DuneNews
Duneland School news for parents, students and teachers
Trojan Guard Community Performance
The public is invited to come and support the Trojan Guard and their award-winning performance of their 2024 production, “¡VIVA!”, this Saturday, Oct. 12 at 4 p.m. at the CHS Stadium. The 40-minute Community Night performance is free and open to the public and will include: explanation of the creation and design elements of the show, recognition of the Trojan Guard Alumni in attendance, and recognition of the Trojan Guard senior class, followed by the performance of the show. This will be one of the community’s last chances to see the Trojan Guard’s 2024 competitive program, so mark your calendar!
For additional information regarding the Trojan Guard or any band activity, please contact the CHS Music Department at (219) 983-3730.
ENGAGE Award
The ENGAGE award is based on Trojans who demonstrate exemplary behaviors. These behaviors include using your unique talents to respectfully connect to the school and community.
Jackson 4th grade student, Dru Robbins, was honored with the ENGAGE Award for being an upstanding young man–the type of person that anyone would be proud to know. He is kind and courteous to everyone he meets. He is a loyal friend. We appreciate his positivity, his sense of humor, and his diligence to improving himself through his studies. He embodies the type of behaviors we would like all Trojans to display.
EMPOWER Award
The EMPOWER award is based on Trojans who demonstrate exemplary growth and/or achievement. This is demonstrated by resilience and excellence in the pursuit of academic success.
Jackson third grade students, Kyler Balon, Delaney Fortney, Caleb Marshall, Graham Phelps and David Wiggins; and fourth grade student Owen Lorenz were honored for achieving a perfect score on their IREAD assessment last year. Kyler, Delaney, Caleb, Graham, and David achieved these scores while in the 2nd grade. Owen achieved his perfect in 3rd grade.
EMPOWER Award
Jackson teachers Ally Martinez-Rekitzke, Samantha Mattraw and Kim Tumbas These teachers are being honored with the Empower Award for having 100% of their students meet their NWEA growth goal in math during the 2023-2024 school year. To have all students in a class meet their NWEA growth goals in a subject area is no simple task. It takes dedication and attention to each individual student’s needs while building strong relationships with the students and their families. We are proud of what these teachers have accomplished with their students.
INSPIRE Award
The INSPIRE award is based on Trojans who demonstrate exemplary leadership. These leadership qualities embody the mindsets, behaviors and skills to succeed in school and beyond.
Jackson staff members Mr. Chris Meyne and Mr. Walt Schulz are the first recipients of the Inspire Award at Jackson Elementary School. From May 2023 to the present, Chris and Walt have been unwavering in their support of the students and staff at Jackson throughout the capital improvement project renovations. They have demonstrated their leadership through their positivity and support throughout the project, whether it’s cleaning up the mess created by renovations or moving furniture again and again. They worked weekends and long nights without complaint, and always kept a smile on their faces as they planned for a “nice, smooth landing” after each phase of the project came to an end.
INSPIRE Award
The INSPIRE award is based on Trojans who demonstrate exemplary leadership. These leadership qualities embody the mindsets, behaviors and skills to succeed in school and beyond.
Liberty Elementary Treasurer Brooke Gossman was honored for being an inspiration to our staff and students alike. Brooke takes the time to support our students in a variety of ways. You'll often find students asking for an opportunity to visit Brooke in the office. She’s always happy to be used as a behavior reward for students who want to come and play a game or eat lunch with her. Brooke also leads the charge in creating staff appreciation events once a week. Her creativity and organization mean that our teachers get to experience potlucks, trivia games, scratch off tickets, and more. Brooke doesn’t hesitate to help anyone in need - her actual duties far surpass her job description, and she does it so that Liberty can be a better place for all of us. Brooke truly inspires us through her example.
ENGAGE Award
The ENGAGE award is based on Trojans who demonstrate exemplary behaviors. These behaviors include using your unique talents to respectfully connect to the school and community.
Liberty Elementary fourth grade student, Jace Hawthorne, was honored with the ENGAGE Award for always finding ways to help in the school building. Jace has consistently sought out opportunities where he can be of assistance. You will find him assisting to show younger students how to get places, volunteering in the classroom, and always, always pushing a broom in the cafeteria. We believe that Jace truly is deserving of the Engage award based on his consistent willingness to make our school a better place through his acts of service.
EMPOWER Award
The EMPOWER award is based on Trojans who demonstrate exemplary growth and/or achievement. This is demonstrated by resilience and excellence in the pursuit of academic success.
Liberty Elementary third grader Leigha McKeague and fourth grader Amelia Toennies for exemplary achievement on the IREAD assessment last year. Both of these ladies got a perfect score when they took the assessment. Their hard work and dedication to doing their best has resulted in quite a remarkable achievement.
EMPOWER Award
In addition, Miss Allison Mysliwiec is being recognized for the Empower Award for her relentless pursuit of excellence that she requires from every student in her classroom. Allison had 100% of her students reach their growth goal on NWEA for Language Arts, and many surpassed their growth goal by quite a bit. Allison’s professionalism and expertise in the classroom, combined with her work ethic and dedication, have resulted in these fabulous results.
The Chesterton-Porter Rotary announced Caroline Mills as the Student of the Month for September.
Caroline was nominated by the CHS World Language department whose representatives shared that “Caroline is an outstanding Spanish student. Since the beginning of her Spanish studies seven years ago, Caroline has always gone above and beyond to learn more on her own. On top of her already natural skills in language acquisition, this work outside of the classroom is out of the norm and shows her true interest and love of learning language.” Caroline will graduate from CHS a semester early so that she can continue her studies in the second semester in Spain, living with a host family while attending more high school classes.
“Rotarians enjoy learning about and showcasing these talented and hard-working students,” said Bonnie Hawksworth, director of youth services (pictured with Caroline Mills).
Approximately 37 companies participated in the CHS High School Career Fair hosted by the Counseling Center at the high school last week.
All CHS students had the opportunity to attend the Fair during their SRT to speak with company representative regarding potential job and internship opportunities being offered. Businesses participated in the Fair to share information with students about their particular company and career field(s) available. For example, Back in Motion Sports and Spine, and Crown Counseling both shared insights to their particular career fields as well as to help those students plan out a path to get into those fields. "It was incredible how the community came together to work with our students on finding the right career paths for them," said CHS Counselor Tuzdae Bartow.
The first grading period will end on Friday, Oct. 18 and report cards will be available on the Skyward Family Access Parent Portal on Tuesday, October 29 at 3 p.m. Parents have the option of printing out their student's report card. Parents needing access assistance to their Parent Portal on Skyward, should contact their child's school directly.
Come check out the Duneland Early Learning HUB!
Come check out the Duneland Early Learning HUB!
The HUB is Duneland's birth to school program free to any family with 0-5 year olds that live within the Duneland School Corporation district.
We have the following classes:
Music and Motion
Trojan Tykes
Mini Movers
Calm Crew
Kinder Kids
Young Explorers
PALS
Trojan Time
Open Gym
Multipurpose Room Open Play
Happy fall y’all! The HUB started our fall books, centers, songs, etc. this week. We will continue learning about apples, pumpkins, Halloween, 5 senses and more with our HUB families for October.
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
Weekly District Newsletter - DuneNews
The district newsletter, DuneNews, is published each Thursday afternoon throughout the school year. Each weekly issue can be found on our website at https://www.duneland.k12.in.us/news/dune-news-online along with archived issues for review.
2024-2025 School Start & End Times
The new daily schedule for the 2024-2025 school year will be:
- Elementary (K-4) 7:30 a.m. – 2:20 p.m.
- High School (9-12) 8:10 a.m. – 3:10 p.m.
- Intermediate/Middle (5-8) 8:50 a.m. – 3:50 p.m.
Say Something Anonymous Reporting System
The Duneland School Corporation has adopted the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System for all grade 5-12 schools. The link to the Say Something Tip Line can be found on the DSC website, on the middle and high school websites, and on the DSC Safety and Security page located under Programs and Services.
PICTURE RETAKES:
- Brummitt - Oct. 16
- CHS - Oct. 22 Order Code is: 87556MU
- Liberty Elem. - Nov. 6
- LIS & WIS - Nov. 8
- Jackson & Yost Elem. - Nov. 14
Exceptional Learning Instructional Aide Positions Available
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
HALL OF FAME
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.
DSC 2024 -2025 Calendar
CHS Maroon & Gold Calendar/Bell Schedules
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
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
DSC Strategic Plan 2024-2028
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.
CONTACTING IT SUPPORT
Contact the Duneland School Corporation IT department via one of these methods:
- Open a IncidentIQ ticket by sending an email to: helpdesk@duneland.k12.in.us
- 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
Duneland School Corporation
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