• Who needs support at home, in school, and in the community? ... Every Child!
• Who needs our guidance, attention, and patience today and every day? ... Every Child!
• Who will shape the future of our world tomorrow and in the years to come? ... Every Child!

Dear WIS Family,

As we begin the month of November, I am truly amazed at how quickly the first grading period has passed. It’s hard to believe our school year began just three months ago in August. I know I speak for the entire staff when I say how excited we are to have had such a successful start to the school year. The classroom experience is at the heart of public education, and we, as a staff, are grateful to be in school full-time, sharing meaningful lessons with our dynamic students. As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I’d like to share a few reasons why I am thankful…

• I am thankful for our students who come to school every day ready to learn – you remind us daily of what is important and why we are here.

• I am thankful for the support of our families in building an outstanding partnership for our students.

• I am thankful for the WIS teachers and support staff who genuinely care about student achievement, health, safety, and equity.

• I am thankful for our volunteers who enthusiastically contribute to our mission.

• I am thankful for the stakeholders in our business community who show support and interest in Westchester’s success.

• I am thankful that WIS has the opportunity to participate in meaningful activities that make a difference in our community. For example, WIS will once again host a November food drive in support of our local food pantry, led annually by the WIS student council and Mrs. Nidelchoff.

Finally, I am thankful for the brave men and women who have served in our nation’s military, both at home and abroad. Their willingness to protect the freedoms we enjoy is a sacrifice that is sometimes taken for granted. Please take a few moments to reflect on their commitment to our country. Westchester will be recognizing Veterans Day with a school celebration on November 11th.

Mr. Longacre

slongacre@duneland.k12.in.us

We are striving to achieve a 96% attendance rate this year at WIS.

5th Grade 93.5216%

6th Grade 92.8458%

When needing to report a student absence, parents/guardians should call (219-983-3710) or email (mkowalecki@duneland.k12.in.us) the attendance secretary in the WIS office by 9:00 am on the day of the absence. If the school sends a student home early, then no notification is required.

Dear Parent/Guardians,

Starting November 6, 2024 through the month of January 2025 the Health Services at WIMS will be conducting Vision Screenings of 5th grade students , according to Indiana Law are required to have their vision checked.

We are asking that if your student wears glasses that they have them on their person daily so that there will be no delay in getting their testing completed. If you have any questions, please contact WIS School Nurse, Tina Sosby, R.N. at 219-983-3710 or via email at

tsosby@duneland.K12.in.us.

Congratulations Audrey Simmons and Emily Moritz! Your daily Inspiration to fellow students and staff at Westchester has earned you the Distinctively Duneland Award. Thanks for being leaders in the classroom and role models for all. Keep up the good work!

Audrey Simmons: Audrey is a leader both in and out of the classroom. She works well with all her classmates and constantly looks for ways to improve the world. Since the start of this year, she has been collaborating with Mrs. Masi on starting an environmental club

Emily Moritz: Emily has taken the lead on welcoming and helping to assimilate a new student into our school culture. Emily happily took on this responsibility and made sure that the new student felt welcomed.

Mrs. Balon goes above and beyond when preparing science lessons. She is always looking for creative ways to get students engaged in science concepts. Her positive energy is contagious, and she is a great role model for her peers. She has helped create a rigorous curriculum for 5th and 6th grade, as well as taking on the role of coaching robotics. Our school is fortunate to be able to work with someone as talented as Mrs. Balon.

Mrs. Nidelchoff is a great aide in the classroom. While she willingly helps all students, she usually focuses on students who may need more help with the reading assignments. Also, she assists with student read-alouds on CFA's and CSA's. Mrs. Nidelchoff is always willing to lend a helping hand.

Attention Book Lovers! The annual Westchester Fall Book Fair will take place from November 4 - 8. The fair will feature items tailored to both the intermediate and middle grade levels. This year the fair will be housed in the news media room located in the northeast corner of the library media. The fair accepts cash from students, as well as credit cards or cash from adults. All profits are used to support school initiatives and fund library programming.

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.

Retake Picture Day is: Friday, November 8, 2024

Order Code is: 88061MU

Website: https://inter-state.com/

Your Unique Web link to order is: https://inter-state.com/FlyerEntry/88061MU

Above is your picture date, order code & one click link to online ordering for your retake picture day. THIS CODE IS DIFFERENT FROM THE ORIGINAL ORDER CODE.

Students who ordered a package on original picture day but are choosing to get their picture retaken MUST bring their original picture package with them on retake day to give to the photographer. They DO NOT need to place a new order. If they forget their package on retake day, we will take their photo & write their name down but we won’t order a new package until the old one is returned.

We are excited to announce that this year’s yearbook will include both Westchester Intermediate School (WIS) and Westchester Middle School (WMS). Yearbooks are available for $30.00, and you can order directly through this link: Order Yearbooks Here.

Sixth grade students will have the opportunity to participate in both WIS intramural sports and Westchester Middle School athletics. If your child wants to participate in middle school sports, they must have a current physical on file, dated after 4/1/24. Sixth grade students can ONLY participate in Middle School Cross Country, Westling, and Track and Field. This fall, students can participate in Middle School Cross Country. Mr. Rich Gross rgross@duneland.k12.in.us is the athletic director for Westchester Campus. Please reach out to Mr. Gross with any questions.

Dear Parents and Guardians of 6th grade students,

I am excited to inform you about an upcoming field trip to the Challenger Learning Center in Hammond! As part of our unit on space exploration, the students will participate in a Mars Expedition Simulation. Expedition Mars brings science to life in a state-of-the-art simulated learning environment. Students take part in the mission to complete tasks that are hands-on and will enhance their understanding of science, teamwork, and problem-solving. This field trip is a wonderful opportunity for them to apply what they’ve been learning in class and to work as a part of a team.

Field Trip Details:

• Dates: November 11-15, 2024

• Time: Morning sessions; students will return to school by lunchtime.

• Classes: Two science periods will go each day (your child’s class will be assigned one of these days).

• Location: Challenger Learning Center, Purdue Northwest in Hammond

• What to Bring: Students should wear comfortable clothing. No extra lunch is needed as we will return in time for the regular school lunch… however, to be on the safe side, please bring a sack lunch that day.

• Absents: If your child is absent on the day of their mission, they will NOT be allowed to go on a different day due to space restrictions.

Classes Schedule Day:

• Monday, Nov. 11: Mrs. Balon’s Period 7 & Mr. Folliard’s Period 1

• Tuesday, Nov. 12: Mrs. Balon’s Period 4 & Mr. Folliard’s Period 4

• Wednesday, Nov. 13: Mrs. Balon’s Period 3 & Mr. Folliard’s Period 5

• Thursday, Nov. 14: Mrs. Balon’s Period 1 & Mr. Folliard’s Period 7

• Friday, Nov. 15: Mrs. Balon’s Period 9

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me via email at kbalon@duneland.k12.in.us or call the school office (983-3710).

Thank you for your support in making this educational experience possible!

Sincerely,
Kari Balon
6th Grade Science Teacher
Westchester Intermediate School

If your WIS student is in need this holiday season, we would like to help! Please fill out a form for each WIS student. This form is not a guarantee that you will receive all items. Our program is based on donations and we thank you for understanding.

Package pick up will be Tuesday, December 17th and Wednesday, December 18th from 7:30am-2:30pm.

Submissions can be turned into Ms. Hart by November 12th.

Seven robotics teams competed in Crown Point on Saturday. Robotics invites students to design, build, and program robots to complete exciting, dynamic challenges in a team-based format. This year's challenges are working as a team to work collaboratively to problem-solve and test their robot's performance on the field to score as many points as possible by shooting and passing a ball. We had two teams make the finals. Those teams were 91362A (John Easterday, Anirudh Sai Jeeju, Carter Rudzinski, and Nathan Seaman) and 91362F (Andy French, Miles McIntosh, and Maggie Potrzebowski) and their photos are below. 91362E (Gideon Booras, Jonathan Morgan, and Jack Squok) won the Design Award and Team A won the Judges Award. So proud of all of our teams.

Language Arts

• Last week, we took CSA #2 over theme, character, and figurative language. In addition, we started reading our next novel Hello Universe. Each student was given a novel to travel to and from class with them. This is a wonderful novel about the meaning of friendship. We are very excited to get started! Honors ELA - Last week, we took CSA #2 over theme, character, and figurative language. In addition, we started reading our next novel Hello Universe. Each student was given a novel to travel to and from class with them. This is a wonderful novel about the meaning of friendship. We are very excited to get started!

Math

• Last week, students took the CSA on decimal number sense. If students scored less than 70%, they will retake that CSA after further practice. Students have begun adding and subtracting decimal numbers. This skill will include counting money and making change. We will have a CSA on this skill sometime next week. For E-Learning, students will complete some fact practice and a Get More Math assignment to review skills from earlier in the year.

Social Studies

• Last week, we completed our unit about the arrival of European explorers to North America, and took CSA #5. This week, we begin learning about the first European settlements on the continent.

Science

• Last week we spent some time analyzing mystery powders. The students completed a virtual Gizmo Mystery Powder lab and a hands-on Mystery Powder lab. The students conducted ph tests, tested to see if the powders reacted to vinegar, and tested for proteins and starches. Next week we will prepare for the upcoming CSA. Students will take the CSA over the Properties of Matter Unit on Wednesday, November 6th!

Language Arts

• This week students will continue to read and analyze informational text. Priority standards will be RC.3, RC.5, and RC.7.

Math

• This week in the wonderful world of numbers . . .Students will continue to work with fractions, coordinate planes, integers, and algebraic expressions and equations. Tuesday, Nov. 5th is an eLearning day. Students will have assignments to complete in their Canvas course. Please make sure your child is charging their iPad nightly.

Social Studies

• This week in Social Studies students will be focusing on Ancient Rome. We will be taking a closer look at the geography of the area, governmental structure, and other key characteristics of Roman society. A formative assessment will be given next week.

Science

• In science this week, we will be learning about the planets and especially Mars. We are getting ready for our Challenger Mission to Mars. The students will be doing a Mars scavenger Hunt on Tuesday for E-Learning. The rest of the week will be activities to get the students ready to work as a team, communication skills and finally following directions. This will help students prepare for their mission.

PE

• This week in PE, students will finish their volleyball unit. Then we will play different types of games that work on teamwork!

Art

• This week in art, students will continue on their Tim Burton Inspired Self Portraits. Students will transfer their sketches onto the final copy paper. Students will add their shading and highlights to their drawings.

Music

• This week in music students will be combining notes and rhythms to begin making melodies. Students will explore only the key of C with no accidentals (no sharp and flat notes.) For eLearning students will identify note names in a timed exercise. Students should submit a screenshot of their score.

PLTW

• This week the 5th graders will use the Engineering Design Process to build and test a robot. The 6th graders will continue to learn more coding skills and use them to create a program for an animation on the Micro Bits.

Media

• This week 5th graders will continue to explore topics in digital citizenship while 6th graders will be engaged in digital technology modules.

Our Trojan Cafe has a new look! We have a new serving area with 2 lines to serve our students. We will also have new trays available for our students to use during lunch.

Please help your student memorize their student identification number, as they will need to know this number in order to purchase their lunch.

Here are the meal prices for the 2024-25 school year.

Elementary Breakfast Price: $1.45

Elementary Lunch Price: $2.55

Intermediate/Middle/High Breakfast Price: $1.60

Intermediate/Middle/High lunch Price: $2.95

• 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.
• Our Intermediate curriculum is designed to utilize iPads for lessons, remediation, and enrichment activities.

5th and 6th 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.

Westchester is committed to supporting students' use of technology. To get your problems solved as fast as possible, choose one of the following methods:

1. Open a new Incident IQ online:
   1. AV number is typically located on a sticker on the back/bottom of the device
2. Open a Incident IQ ticket by sending an email to: helpdesk@duneland.k12.in.us
   1. Please be sure to include email address, student or staff name, and a description of the problem
3. Contact Westchester's tech aide (Ms. Bennett) in WIS Library/Media at 219-983-3710 or fbennett@duneland.k12.in.us.

On Monday, October 7, 2024, the Duneland School Board approved a K-12 addendum for all school handbooks. This addendum addresses how school administration responds to threats of violence made by students. It is important that students know of the potential repercussions of their words. The schools will be addressing this addendum with students prior to it going into effect on Monday, October 14, 2024. This addendum, is also available in each of the school handbooks under Student Code of Conduct/Specific Rules of Behavior.

DUNELAND TRANSPORTATION

Information regarding student bus transportation for the 2024-2025 school year is available on DSC website under the Transportation Department.

TRACK STUDENT'S BUS WITH MYSTOP APP

The Duneland School Corporation Department of Transportation has now made My Stop available to our families.

My Stop is a web-based application which will allow parents to access live bus GPS information using a smartphone, tablet, or computer and securely view the current location of your child’s bus on routes. The system also provides the bus’s estimated time of arrival at your child’s bus stop.

Please read the attached letter to parents for more information on how to use My Stop to track your child's bus.

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.

WIS Mission:

WIS provides a safe and engaging environment where students are empowered to explore their talents, build on their curiosity, embrace high expectations, and become responsible, caring citizens.

WIS Vision:

WIS inspires learners to become independent, critical thinkers collaborating in an environment where responsibility, adaptability, and reflection are modeled and developed.

Email: slongacre@duneland.k12.in.us
Website: https://www.duneland.k12.in.us/Domain/14
Location: 1050 South 5th Street, Chesterton, IN, USA
Phone: (219) 983-3710
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westchesterintermediate/