Sundquist, Adam Tenbarge, Gage Teso, Claire Thomas, Noah Torres, Lucas Torres, Caryss Vandiver, Abby Vidt, Andria White, Natalie Williams, Aubree Williams, Destiny Williams-Najzer, Caprie Wilson, and Lauren Yarosz. The Drum Majors for the Trojan Guard are Makayla Erickson and Mady Street.

The Trojan Guard is under the direction of Jon Flodder, Matt Christensen, and Vince Arizzi. Additional staff includes Jeff DeHenes, Color Guard director; Colin Campbell and Lana Wordel, Percussion directors; Michael DePasquale and Robert Mueller, Audio technicians; and Eric Berger, Drill Design. For additional information regarding the Trojan Guard or any band activity, please contact the CHS Music Department at (219) 983-3758.

The next competition for the Trojan Guard will be Saturday, September 14 at the Concord Invitational, in Elkhart, IN. The next local performance by the band will be at the CHS Homecoming football game on Friday, September 27, when the Trojans take on Portage High School.

The following students and staff members were recognized by the Duneland School Board members at their Monday, September 9 meeting. During the 2024-25 school year, each school will be celebrating and honoring the work of its students and staff through recognition aligned to the three tag words identified in the Strategic Plan: Inspire, Engage, and Empower.

Next week, Duneland School Corporation will celebrate our IT Professionals. Please take a moment to thank the IT personnel in your school building and within the district next week for all they do to keep our devices and systems running smoothly.

The annual 9/11 memorial at Chesterton HS—long loved and appreciated by the community—continues this year, with the planting of 2,977 small flags in the grassy area in front of the athletic stadium on South 11th Street.

Each flag bears the name of a soul lost on Sept. 11, 2001, in the terror attacks against the U.S.

This year’s 9/11 memorial was coordinated by CHS staffer Mary Beth Whitmer with a great deal of help:

*9/11 Event Manager: Sarah Hackett.

*Duneland Exchange Club: Kim Stahura and Wendy Haas.

*CHS Staff: Bryan Nallenweg, Chris Hackett, and Norm Whitmer.

*DSC Grounds Crew: Kyle Goranson, Nate Napier, Jerry Guess, and Adam Thompson.

*CHS Students: Henry Byrnside, Caden Hackett, Audrey Hopkins, Kaelen Mitchell, Ethan Glassman, Zach Fender, Nick Foust, Madeline Jakel, Lila Miller, Collin Miller, Phoenix Bridegroom, Rob Czarniecki, Devin Throw, and Amelia LeNeave.

*Future CHS Student: Weston Dickey, 2 1/2 years old.

Whitmer expressed her deep gratitude to the Duneland Exchange Club, for help in rehabilitating the flags and printing on each the name of one of the victims. “It’s very labor intensive and they graciously offered their time,” Whitmer said.

“And the DSC grounds crew did a wonderful job of prepping the site for the placement of the flags,” Whitmer added. “They used string lines for a better use of the space. A fireman also stopped just to assist and I don’t know his name. It takes a village.”

Every year since 2007–with the exception of one year during the pandemic—CHS students and staffers have continued the commemoration begun by the O'Keefe Family. Kathleen O’Keefe (CHS Class of 2008) organized the first event as a charter member of the CHS Conservative Club, assisted in part by her sister, Colleen O’Keefe (CHS Class of 2011), and several other volunteers. Together they approached businesses and individuals to fundraise for the purchase of the flags and the Duneland School Corporation to secure permission from the administration. Colleen continued the tradition every year thereafter, planning the event, coordinating volunteers, and liaising with the administration.

In 2012, Kasey O’Keefe (Class of 2015) assumed her sisters’ mantle in turn. Several volunteers gave their time and energy to this memorial, including Kasey’s sister, Hayley O’Keefe, who continued the tradition until her graduation in 2016.

KEVIN NEVERS-Town of Chesterton

Please join us for our Community Open Houses and Site Tours. See locations, dates and times below.

Chesterton High School will celebrate Homecoming 2024 on Friday, September 27 in a home varsity football game vs. Portage High School.

Homecoming Parade participation call-out: The CHS Homecoming Parade will take place at 5:00 PM on Friday, September 27. Participants will begin lining up at 4:00 PM in the South parking lot of the former Chesterton Middle School campus (specific directions to come).

Any school/community groups and organizations interested in participating in the annual CHS Homecoming Parade should complete this Google Form by Thursday, September 19. Please direct any questions to CHS Assistant Principal Adam Tenbarge at atenbarge@duneland.k12.in.us, or call the CHS Assistant Principals' office at 219-983-3730.

Parade Route, Homecoming Royalty: The CHS homecoming parade will leave the South lot traveling east on Porter Avenue to S Calumet Road, Calumet Ave to Broadway, Broadway to S 6th Street, and ends back to the former CMS campus. The parade will be followed by the CHS home game against Portage at 7:30 PM. Homecoming Royalty will be crowned at halftime of the football game.

Homecoming Dance: The CHS Homecoming Dance will be hosted on Saturday, September 28 in the CHS Cafeteria from 7:00-10:00 p.m.

• Students must be in school for the full day on Friday, September 27 to attend the dance and be in good standing.
• Students wanting to bring an outside date to the dance must have the proper paperwork from the AP office filled out and signed prior to the dance.
• All students will need to take a breathalyzer test before entering the dance,
• Tickets will be made available for students to purchase two weeks prior to homecoming (more information will be forthcoming).

Photo compliments of DUSTIN RITCHEA, Indiana Dunes Tourism

On Tuesday, September 10 , the bleachers surrounding the old football field located at 651 W Morgan Avenue in Chesterton found themselves filled for one last event. Community members of all ages and walks of life, elected officials, and Duneland Family YMCA staff gathered to witness the historic groundbreaking event for the new Duneland Family YMCA Healthy Living Campus. This ambitious and innovative project, which will see both adaptive reuse of the former high school and middle school property as well as new construction, is set to reimagine the concept of community wellness. “Today’s groundbreaking ceremony symbolizes more than just the start of a new building; it marks the beginning of a brighter future for our community,” said Duneland Family YMCA CEO Dave Kasarda. “This YMCA will be a beacon of hope and a hub of opportunity, fostering growth, unity, and wellness for every individual we serve. Each shovel of earth turned is a step toward enriching lives and strengthening our community fabric.”

Joining YMCA speakers at the event were representatives from the Duneland School Corporation, the Duneland Chamber of Commerce, Cleveland Cliffs, Berglund Construction, Moake Park, and elected town and state officials who have expressed their excitement and support of the project. Also throwing their support towards the in-depth, phased project is the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, who have recognized the Duneland Family YMCA Healthy Living Campus as the first project in Northwest Indiana to benefit from being awarded READI2.0 funds, which were allocated by the governor’s office to accelerate shovel-ready projects that will transform communities while improving their quality of life.

The Duneland Family YMCA is ecstatic to receive a one-million-dollar grant award ...Read more

The Duneland School Board approved Monday the sale of the George Brown Mansion to the Westchester Public Library for $1.

The Queen Anne-style home, located at 700 W. Porter Ave., was built in 1885 and is on the former Chesterton Middle School property. It is on both the Indiana and National Register of Historic Places.

Duneland schools' predecessor, Westchester School Corp., purchased the Brown Mansion in 1963 and the building was used as an administrative office until 2004, according to the Chesterton Tribune. The district has leased the property to the library since 2004, which has utilized it to house the Westchester Township History Museum.

The current lease with the Westchester Public Library was entered in January 2017, according to Duneland schools Superintendent Chip Pettit. The agreement expired in December 2021. At that time, a facility study was conducted and indicated significant work was needed on the roof. Despite this, the library was interested in buying the building.

-Adrian Martinez-De La Cruz - NWI Times Education Reporter

• Bailly Elementary - September 19
• Jackson Elementary - September 26
• Yost Elementary - October 2
  
• Early Learning Preschool - October 8 (Day 1) and October 9 (Day 2)

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.

The Chesterton High School Alumni Association is seeking nominations from the community to be considered for the CHS Alumni Association Hall of Fame for 2024.

“Many accomplished and dedicated individuals are not necessarily in the public eye; they are the unsung heroes and quiet warriors among us impacting students and staff every day,” said Mike Anton, CHS Alumni president. “The 2024 recognition committee invites alumni, community members, parents and others throughout the Duneland community to submit their nominations.”

Please consider nominating a candidate for Alumnus, Teacher, Administrator, and Support Staff based on the following qualities:
Excellence
Leadership
Respect
Exceptional Contributions
Citizenship
Giving Back
Collaboration
Courageous Acts
Advocacy

The CHS Alumni Association is accepting nominations for 2024 now through Friday, November 1 at 3 p.m.

Learn more about the past Hall of Fame recipients and about the CHS Alumni Association at the CHS Alumni Association website.

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/

To make an appointment please call 219-763-8112. Let NorthShore know you are a Duneland School student or staff member and that you would like to make an appointment at the Duneland School Clinic located at the old CMS.

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.

Menus will be posted on Thursday, Aug. 1

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 new Strategic Plan will guide DSC for the next five years in the areas of Student Achievement, Safety & Operations, People & Culture, and Finance & Facilities.

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