November 1, 2024

Dear Westchester Middle School Families,

As we enter a season of gratitude, I'm excited to reflect on the wonderful moments we've had at Westchester Middle School so far this school year. This month, we began our new Distinctively Duneland Awards to recognize outstanding contributions by our students and staff in three key areas: Inspire, Engage, and Empower.

I am proud to announce the October award winners:

• The Inspire Award, recognizing exemplary leadership, goes to Te'Ari Reynolds. Te’Ari’s leadership exemplifies the mindsets, behaviors, and skills needed for success in school and beyond.
• The Engage Award, highlighting students who demonstrate mindful behavior, goes to Weston Booras. Weston has shown how talents can be used to connect respectfully with both our school and the broader community.
• The Empower Award, honoring growth and achievement, goes to Penelope Didelot for her resilience and commitment to academic excellence.

We’re also thrilled to recognize Mrs. Rachel Malott, our orchestra teacher, as the October recipient of the Inspire Award among our staff, voted on by her colleagues.

We also enjoyed our first Halloween Dance this month, hosted by our amazing Student Council, who did a wonderful job decorating and organizing the event. The evening was filled with costume contests, snacks, dancing, and plenty of fun!

Looking ahead, if you find yourselves with leftover Halloween candy, Hurst Orthodontics is collecting candy for troops, and we are gathering cards and letters to send along for encouragement. Please send any donations to the WMS main office by November 7th. We’re also continuing to support our Pink Box Drive by collecting tissues and feminine products. Your donations go a long way in supporting our school community. Finally, Duneland Schools is hosting the annual Winter Card contest, and we would love to see WMS students represented! It’s a wonderful opportunity to showcase our creativity.

As October comes to a close, I want to express how grateful I am for each and every one of our students and staff members. Thank you for your continued support in making Westchester Middle School a place of learning, growth, and community.

Respectfully,

Mrs. Lauren Seiss, WMS Principal

Reminders:

• 48-Hour Attendance Policy for Call Off(s) - Parents/Guardians will have 48 hours to excuse their students absence, after which time it will be considered unexcused.

• Parents who are picking up their child or dropping something off for their child must present a driver's license or state ID to our office staff in order to do so. Also, if a parent sends someone else to pick their student up or drop something off for them, they must not only present identification but must also be on the list in Skyward as a family or emergency contact.

Upcoming Dates to Remember:

11/3 Fall Back Time Change

11/5 eLearning Day - NO SCHOOL

11/11 Veterans Day Program 12:10pm - 12:40pm in Gym B

11/15 The Mouse that Roared at 7:00pm

11/16 The Mouse that Roared at 2:00pm

11/22 Kona Ice during lunch

11/27-11/29 Thanksgiving Break - NO SCHOOL

Upcoming ATHLETIC Dates to Remember:

The Inspire Award is based on Trojans who demonstrate exemplary leadership. Leadership embodies mindsets, behaviors and skills to succeed in school and beyond.

"Te'Ari is an exceptional role model, demonstrating the qualities that inspire others to strive for their best. Her leadership skills and kindness in the classroom foster a positive environment, motivating peers to be more engaged with the class and supportive of each other. This balance of dedication and compassion makes Te'Ari not just a successful student, but a true inspiration to everyone around them." - 8th grade SS teacher

The Engage Award is based on Trojans who demonstrate exemplary behaviors. Behavior embodies mindfully using your unique talents to respectfully connect to the school and community.

"Weston comes to class every day with the most respectful and positive attitude. To call him willing to engage would be a severe understatement, as I can always count on him to participate, even when he’s not completely sure of his accuracy. His dedication to learning and a constructive classroom environment is admirable." - 7th grade ELA teacher

The Empower Award is based on Trojans who demonstrate exemplary growth/achievement. Growth and achievement as demonstrated by resilience and excellence in the pursuit of academic success.

"Penelope is so kind to all of her peers and her teachers. She is extremely hardworking and cares a lot about her assignments and grades. I think Penelope deserves this award for all of her dedication to school and how she exemplifies honesty, integrity, and a great attitude at all times!" - 8th grade SS teacher

The Inspire Award celebrates Trojans who demonstrate outstanding leadership—an essential quality that helps drive success in both school and life. Exemplary leadership involves the mindsets, behaviors, and skills that support positive influence, encourage growth, and foster a thriving learning environment. By recognizing teachers who inspire and uplift others, the Inspire Award shines a light on those who go above and beyond to make a difference in the Westchester Middle School community. We happily celebrate our first nominee for the month of October; Mrs. Rachel Malott

“Rachel consistently works to make others feel welcome. As a new teacher, I’ve found her support invaluable in many ways. She excels at keeping everyone informed and is always ready to lend a helping hand!”

-Colleague Teacher

Please call our main office at 219-983-3780 to report your student absent with in 48hours.

Attendance questions should be directed to Amanda Ray amray@duneland.k12.in.us

Click below to download our first edition of the WMS Trojan Times!

Once again, Hurst Orthodontics, PC will collect Halloween candy in our schools to be donated to a non-profit organization called Supporters of the Military (SOM). For the last 22 years, the candy has been shipped to US soldiers serving both domestic and abroad. This year, many Indiana veterans will also enjoy the candy. Many of the candy recipients have been Indiana National Guard members, as well as members of the US Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines.

Last year Hurst Orthodontics, PC, with the help of local schools, other community organizations and the public collected a total of 632 pounds of candy for the troops.

Candy donation boxes will be placed in each school beginning on Tuesday, October 29 - November 7. Donations from the public are welcome. Letters and cards for the troops from the students would be very welcome as well.

Westchester Middle School 7th grade Math students and Liberty Middle School 8th grade ELA students will be participating in the ILEARN Checkpoint pilot this year. Assessments will be condensed and focus on limited standards during each of the three checkpoints

The DSC Child Nutrition Department is now utilizing NutriSlice as its new 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 items at any of the Duneland Schools. This program will be developed further incorporating images of food items being served at each of the schools.

Breakfast $1.60

Lunch $2.95

ATTENTION!!!

2024-2025 ALL ATHLETES MUST HAVE A CURRENT PHYSICAL ON FILE TO PARTICIPATE!

Middle School Physicals will need to be turned in to coaches or the athletic department, prior to open gym, tryouts, or practices in order to participate.

There are a total of 6 forms that need to be completed. The actual physical is completed by the Dr. and the rest of the forms are completed by the parent(s) and the student. Physicals will not be accepted if there are forms missing!

*Physical Checklist*

• Final Forms Online parent and student
• Physical Examination from the Dr.
• History Form (It is 2 pages)
• Consent and Release Certificate (Make sure insurance information is complete)
• Concussion and Sudden Cardiac Arrest Form
• Co-Curricular and Extracurricular Activities Code of Conduct

Cell Phones, Smart Watches, Earbuds, & Earphones Usage:

7th and 8th 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.

iPad Use

• 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. Middle school curriculum is designed to utilize iPads for lessons and enrichment activities.

CONTACTING IT SUPPORT

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

Internet Connectivity

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

Parent Observer Account

Parents are encouraged to set up their Canvas observer accounts to monitor their students' progress. Parents can click this link to view how to set up their Parent Observer Account

Link to the Canvas Log In

WE WANT TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT STUDENTS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO RIDE THE BUS HOME WITH FRIENDS THAT DO NOT SHARE THE THE SAME DESIGNATED BUS ROUTE. THE DECISION HAS BEEN MADE WITH THE UTMOST CONCERN FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL OUR STUDENTS.

n 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.