WIS Weekly

• 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,

Westchester Intermediate School is committed to providing all students with a quality education in a safe school setting. To facilitate this commitment, Westchester follows all of Indiana’s education laws, including state law HEA 1423 which requires school corporations to provide students with age-appropriate instruction focusing on the prevention of bullying.

During today’s video announcements, I informed our student body of what bullying is and how they can report it. Students may communicate observed bullying behavior in one of three ways: a) share with any WIS faculty or staff member what has been witnessed; b) submit the information through Mrs. Hurst's Talk/Meeting Form located on her Canvas Page. c.) Submit the information through the Say Something App located on a student's school issued device. The information can be submitted anonymously if a student chooses. Mr. McDermott, our corporation’s Assistant Superintendent of Operations, serves as Duneland’s Title 9 coordinator. You can -- at any time -- contact him regarding incidents of bullying.

In addition, we also want to advise you of the working definition that the state of Indiana has adopted for the term bullying:

Bullying is overt (intentional), unwanted, repeated acts or gestures including: verbal or written communication, or images transmitted in any manner (including digitally or electronically); physical acts committed, aggression, or any other behaviors that are committed by a student or group of students against another student with the intent to harass, ridicule, humiliate, intimidate, or harm the targeted student and create for the targeted student an objectively hostile school environment.

The WIS faculty and staff have discussed the definition and understand the need to actively intervene when unacceptable behavior is observed or reported. However, it is important to remember that not all bad behavior is bullying.

Our ultimate goal and expectation is that all students will learn to appreciate the importance of treating others with mutual respect. We believe that students who develop emotional confidence will have the courage to stand up for themselves and each other. Please contact me if you have any questions.

As always, please reach out to me anytime.

Mr. Longacre

slongacre@duneland.k12.in.us

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

5th Grade 93.8259%

6th Grade 93.6241%

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.

Students may choose to wear Halloween costumes to school on Thursday, October 31st, provided they follow the guidelines below:

• Costumes must not promote illegal substances, illegal activities, or contain disrespectful, derogatory, or violent content.

• Hats and hoods are allowed as part of the costume.

• All costume preparations must be completed at home. Please do not bring colored hair spray, makeup, or similar items to school.

• Masks and weapons (such as swords, knives, guns, etc.) are not allowed.

• No fake blood is permitted.

• Inflatable costumes are not allowed.

• Do not bring candy to distribute at WIS.

All costumes are subject to the discretion of WIS staff. Students wearing inappropriate costumes will be required to call home for a change of clothes.

Parents/Guardians: Please support a positive and appropriate learning environment by ensuring your child follows these guidelines.

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.

Attention Westchester Families! Red Ribbon Week is nearly upon us. The annual event will take place from October 21-23. Each of the three spirit-filled days will have a different theme: Monday, Dress like a Teacher Day; Tuesday, Dress Like Your Favorite Movie Character; and Wednesday, Dress for Award Season. This year's national theme for Red Ribbon Week is Life is a Movie, Film Drug-Free. In celebration Westchester will hold a door decorating contest. Each class will be asked to create a movie poster no larger than the size of their classroom door. Older and newer movies are both eligible to be subject matter, but all posters should refer to movies with a rating no stronger than PG-13. Good luck to all and be sure to get started soon before your time is gone with the wind!

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

Something exciting has been going on in 6th grade classrooms. Three classes at WIS have hydroponic systems and we just completed our first harvest! Mrs. Balon, Mr. Folliard, and Mrs. Masi's classes have enjoyed growing romaine lettuce. The process takes about 28 days. The lettuce grown went straight to the lunch rooms and was used in walk-in tacos and other lunch options. So, students got to actually eat what they grew in class! Stay tuned for updates and news regarding what we are growing next!

Language Arts

• Last week, we looked at several different versions of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, looking at how they overlapped with one another, as well as how the characters were developed throughout the story. This week, students will work on a writing they began with our guest speaker, Mark Marimen. They will also have the opportunity to share their writing with the class. Honors ELA - Last week, we finished reading Tales from the Odyssey, as well as looked at several different versions of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. This week, guest speaker Mark Marimen talked with students on Monday. They will work on a writing they began with Mr. Merriment, as well as complete and present their Hero's Journey posters from The Odyssey.

Math

• Students are continuing to work with decimal number sense: place value, rounding, ordering and comparing. Counting money (pennies, dimes and dollars) is a great way to practice working with decimals. Next week, students will take a CSA on Decimal Number Sense and Place Value. It will be the first test grade of quarter 2. Students are still taking the retakes from previous tests and grades will be updated to include those scores for quarter 1 report cards next week.

Social Studies

• Last week, students began learning about various European explorers who first traveled to the North American continent. This week, students will be taking a quiz over lesson 5.

Science

• Last week we spent some time learning about the properties of mixtures and solutions. Last week’s lab allowed students to create a mixture of sand, beans, iron filings, and water. The students then were required to use filters, forceps, and magnets to separate the mixture. This week, your student should have brought home a Think Energy Nipsco bag. These bags are free to all families and do not need to be returned! An installation survey should have also come home with your child. While you do not need to install any items from the bag, we do ask that you complete the survey and have your student return it to their science teacher. These surveys will allow WIS to earn money to put towards future science labs. We appreciate your cooperation and support!

Language Arts

• This week students will read and analyze a spooky series and predict while making predictions after each cliffhanger.

Math

• This week in the wonderful world of numbers . . .Math Checkpoint 1 for ILEARN has been completed. We will use this data to provide more targeted skill instruction. As we move forward We will continue to practice with fractions, decimals, percents, and integers. New skills we’ll be working with include algebraic expressions and all the vocabulary that goes with this topic.

Social Studies

• This is the first week of Quarter 2. Students will spend the next two weeks looking into how the United States process of voting works. We will look at the Electoral College versus Popular Vote, criteria for voting, and how campaigns are set up and run.

Science

• Students will be bringing home a permission slip to have their picture taken at the Challenger Station for our mission to Mars. We will be doing the mission in November. Students will be designing mission patches for our mission to Mars. Students are heading back into space and the universe. Students will be doing gravity, inertia, and elliptical orbits. Students will be looking at data to analyze results and apply the data.

PE

• In PE this week, we will be starting our Frisbee Unit. We will be playing lead-up games and end with Ultimate Frisbee.

Art

• This week starts a new rotation in related arts classes. Students will begin our Tim Burton inspired Portrait lesson. Students will focus on various shading techniques to create their individual works of art.

Music

• This week starts a new rotation. Our question for the new unit is “What is pitch?” Students will be exploring how sound can be organized by frequency and how different pitches sound apart and together. Students will also review the standard notation for lines and spaces in the treble and bass clef.

PLTW

• This week in PLTW, 5th graders will be using the Engineering Design Process to revise their robot designs and test their designs. They will then compare their two solutions to identify which worked better. 6th graders will continue working on their final project of creating a game board that includes the Micro:bit as part of their design.

Media

• This week students will be exploring digital choices and how to navigate online environments.

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/