DuneNews

The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) has emphasized increasing student attendance to improve academic and long-term success. In Indiana, students are considered chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of school days, including excused and unexcused absences. Chronic absenteeism is a strong predictor of school performance and graduation. Overall improvement in attendance has been noted throughout the state as we strive to reach pre-pandemic levels. This is important as statistical research has found that students who attend school regularly are 2.5 times more likely to graduate from high school. The Indiana Graduates Prepared to Succeed (GPS) website is the IDOE’s new public platform, which assists parents in finding school and corporation data performance/progress reports, including attendance.

As part of our strategic plan, Duneland School Corporation (DSC) has prioritized a goal to establish positive conditions for learning. DSC has outlined four objectives in support of this goal:

1) To promote the physical and emotional health and safety of all students

2) To curate a culture and climate that provides a sense of belonging for all students

3) To prioritize academic engagement for all students

4) To build strong relationships for all students

We recognize that the objectives are contributing factors that support student attendance by providing learners with reinforcement of academic performance, work ethic and responsibility, social development, college and career opportunities, life skills development, and positive self-images through access to other, non-content-specific contextual information.

Tiers of support and communication are provided for students and families at the district, school, and classroom levels. Duneland’s established attendance goal is 94%, and principals have been communicating this with families throughout the school year via letters home, Skyward student access, and school newsletters. We strive to promote and celebrate students who meet this mark, also supporting those who do not achieve this goal with proper support and resources. Ultimately, we want to ensure our students are prepared for success in the classroom and beyond.

Parents can access the Indiana GPS website at this web address: https://indianagps.doe.in.gov/

Left to right, Cooper Fowler, Izdel Berruecos, Carmen Thomas, Milena Letic, and Luke Sparks

Five Chesterton High School Japanese 5 seniors gave a speech at the 39th Annual Japanese Speech Contest on Saturday, March 22 in Chicago sponsored by the Consulate General of Japan. The contest is for Japanese learners from elementary school to college levels from all the 10 states in the Midwest.

Carmen Thomas placed fourth. Luke Sparks won Japan America Society of Chicago Award. Izdel Berruecos won IATJ (Illinois Association of Teachers of Japanese) Award, and Milena Letic and Cooper Fowler won JIC (Japan Information Center) Award.

Congratulations!

Team A: Catherine Ward (7), Noah Hyde (8), Matzen Finck (8), Robert Hundt (7), Riley Evans (7)

Three Westchester Middle School Robotics teams participated in the Indiana State Robotics Competition in Indianapolis on March 22. Only 24 teams qualified for the state, and WMS was among them. All three teams reached the round of 16 in the finals. Team A received a bye and earned 2 points due to their rank. Team B lost 23-18, and Team C won 12-4, advancing to the quarterfinals. Team A won in the quarterfinals but lost in the semifinals, missing the chance to qualify for Worlds by one win. Coach Kerry Hyde praised the teams for their hard work and dedication.

"These teams worked so hard and earned the opportunity to go to State," said Kerry Hyde, WMS Robotics coach. "All four WMS Robotic teams worked tirelessly to do their best and never gave up despite any hurdles they encountered along the way."

Team B: Ben Bryak (7), Bryce Allen (8), Chase Olszewski (7), Cody Budny (7)

Team C: Robbie Colson (7), Kaiden Roy (8), Nathan Menard (7), James Gano (7)

Team members, left to right, Anirudh Sai Jeeju, Carter Rudzinski, John Easterday, And Nathan Seaman.

Westchester Intermediate Robotics Team 91362A competed at the Indiana State Championship in Indianapolis on Saturday, March 22. After making the finals, the team upset five alliances ranked higher than them to finish in the 6th place alliance out of 122 teams. Unfortunately, this put their team one spot out of qualifying for the World Championship as the teams from the first five alliances received invitations to compete in Texas. The boys were only beat by one point for the fifth place spot. Even though the final results were heartbreaking, they competed well all day long!

Duneland Exchange Club (DEC) representative Maria Bachuchin; Teacher Melissa Cergizan; DEC Representative Michelle Mulholland; father Kurt Buhring, Recipient Kendall Buhring; mother Kristina Buhring, teacher Maggie Bielat; and Principal Carey Storm.

The Duneland Exchange Club recently presented fourth grader Kendall Buhring of Bailly Elementary School with the Young Citizenship award. This award is given to a student who is an all-around good citizen. The club presents this award to one fourth grade student at each of the five Duneland elementary schools, at the sixth grade level at each of the intermediate schools and at the eighth grade level at each of the middle schools and NWI Online School.

First graders at Brummitt Elementary held a Main Idea Movie Day to practice their Priority Standard RC. 6, focusing on retelling main ideas and key details. They watched short clips, discussed grade-level passages in groups and partners, and dressed up in movie-themed outfits or in their snuggliest pajamas to enjoy the day.

CHS sophomore Jaina Hightower and freshman Luci Thompson were just a few of the many students to visit the new Chesterton High School Bistro and Coffee Shop to purchase cold-brew coffee.

Chesterton High School Child Nutrition hosted their Grand Opening of The Daily Grind, Coffee Shop and Bistro this past Tuesday, April 1. The Daily Grind will serve breakfast from 7:30 AM to 10:00 AM and lunch from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM, Monday through Friday. Both meal periods will feature full meal options, ensuring that all students can enjoy the exciting new area.

Read the story from Chesterton Trojans by Tom Keegan

The Chesterton High School PlaySchool started this week! PlaySchool, a fun and free program for children ages 3-5, provides a hands-on learning experience for CHS students taking the Principles of Early Childhood Education course while engaging young learners in play-based activities. The PlaySchool is offered to parents with little ones in the Duneland community once a year in the spring on a first-come, first-served basis.

New toys were purchased this year through a generous $200 Do-Good grant from Modern Woodmen.

Pictured are students playing at the CHS PlaySchool.

Help us recognize the professionals who keep our school libraries in working order. Celebrate National School Library Day on Friday, April 4.

Al Novreske, also known as Al the Crossing Guard, has a habit of giving fist bumps and greetings of good wishes whenever a child crosses in front of Bailly Elementary School. He returned Monday. Jim Woods/for Post-Tribune

By Jim Woods

On a gloomy and chilly Monday, a ray of brightness returned to the corner of Union Court and Fifth Street in Chesterton — Al the Crossing Guard.

Donning a cow’s head hat and armed with a stop sign in his right hand, Allen Novreske was there to spread cheer along with ensuring that children safely traversed Fifth Street to Bailly Elementary School.

His unique, jovial way of interacting with children, parents and passing motorists has made him a local legend.

The community almost lost him.

Novreske, 68, had been sidelined since Jan. 15 when he was downed by a wicked combination of a heart attack, congestive lung failure and pneumonia.

Struggling for his next breath, he nearly died on his living room couch that day. Novreske underwent a triple bypass operation and is still going through cardiac rehabilitation.

“I am not back to where I was, but I’m working on it. We’ll get back there,” Novreske said.With the return of students from spring break Monday, Novreske was in good enough shape to return.

After serving at Bailly Elementary, Novreske moves down the street to Westchester Intermediate School, where’s worked the past two years. He returns for afternoon dismissals at the two schools.

During his time in recovery, Novreske was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love from the community. There were meals, homemade cards and gifts, like the cow’s head hat he wore Monday morning.

“What’s up, Sam. It’s good to see you again,” Novreske said to the first student to cross Fifth Street.

“It’s good to see you, too,” Sam said as he bumped fists with Novreske. As he was leading Sam through the crosswalk, Novreske touched his hand again and told him to “have a great day.”

Novreske knew the names of all the children who came to the corner and he repeated the same greeting and sendoff.

In between, Novreske waved at every passing vehicle. To those who honked their horn, Novreske would point back. Some rolled down their window to yell out their good wishes.

The way that all started was when Novreske would wave to the school buses.

“Then I started waving to everybody because I didn’t know who was waving,” Novreske said.

“I found the adults like the waving. It brightens them up a little bit.”

The hat thing started when Al wore a silly hat every Friday. He soon had a whole collection of them. He always wears a camel hat on Wednesday, symbolizing “hump day”.

It isn’t all greetings and levity, though. Novreske said he can count 25 occasions when he had to pull a child away from an oncoming car. Novreske said he was even struck by a car once.

James McFadden accompanied his son Henry to the corner and stopped and talked with Novreske. McFadden, who works as a pharmacist at Northwest Health Porter, recalled how he visited Novreske when he was hospitalized.

“You’re a part of this community, Al,” McFadden said.

Another parent called out as he walked by Novreske: “You can’t keep a good man down.”

Jim Woods is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. (Article from the April 2, 2025 issue of the Post Tribune)

Common Sense, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids and families thrive in a world of media and technology, has recognized Liberty Middle School as a Common Sense School.

Liberty Middle School has demonstrated its commitment to taking a whole-community approach to preparing its students to think critically and use technology responsibly to learn, create, and participate while preparing them for the perils that exist in the online realm, such as plagiarism, loss of privacy, and cyberbullying. With the right support, kids can take ownership of their digital lives, engage with real issues, and change their communities for the better. The recognition acknowledges our school's commitment to creating a culture of digital citizenship.

"We applaud the faculty and staff of Liberty Middle School for embracing digital citizenship as an important part of their students' education," said Merve Lapus, vice president of education outreach and national partnerships at Common Sense Education. Liberty Middle School deserves high praise for giving its students the foundational skills they need to compete and succeed in the 21st-century workplace and participate ethically in society at large."

Liberty Middle School has been using Common Sense Education's innovative and research-based digital citizenship resources, which were created in collaboration with researchers from Project Zero, led by Howard Gardner at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and are grounded in the real issues students and teachers face. The resources teach students, educators, and parents tangible skills related to internet safety, protecting online reputations and personal privacy, media balance, managing online relationships, and media literacy. The free K-12 curriculum is used in classrooms across all 50 states, in more than 80,000 schools by more than 1,000,000 educators.

"We're honored to be recognized as a Common Sense School," said Principal Mike Hamacher. By preparing our students to use technology safely and responsibly, we are providing them an opportunity to build lifelong habits to help them succeed in a tech-driven world."

To learn more about the criteria Liberty Middle School met to become recognized as a Common Sense School, visit https://www.commonsense.org/education/recognition-schools.

Separate invitations will be provided for families interested in KinderCamp, our Pre Kindergarten Program.

Need Skyward Support? If you need support in registering for summer school within the Skyward Arena Scheduling please call your child’s school and the Skyward/Office Administrative Assistant can provide support.

Should you have any questions about summer school programming please contact the following:

Grades PreK-7 - Call the Department of Teaching & Learning at 219-983-3656

Grades 8-12 - Contact the CHS Counseling Office at 219-983-3730

Dear Families,

We are excited to announce that we have adopted a new form of school-to-home communication called ParentSquare for the 2025-2026 school year. This unified communications platform is designed to keep parents and guardians informed and encourage greater engagement and connection with Duneland School Corporation. It provides a safe way for district administrators, school principals, teachers, staff, and parents to:

• Send and receive school and class information

• Share pictures and files

• See calendar items

• Sign up to volunteer

• Schedule parent-teacher conferences

• and much more . . . all in one centralized place!

Parents—Getting Started Video

All district and school, grade level and classroom information will now be sent to your computer or phone via email and/or text. For even more convenience, download the ParentSquare app (available for free for iOS and Android devices).

Have questions? Click the question mark in the top right corner of the desktop version or the Help tab on the app (tap the triple bar icon at the top left) to find answers to most of your questions.

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

The Duneland Schools share information that pertains to opportunities our students may be interested in and 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.

Want your event/activity/camp posted on this page? Submit a request by email with the flyer/information to the Duneland Schools Administrative Center to ahicks@duneland.k12.in.us and bmartinson@duneland.k12.in.us.

Chesterton High School students in the International Baccalaureate Advanced Art program will showcase their artwork at their annual Exhibit Opening on Wednesday, April 2 from 5:30-8 p.m. The exhibit will continue Thursday, April 3 between 5:30-7 p.m. Admission is FREE.

This exhibit is the culmination of a year’s journey of independent research that fueled the student’s creative resolve. Each student was challenged to explore, experiment and express individual themes. Each chose diverse media to narrate their ideas and developed individual styles in the process, and will all design their own spaces to present their work. Please join us and share in the achievements of seniors Andrew Adams, Ben Aitchison, Hannah Armstrong, Elena Clark, Isabelle Connors, Bethany DeLong, Elsa Estridge, Audrey Hopkins, Marley Mayer, Chloe-Joi Pablo, Juliana Perez, Alison Piskula, Aubriana Pulsoni, Jasmine Santos, Elizabeth St.Marie, Dex Trzaska, and Kennedy "Liz" Williamson, and juniors Mila Beale, Jolie Cleveland, Calypso Dutro, Katherine Newbanks, Baylee Parrott, Cecilia Post, Jamie Roser, Karina Vasquez, Lily Ward, and Lauren Yarosz.

Their exhibit will be displayed in the CHS Upper Gymnasium. Visitors should use Entrance 31. Elevator or stairway access is available.

Duneland School students participating:

Bailly: Calvin Aubin, Lily DiBona and Ivan Ford

Brummitt: Addilyn Cowser, Cameron Olson, Evan Olson, Ian Thode and Rowan Wallace

Liberty Elem: Levin Holmes

Jackson: Leah Craycraft

LIS: Celia Arizzi, Taylor Balon, Maddie Dietrich

LMS: Zachary Alvarez, Isabelle Fields, Charly Love and Jonathon Lus

WIS: Brenna Dunlap, Arya Ford, and Addison Spanapoulos

WMS: Graciela Gonzalea Greeman and Katie Sim

CHS: Beck Bradstetter, Dane Cooper, Ryan Kasper, Michael Shumante, Anna Holmes, Karleigh Pawlyszyn, Sophia Sylvester, Damion Lopez, and Christian Uzelac

This year, Liberty Middle School Drama Club is excited to put on their first ever production!

Students will be performing two shows by Don Zolidis: a never-before published show called "Haters" and the classic "10 Ways to Survive the End of the World".

• In "Haters" a student council's failed recycling program prompts them to get Taylor Swift involved, and hilarious hijinks ensue as the whole student body scrambles to collect as many cans as possible.
• In "10 Ways to Survive the End of the World", two narrators present a handy survival guide for surviving a slew of hilarious apocalypses, everything from a giant asteroid to evil mutant bunnies.

These two truly student-lead and inspired LMS productions were made possible with assistance from:

• Student Director -CHS senior Phoenix Bridegroom
• Set Design - CHS sophomore Elizabeth Uehling
• Painted Backdrops - LMS Drama and LMS Art club students
• Wooden Stage Piece - Christian Lambersie's CHS General Carpentry class

Liberty Middle School students participating in this production are: Jacob Sessions, Aidan Harris, Gabe Quintanilla, Piper Suppa, Cora Hardin, Chloe Herbert, Caelan Heck, Mia Navardaukas, Hector Gerena, Kaylyn Marin, Liam Nieves, Ava Vermette, Claire Rogers, Justin Adams, Henry Pfeiffer, Zenon Wiatrowski, Kathryn McLendon, Charlotte Basich, Clara Fletcher, Natalee Willis, Grace Hodsden, Elena Rosado, and Ian Fadell.

Join the Duneland Education Foundation for an enchanting evening of masquerade, silent auctions, and celebrating another year of giving.

The Duneland Education Foundation is the foremost philanthropic partner of the Duneland School Corporation. DEF grants and scholarships ensure ALL Duneland students have access to a high-quality, exceptional educational experience.

Click on the image below to register

The Duneland School Corporation Early Learning HUB is excited to be the first birth-to-school initiative in Porter County! Our HUB is a unique space where caregivers and their children can learn, play, and grow together.

This April, we’re exploring fun topics like rainbows, plants, food and much more with our families. If you have children ages 0-5, don’t miss out on the excitement—join us Monday through Friday at the HUB! Best of all, this program is FREE!

https://www.duneland.k12.in.us/programs-services/duneland-early-learning-hub

Discover Duneland School Corporation’s Trojan Learning Center (TLC)!

The Trojan Learning Center offers a variety of educational opportunities for young children and their families. Here's a glimpse of what we provide:

• Duneland Early Learning HUB: A FREE program for children ages 0-5 and their caregivers, offering birth-to-school educational experiences. Learn more about this exciting initiative here: https://www.duneland.k12.in.us/programs-services/duneland-early-learning-hub.

• Preschool Programs: Tailored preschool programs for children ages 3-5 with developmental delays and Individualized Education Plans (IEPs).

• Duneland Family YMCA Partnership: In collaboration with the Duneland Family YMCA, we offer two additional preschool classrooms to enhance learning options.
  
  Our preschool programs are built around a research-based curriculum that fosters children’s social skills and emotional development. At TLC, we ensure that every child is immersed in a nurturing, fun learning environment with activities designed to bring all preschoolers together!

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
• 
  

Click on the image below for more information and to apply TODAY!

Do you want to earn money but still be home with your family?

Does the cost of childcare hinder your plans to work?

Does your child participate in the many afterschool opportunities?

Would you like to spend quality time with your kids during spring, summer and winter breaks?

https://www.applitrack.com/dune.../onlineapp/default.aspx...

Did you know that Duneland Schools has an online Spirit Wear Stores where you can buy your Duneland all school spirit wear? Check out our Spirit Wear Store platform at: https://dunelandschoolsopenstores.itemorder.com/shop/home/

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.

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 Board of School Trustees for the Duneland School Corporation approved the new DSC Strategic Plan at its December 4, 2023 regular meeting. The plan will guide DSC for the next five years in the areas of Student Achievement, Safety & Operations, People & Culture, and Finance & Facilities.

These timelines were revised as of December 2024 to reflect necessary adjustments to the plan and to ensure the continued success and growth of our educational community.

Click this link to view the new 2024-2028 Strategic Plan

Contact the Duneland School Corporation IT department via one of these methods:

1. Open a IncidentIQ ticket by sending an email to: helpdesk@duneland.k12.in.us
   
2. Log into IncidentIQ and submit a request duneland.incidentIQ.com

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

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