Congratulations to Chesterton High School Special Education teacher Jessica Evans who was selected as an October 2024 Teacher of Excellence!

Kenneth J. Allen Law Group supports Northwest Indiana teachers who go above and beyond for their students and honors them for their outstanding contributions to education. To learn more about the educators who are Teachers of Excellence or if you know of someone who should be recognized as a Teacher of Excellence, please nominate your favorite by following this link.

View all DSC Teachers of Excellence on our website.

The CHS Girls' Volleyball team won their first sectional championship since 1977 by defeating the Portage Indians on Saturday night! The Trojans dominated the Indians by defeating them in three straight sets 25-10, 25-7, 26-23! The Trojans will compete for a Regional Championship on Saturday, October 26 at 7pm at LaPorte High School. The Trojans will take on Penn for their first Regional Championship! Keep Believing and Achieving!

Carmen Thomas has earned Premier Distinction! Premier Distinction, the highest degree in the National Speech & Debate Association Honor Society! Please join us in congratulating Carmen Thomas on this outstanding achievement. Fewer than 3% of NSDA members earn Premier Distinction prior to graduation! This milestone is a celebration of the hundreds of hours Carmen has spent preparing, practicing, and competing to hone their communication and leadership skills.

Please join us in congratulating Carmen, and thank you for your continued support of speech and debate, which makes milestones like this possible.

We are excited to inform you that the CHS Varsity Cheer team has qualified for the IASP (Indiana Association of School Principals) State Finals for the Indiana Cheer Championship in the Time-out division on November 9.

Our state finals Varsity team consists of: Aubrey Schilla, Ava Casselman, Bayli Stills, Bobby Spencer, Brendan Brady, Canon Surane, Carly Decker, Cole Gilbert, Emma Gilbert, Ethan Wood, Gaby Dunlap, Gionna Pinkston, Grace Miller, Jori Hawkins, Jori Higdon, Kate Cichocki, Lauren Koonce, Levi Swart, Logan Donahue, Maddie Lyons, Mady Novak, Nicole Marcinaik, Niko Monaco, Olivia Papp, Veronica Perez, and Vincent Casselman

This is the first time in history Chesterton has made it to the IASP State Championship for cheerleading! The team will head down to Greencastle High School on November 9th to compete against the other 13 schools across the State who have qualified.

The CHS Cheer Team also has two stunt groups place 1st and second at State this year!

Taking first in State for the Coed Stunt Group Divison is Ava Casselman, Bayli Stills, Bobby Spencer, and Jori Hawkins.

Second in State for the Coed Stunt Group Divison is Levi Swart, Maddie Lyons, Mady Novak, and Nicole Marciniak.

The CHS Trojan Guard had a magnificent performance at the State Finals on Saturday night and finished as the 2nd best marching band in the state of Indiana! The Trojan Guard performed "Viva" flawlessly and made Chesterton proud of their incredible performance. Great job to the entire team!

This past weekend, seven CHS students were selected based off of their audition into the Indiana All State Show Choir. This group was comprised of the top 48 students from across the state and Chesterton had the highest representation of any other school. Big congratulations to:

Ava Cunningham

Emme Curran

Mara Huneryager

Bella Kelly

Jane Maddex

Jeremy Schmidt

\Sam Smith

The Trojan Boys Cross Country Team finished second to the champion Valparaiso Vikings on a warm bright fall day at Sunset Hill Farm County Park on Saturday. Spencer Martin (4th); Ryan Nix (6th); Andrew Adams (10th); Ray Hundt (17th); and, William Morgan (21st) scored for the Trojans. The top five teams qualify for the New Prairie Regional next Saturday, with a trip to the state finals on the line. Joining the Trojans and the Vikings are the Portage Indians; the Hobart Brickies; and, the Merrillville Pirates.

The Lady Trojans competed in the IHSAA Chesterton Sectional on Saturday. The top 5 teams advance to the IHSAA New Prairie Regional next Saturday. The Lady Trojans finished in 4th place advancing to next weeks New Prairie Regional.

We had three in the Top 20, earning All-Sectional Honors.

Jessica Martin 10th in 20:12

Paige Clancy 13th in 20:19

Allison Van Kley 17th in 20:28

Finishing out the Top 7 were:

Ellie McClelland 21st in 21:02

Lauren Kroft 22nd in 21:12

Veronica Wilgocki 24th in 21:17

Aubrey Bamber 28th in 21:30

It was a solid performance by the Lady Trojans but they have more to give. Next week is their chance to put it all out there and see if they finish in the Top 5 in hopes of advancing to the IHSAA State Finals.

New Prairie Regional is set to kickoff at 10:30am with the girls race.

Go Trojans!

Luke Sorgic, 11th grade, season has ended Saturday with a loss to Munster's #1 player in the Regional Championship of the Boys' tennis individual tournament. Luke won his semifinal match in the morning over the #1 player from Seeger High School by a score of 6-3, 6-2. Luke had a great season and the CHS boys' tennis team will look to dominate next season as well!

Retake Picture Day is: Tuesday, October 22, 2024

Order Code is: 87556MU

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

Your Unique Web link to order is: https://inter-state.com/FlyerEntry/87556MU

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.

October 24 & 25: Fall Break - No school

October 29: Community Event at CHS: Trick or Treat / 5pm - Enter Door 1

The SAVE Promise Club is encouraging all students to wear orange on Tuesday, October 22 in honor of Alex Orange.

In April of 1989, students from West Charlotte Senior High School in North Carolina gathered at a party, a “stop the violence” jam. A carload of young men from a rival school showed up armed and looking for trouble. As teens panicked, 17-year-old Alex Orange stepped forward. Alex, a fullback on the West Charlotte football team, was a young man who looked out for other people. Alex told the intruders this was no place for violence. Sadly, shots were fired, and Alex fell to the floor. Surrounded by shaken friends and schoolmates, Alex lost his life to gun violence.

The following week, students returned to school mourning yet another young life lost too soon to violence. Joining together in their grief, they formed Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE).

In 2017, SAVE and Sandy Hook Promise combined efforts to educate and empower young people to help prevent gun violence and other forms of violence and victimization.

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.

This past July, the Town of Dune Acres gifted Chesterton High School with a donation towards drug awareness and education for students and families. Duneland School SROs have worked closely with Chesterton administration to cultivate educational opportunities, using materials purchased through Human Media Relations, to help students who may struggle with vaping and drug pressures.

Deferment course materials, in tandem with family conferences, are aimed towards giving students more knowledge about the dangers of vaping and controlled substances, as well as establishing trusted working relationships between the school, SROs, and families.

In our efforts to prepare every student for life after high school we have an opportunity for your student to learn what we believe are the most important traits to help them be successful. At Chesterton High School every student has the opportunity to sign up to participate in our Work Ethic Certification program. We will be giving every student the opportunity to sign up to work toward earning a Work Ethic Certification during their Advisory period on Tuesday, September 17. This credential can be used in potential interviews for jobs, college admissions, and scholarship opportunities. If you have any questions please contact Doretta Kurzinski at dkurzinski@duneland.k12.in.us or Brent Martinson at brmartinson@duneland.k12.in.us.

Why Work Ethic Certification?

• Employers have indicated that mastery of Work Ethic Skills is one of the top characteristics needed in employees.

• One of the fundamental goals of Northwest Indiana Workforce Board is to produce an emerging workforce that has the 21st Century Skills needed to face the challenges of a global marketplace.

What is the Work Ethic Certificate?

• A filter for employers when hiring or selecting candidates

• A common identifiable metric of work habits

• A credential demonstrating knowledge of skills, abilities and commitment to work

• Development of needed behavioral characteristics in emerging workforce

Who is eligible to earn a Work Ethic Certificate?

• High school students who demonstrate mastery of 10 employer expectations (See below)

Top 10 Employer Expectations

1. Show a positive attitude

Encourages & assists others when needed, sees the best in situations, responds positively to authority, demonstrates willingness to learn new tasks

2. Work well with others

Sees different perspectives, collaborates/cooperates with others, communicates effectively, encourages others to participate,

3. Be honest and have integrity

Is trusted by others, is truthful/does not lie or cheat, acknowledges one's own work, shows up, follows through on tasks

4. Arrive to work on time

Arrives on time, anticipates and adjusts for potential delays, meets deadlines

5. Follow directions

Follows rules and procedures, clarifies directions, completes assignments

6. Recognize problems and find solutions

Thinks critically, accepts challenges, considers choices, finds alternative solutions

7. Apply good listening skills

Values and respects other opinions, knows when to speak & when not to, demonstrates patience, asks questions for clarification

8. Manage time effectively

Routinely plans and prioritizes, sets realistic and attainable goals

9. Maintain a safe work environment

Understands the need for healthy lifestyle, laws, & regulations in the workplace, is aware of purpose of passing drug & background checks

10. Respect diversity and exercise tolerance

Recognizes and respects others’ differences

1. Chesterton Girls Basketball Winter League at Chesterton High School

• Girls in grades 2nd-6th
  
• Registration is open now until September 26th.
• Player Evaluations on October 6th, League begins November 17th
• Register at www.chestertongirlsbasketball.org

2. Chesterton Girls Basketball Middle School Winter League (Club1 League)

• Girls in grades 7th/8th
• Registration opens Monday, September 16th
• League begins Nov. 10th and runs for 4 weeks at area schools.
• Register at www.chestertongirlsbasketball.org

3. Chesterton Girls Basketball Fall Girls Hoops & Handles Skills Academy

• Girls in grades K-8th
• Registration opens Friday, September 13th
• Ball Handling, Shooting, Offensive and Defensive concepts
• Register will open on www.chestertongirlsbasketball.org

The Chesterton High School Girls Basketball program is hosting a trivia night fundraiser on Saturday, October 5th, in the Chesterton High School cafeteria. Join the Trojans for a night of trivia, food, basket raffles, music, and fun! Bring an entire trivia team with costumes and compete for prizes. Or, you can also purchase individual trivia seat tickets as well. To purchase trivia tickets, make a donation, or if you own or work at a business that is interested in being a winter season sponsor, please visit www.chestertongirlsbasketball.org. We are a 501c3 Not-For-Profit Group and all transactions have no processing fees and receipts are issued immediately for tax purposes. If you have any questions, please contact Chesterton High School Head Coach Candy Wilson at chestertongirlsbbchs@gmail.com.

Thank you to all of our students and parents for helping us get off to a good start regarding our arrival and dismissal procedures! We will continue to make adjustments to effectively get our buses out and on their routes. When we work together then we can accomplish anything!

Key Changes:

• Morning Drop-Off: All students being dropped off before 8:10 AM must be dropped off at Door 34 or Door 31.
• Afternoon Pick-Up: All students being picked up after 3:10 PM must be picked up at Door 34 or Door 31.

This change is being made to ensure that our buses can enter and exit CHS safely and on time.

We appreciate your cooperation in following this new policy and helping us maintain a smooth and efficient arrival and dismissal process for all students.

Thank you for your continued support.

In efforts to help with our arrival and dismissal procedures at CHS the following procedures will be implemented for all student drivers.

All student drivers must purchase a student parking pass and display visibly to park at Chesterton High School. You can pick up a student parking application in the main office. All students need to have a complete application and student parking pass by the end of the day on Wednesday, August 21. There will be no fee for the student parking pass.

Parking Guidelines:

• Students are only allowed to park by Door 31, Door 34, and in the back of the school by the tennis courts.
• Students are NOT allowed to park in the front of the building (west side), which includes the faculty lot and the visitor lot.

Failure to follow this policy could result in disciplinary action and/or loss of driving privileges.

Thank you for your cooperation in adhering to these guidelines.

CHS currently offers 67 Dual Credit courses! Our goal at CHS is for 75% or more of our students to earn dual credit while they are in high school and 40% of our seniors to earn 1 years worth of college credit. We have dual credit partnerships with Ivy Tech Community College, Purdue Northwest, Ball State University, University of Southern Indiana, Vincennes University, and Indiana University. Ivy Tech is our main partner for dual credit opportunities. We offer many courses through our Dual Credit partnerships that are part of the Indiana College Core (ICC) Transfer Library. This means that students who take these FREE courses will be able to transfer those college credits to any state funded institution. The current cost of a year of college at a state funded school (ex. IU or Purdue) is approximately $10,000 for tuition plus room and board. By earning these credits at CHS you could save A LOT of money!

To be eligible for dual credit, students need to apply to Ivy Tech AND earn a score of 70 or higher on both English and Math STEM Knowledge Assessments BEFORE registering for a dual credit course.

Scan the QR Code below for the steps to apply for Ivy Tech Dual Credit courses. Once you apply, you will be able to register for dual credit courses. If you have any questions or need assistance contact Mrs. Tiffany Hawkins, CHS Assistant Principal, at 219-983-3730 or thawkins@duneland.k12.in.us.

On July 1, 2024, the Indiana Legislators enacted a new law for all K-12 schools in Indiana. The law reads as follows:

Electronic Devices (P.L. 108-1994, HEA 1202): Wireless Communication Devices

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.

Chesterton High School’s new policy regarding wireless communication devices includes cell phones, earbuds/headphones, smartwatches, and any other auxiliary device that can be paired with a cellular phone. When a student is directed by a teacher or staff member to follow the established classroom phone/wireless communication policy, noncompliant students will be referred to the office and are subject to disciplinary action for insubordination.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in helping us create a focused and productive learning environment at CHS.

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

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.

Learn more about the past Hall of Fame recipients and about the CHS Alumni Association at the CHS Alumni Association website.