The Weekly Update #4

Our beginning of the year testing window will open on Monday, August 26th, and close on Friday, September 13th. During this three-week window, all students will take the NWEA math and reading assessments on their iPads. These assessments will provide a snapshot of a student's current achievement in each area. When we test again during the middle and end of the year testing windows, we will then be able to measure how well a student is responding to the instruction teachers are providing.

Students will also be taking a series of short assessments with their teachers called mCLASS/DIBELS. These assessments focus on particular components of the reading process, which helps our teachers to know where to focus their time during reading instruction.

Unlike in past years, we are no longer conducting TRC testing. Returning parents will likely remember this as the test that provide a student's current reading level from A to Z. We are finding that these levels provide little benefit to teachers, parents or students. As we focus more on the science of reading, we have decided to move away from these TRC measures so that our teachers can spend more time instructing rather than assessing.

Parents will receive detailed printed results from both types of assessments once the testing window closes.

There is a revised Attendance Policy that we wanted to draw to your attention. Details are below.

Per the Indiana Department of Education, students should be in attendance for at least 94% of the school year. Given that we have 180 school days per year, this asks students to be absent for 10 or fewer days across the entire year.

Dear Parent or Guardian,

Indiana Code 20-35.5 requires all Indiana schools to administer a universal screener for learning characteristics related to dyslexia within the first 90 days of school. Approved universal screeners and Level I/Level II diagnostic assessments for learning characteristics related to dyslexia are available on the Indiana Department of Education's (IDOE’s) Dyslexia webpage.

Dyslexia is a learning disorder that involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words (decoding). Also called a reading disability, dyslexia affects areas of the brain that process language (Mayo Clinic, 2017).

All students in kindergarten, grade one, and grade two will be given the screener within the first 90 days of school. Parents of students who are determined to be “at risk” or “at some risk” for learning characteristics related to dyslexia will be notified of screener results and be provided with the next steps of intervention. Parents will be asked for permission to administer Level I and Level II diagnostic assessments. Parents of students who are not at risk for characteristics related to dyslexia will be notified of screener results and will resume regular educational programming.

Please contact your student’s school with any questions or concerns regarding the universal dyslexia screener requirements. For more information, please reference the Indiana Department of Education’s Dyslexia webpage.

Sincerely,

Sam Marshall, Principal

The IDOE provides the following document for those that have additional questions about dyslexia. The buttons below the picture will open the document larger if the photo is difficult to read.

We are looking for qualified candidates to fill two open positions at Jackson Elementary: high ability aide and exceptional learning aide. Both positions are posted on the corporation website. If you know someone that meets the qualifications, please encourage them to apply.

We are working with students to help them learn what is expected of them in the various settings they encounter during their school day. We are focused on three big ideas: we want students to be safe, be respectful, and be responsible.

We know the power of partnering with our families and caregivers. We encourage you to speak with your child about the expectations in the "Everywhere" column, as this language will become a daily part of your child's experience at Jackson. We welcome support in helping students see the importance of these behaviors not just in school but in every other context of their lives.

A new law is now in effect in the state of Indiana regarding the use of personal, wireless communication devices (such as cell phones or smartwatches). We ask your assistance with this. Per the elementary handbook (see button below), students are to have any devices of this type turned off and secured in either their cubby or locker during the instructional day. It would be even better if the devices stayed at home whenever possible.

Per IC 20-26-5-40.7 - The use of wireless communication devices, including but not limited to cellular telephones, tablet computers, laptop computers, gaming devices, smartwatches, etc. is strictly prohibited during academic class periods unless explicitly authorized by the teacher for educational purposes.

Students are permitted to use a wireless communication device in the event of a health or safety emergency or to manage health care as specifically defined in the student’s Individualized Health Plan (IHP), Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and/or Section 504 Plan.

A wireless communication device is defined by Indiana law as any portable wireless device that has the capability to provide voice, messaging, or other data communication between two (2) or more parties.

This year, we are experimenting with our related arts schedule. Kindergarten students will attend related arts with their classroom group. In grades 1-4, students are attending related arts with a mix of students from the other classrooms. We think this is a great way for students to get to know others at school, which builds a stronger sense of community. The groups they attend are named after universities in Indiana: Ball State, Indiana State, IU, and Purdue. If you ask your child their group, then the below schedules will help you know which related arts class they have each day.

Each day is assigned a color (Maroon, Gold, White, Black). That color corresponds with a particular spot in the rotation. All classes rotate in the same direction: music moves to art, art moves to PE, PE moves to media, media moves to music.

Learn more about the Duneland Early Learning Classes at the the HUB. Click on the image below to enroll.

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 school meals program is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Duneland School Corporation will process free or reduced-price meal benefit applications for those students who apply and are approved. Those students not qualifying for free or reduced-price meals will be charged the paid meal price for breakfast and/or lunch.

Meal prices for the 2024-2025 school year are available on the DSC Child Nutrition website.

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.

Duneland School Corporation offers MyPaymentsPlus, a state-of-the-art online service that provides you the convenience and information you need to manage your student's meal account. This system speeds up serving lines in the cafeteria, eliminates the need to send physical payments to school or worry about lost or forgotten lunch money and ensures that your child will receive a nutritious meal.

At no cost, MyPaymentsPlus allows any family to: Create a FREE, secured account to manage all your student’s accounts, check your student's current account balance, and create settings to receive email notifications when the account reaches a low balance.

Also, at no cost, MyPaymentsPlus allows any family to make a prepayment into your student's meal account using a check, credit card, or debit card at MyPaymentsPlus or by calling 1-866-441-9125. Funds deposited through MyPaymentsPlus are usually available for student use within a matter of minutes. Create settings to automatically replenish your student's account when it reaches a low balance.

The Duneland School Corporation encourages all parents (even if you do not prepay for your student's meal account) to create an account at no cost. To create a new account, follow the on-screen directions and register your student using their Student ID number. Student ID numbers can be obtained by contacting customer support at: 1-877-237-0946.

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