This Week at Jackson

This week, we pulled winners from the students that completed the requirements of their grade level for participation in the Jackson Reading Program. Students that won were able to select a prize from the office.

Winners in the back row (L to R) are Cade S., Taylor B., George P., Landon L., Abbigail S., Kyler B., and Emilja M. Winners in the front row (L to R) are Kaden L., Vivienne G., Ainslee S., Henry M., Cambree T., and Nathan C. Not pictured are winners London A. and Josiah H.

We are happy to share that Mrs. Rekitzke welcomed her daughter, Luna, on Tuesday of this week! Both mother and daughter are doing well. While Mrs. Rekitzke is home with her newborn, Mrs. Robbins will be filling in.

There will be no school for all Duneland students on Thursday and Friday, October 26th and 27th for fall break. Classes will resume on Monday, October 30th.

This is the time of year that many families start looking for Halloween costumes for their children. Students will have an opportunity to wear costumes for part of the day on Tuesday, October 31st.

As you head to the stores (or search on the Internet from the comfort of the couch), please keep the following guidelines in mind:

Halloween Costumes:

1. The costume must not distract from the educational environment
   
2. The costume must be school appropriate; no blood, gore, weapons/props, or costume make-up
3. Students must be able to change into their costumes without adult assistance; students should not wear their costumes to school, as there is too much risk it will be damaged throughout the course of the regular school day
4. Students must be able to use the bathroom without assistance while wearing the costume

Halloween Parade/Parties:

After lunches are over, students will be allowed time to change into their costumes for the Halloween parade. We will be giving the students the opportunity to show off their costumes to all the other kids in the school. Outside of the parade, festivities will vary by grade-level.

Each grade-level is in charge of how they would like their Halloween festivities to go. Each classroom teacher will determine if they need parent volunteers to help, how many volunteers that might be, and when the volunteers should be at the school. Each classroom will be turning in a list of their selected volunteers into the office; parents not on the list will not be allowed to visit the classrooms during the parade or parties.

Because party days can be chaotic, we are asking that all parents selected as volunteers make sure they have visited the building before October 31 to have their IDs scanned into the system. We ask that parent volunteers remain in the classrooms to which they are assigned. We also ask that parent volunteers leave all siblings not currently enrolled at Jackson Elementary at home when volunteering in the rooms. Siblings are welcome to visit on any day at lunch.

On Tuesday, November 7th, we will have a scheduled, asynchronous eLearning day. We will also be shifting the teacher work day to 11am-7pm so that we can hold parent-teacher conferences at times more convenient for parents.

Our teachers will hold office hours to assist students and parents with assignments 11:00-11:30am and 2:00-2:30pm that day. In the remaining time, teachers will be available to meet for optional conferences.

We ask that parents reserve their spots for conferences with the classroom teachers as soon as possible. We ask that no one ask for an unscheduled conference the day of the event; although our teachers want to meet, it is unfair to the parents that scheduled conferences to deviate from the planned schedule. If parents need to make alternate arrangements for a phone conference on another day, they can reach out to the individual teacher.

Conferences with related arts teachers are drop-in; parents do not need to reserve spots to speak with a related arts teacher.

We will have a check-in desk at the main entrance so that we can respect everyone's time.

As with last year, parents may schedule directly with their child's teacher by following the appropriate link below.

Mrs. Christian

Mrs. Rekitzke

Mrs. Wszolek

Mrs. Jimenez-Perez

Mrs. Psimos

Mrs. Sloan

Mrs. Burkus

Mrs. Caudle

Mrs. Tarnowski

Miss Conway

Mrs. Mattraw

Mrs. Tumbas

Mr. Finner

Mrs. Hoffmann

Mrs. Pilarczyk

The Department of Teaching and Learning has created this Standards-Based Grading Parent Handbook for K-4 families as they navigate the new structure of the report cards this year.

Standards-Based Grading strengthens the family-school connection at the K-4 level by making it easier for families to understand how their children are improving academically and giving students the time they need to grow as learners. Traditional grades are averages of student performance in multiple skills and concepts. With Standards-Based Grading, families have access to the levels of mastery students have achieved on every individual priority standard. It is easier for families to support their children’s academic growth because the information shared is more specific, timely and actionable.

We are already seeing the benefits of standards-based grading in terms of the specific feedback teachers are able to provide to students about their learning. That said, we know this shift is a large paradigm shift for students, staff, and parents. Our experience has taught us that students are the first to adapt to major changes in their lives; it can take us, as adults, much longer to get used to the changes.

The great majority of us grew up experiencing only traditional grading using the A-F scale. If you think about it, many of our teachers, even those without many years experience, are likely bringing at least two decades experience--including their time in the K-12 education system, their college degree, and their years as a teacher--with traditional grading. The same is true for most of our parents: it is likely the only system of grading we have ever known.

To help us all become more comfortable with standards-based grading, we are sharing the following documents that show, in greater detail, what it means to use standards-based grading at each grade level.

Our rules are: be safe, be respectful, and be responsible. A copy of our rules and how they apply in different school contexts is below. Because it is designed to be printed on 11x17 paper, the font is very small in this format.

As we approach the winter season, please review the procedures for school closings and/or delays that may occur due to inclement weather. The decision to close school and engage in a virtual-synchronous eLearning day (see below) or alter the school day is made after collaborating with multiple district personnel, local, state departments and agencies, including: law enforcement, national weather service, highway/street departments, and transportation. In addition, other Porter County school districts are consulted due to partnerships that impact special education and career-technical education students.

Decisions about school delays due to inclement weather will be made as early as possible. In some instances, a school cancellation may follow a two-hour delay. In the event of a two-hour delay followed by a cancellation, we will do our best to make the decision to cancel school before 9:00 a.m. Delay or cancellation information will be delivered through the Skylert notification system. These notifications are based on the contact information provided in the General category within your Skylert notification system. Please review and update (if necessary) your contact information to receive these notifications. School closing/delay information will also be posted on the DSC website (www.duneland.k12.in.us) and sent to the following media outlets:

• Radio: WAKE 1500 AM; Indiana 105.5 FM; WEFM 95.9 FM; WDSO 88.3 FM; WGN Radio 720; WBBM Newsradio 780

• Local TV Channels: 2, 5, 7, 9, 32

• Websites: www.cancellations.com; www.emergencyclosingcenter.com

The following options will be considered during weather emergencies:

Option 1: Start of the school day will be delayed 2-hours. Delayed start times are:

• Elementary - 10:00 a.m.

• Intermediate - 10:15 a.m.

• Middle School - 9:50 a.m.

• High School - 9:40 a.m.

Option 2: Students will not report to school; students will participate in an unplanned inclement weather eLearning day (virtual-synchronous-see Guidelines for Students)

• Students will take part in Google Meet sessions with their teachers to receive face to face instruction. Teachers will post schedules by 9:00 A.M. Please click on the link above for more information.

Option 3: Schools will dismiss early

Guidelines for Students 2023-2024 School Year

Follow the links below by grade level to find the appropriate Unplanned (Virtual - Synchronous) eLearning Day Plan for your student.

Grades K-4 Synchronous Plan

Grades 5-6 Synchronous Plan

Grades 7-8 Synchronous Plan

Grades 9-12 Synchronous Plan

Link to DSC eLearning info and help for Students & Parents

With the exception of the first four days of school, our students rotate through their related arts classes every two days. The below charts will help you to know what is happening with your child each day.

Information regarding student bus transportation for the 2023-2024 school year is available on DSC website under the Transportation Department.

The DSC Transportation has My Stop available for our families.

My Stop is a web-based application which allows 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.

Need to add money to your students school meal account on MyPaymentsPlus? Click on the image below to access

The goal of the Duneland School Corporation district school newsletters is to inform students, parents and the school community about school-related information.

This year, the Duneland Schools will share information that pertains to opportunities our students may be interested in 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.