DuneNews

The Duneland School Corporation participated in the Duneland Family YMCA’s Dancing Like the Stars fundrasing event this past Saturday, November 2 at the Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City. This year's event was a a record-breaking success, raising over $170,000 000 to support the local community through scholarships and financial assistance for childcare, memberships, active older adult programs, and other services.

Mrs. Allison Susdorf, Duneland’s Birth-to-School Instructional Lead for the Early Learning HUB, participated in the Dancing Like the Stars event along with four other Duneland School teachers and five DSC students.

The HUB is reading transportation books, participating in centers and songs about transportation. We will learn about vehicles, Thanksgiving, the color brown, the shape triangle and more with our HUB families for November.

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

Located within the Duneland School Corporation, the Trojan Learning Center (TLC) offers a wealth of learning opportunities for young children and their families. The TLC is also home to the offices of the RISE Academy (Alternative Education) and DSC's Northwest Indiana Online School.

Did you know? Our early childhood programs feature FREE Birth-to-School activities for caregivers and children! Duneland School Corporation provides preschool options for children ages 3-5, including two classrooms for children with developmental delays and Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), as well as two additional preschool rooms operated by our community partner, the Duneland Family YMCA. All preschool students enjoy engaging, fun activities together!

The TLC also hosts speech services for children aged 3-5 who qualify. Families can bring their children to work one-on-one with a speech pathologist at our Center.

Best of all, the DSC preschool and walk-in speech services are free for qualifying children, while the Duneland Family YMCA preschool offers a nominal fee and is the only local preschool that includes swim classes!

Join us at the Trojan Learning Center, located at Door 9 on the south side of the Duneland School Corporation Administration Building, 601 W Morgan Avenue, and take advantage of these amazing early learning opportunities. Register for preschool today and explore all that TLC has to offer!

Do you have questions?

Are you ready to come learn with us?

For more information about The Trojan Learning Center, call 219-983-3743.

For more information about the Duneland Family YMCA's preschool, call 219-926-4204 x2

PICTURE RETAKES:

• LIS & WIS - Nov. 8
• Jackson & Yost Elem. - Nov. 14
• Northwest Indiana Online School - Dec. 3

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 Duneland YMCA in conjunction with the Duneland School Corporation will offer bricks to the Duneland community from the recent demolition of the former Chesterton High/Chesterton Middle School to make way for the new Duneland YMCA Healthy Living Campus in our community.

Interested in picking up a brick from your former school(s) to keep as a momento?

Brick Pick Up will be offered on Friday, November 15 from 12-1 p.m. at the West Gate on 8th Street. Community members are asked to take one per person. First come, first served.

The Chesterton High School Music Department will present its 52nd Annual Madrigal Dinners on December 6, 7, and 8 in the CHS Cafeteria. All seats are reserved, and tickets will be on sale for $40 per person. Ticket sales will be online only and begin at 9:00 a.m.on Saturday, November 9. Ticket sales will be held until no tickets remain or Friday, December 6, whichever comes first. There will be no exchanges or refunds. To purchase tickets, visit www.cur8.com

Performance times are as follows: Friday, December 6 at 7:00 PM; Saturday, December 7 at 4:00 PM, and 7:00 PM; Sunday, December 8 at 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM.

The CHS Cafeteria will be transformed into a “Greate Hall” complete with Elizabethan settings and costumes for “Ye Olde Madrigal Christmas Feasts.” The Madrigal is set in the 16th Century and represents the traditions of the Christmas season through spoken and musical offerings. The cast of approximately 100 CHS music students dressed in medieval costume sing, play, juggle, amuse and serve throughout each of the five performances. The students and their directors, Vince Arizzi, Matt Christensen, Jonathan Flodder, Brian Grenier, Kristin Morris, and Laura Carrillo work each year to present a quality performance.

Included in the Madrigal, along with the music and drama, is a complete dinner. The dinner includes a relish tray, chicken breast, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad, wassail, rolls, and dessert. Special Diet Plates consisting of either Gluten Free, Dairy Free, or Vegetarian meals will be available ONLY IF REQUESTED at the time of ticket purchase. The meal is prepared each year by the Chesterton Child Nutrition staff.

Liberty Middle School (LMS) will host its first Veterans Day community recognition program on Monday, November 11, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. in the Liberty Intermediate / Middle School (LIMS) Gym, 44 W 900 N, Chesterton. The public and veterans are invited and encouraged to attend. Doors will open to the public for seating at 9:00 a.m. Seating for guests will be located in the bleachers on the main floor. The program will include music performed by LMS music students, a guest speaker presentation, as well as the reading of the winning student essay.

Throughout the month of October, LMS students and families have been fundraising for Folds of Honor, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to the spouses and children of America’s fallen or disabled military and first responders. Additional cash donations will be accepted at the door. All donations will be presented to representatives from the Folds of Honor at the Veterans Day program.

Monday, November 11, 2023
2:30 - 3:00 p.m.
Gym B

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
• 
  

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 3:00 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