The Weekly Update #4

On Tuesday, we held an assembly to recognize the award winners for this month.

The Engage Award is based on Trojans who demonstrate exemplary behaviors.

Picture above in the back row (L to R) are: Abbi Smits, Grace DeArmond, Micky Plinovich, Joshua Fairbairn, Blake Coleman, and Oliver Lauderback. In the front row are: Everly Coward, Blaire Schoon, Declan Osan, Zoey Gibson, Julia Pytel, Maeve Grady, and Alex Hiscox.

The Empower Award is based on Trojans who demonstrate exemplary growth/achievement.

In the back row (L to R) are: Robbie Novotny, Austin O'Connor, Everett Snyder, and Camila Fontanez. In the front row are: Rylee Novotny, Makena Wayne, Wyatt Grcich, and Reagan Payne.

In the back row (L to R) are: Addy Davis, Callan Garcia, Lilly Stankus, Olivia Grcich, and Carly Bunting. In the front row are: Joel Rodriguez, Lucy Fanzo, and Elliana Handley. Not pictured: Noah Cotton.

The Inspire Award is based on Trojans who demonstrate exemplary leadership. Mrs. Hoffmann and Mrs. Pilarczyk received Inspire awards for their work with the Jackson Student Council and their organization of Family Groups each month.

This summer, K-4 playground renovations and replacements are slated at Bailly, Brummitt, Jackson, and Liberty Elementary Schools. The equipment at Yost Elementary was recently updated as part of new construction at that school site. The playground equipment at the other four elementary schools is dated and has to be refurbished regularly to meet safety standards. The equipment is well past its intended lifespan and in need of a refresh. The design of the four playgrounds will look to mirror the new playground at Yost. Below are renderings of the replacement playground at Jackson.

Enrollment vs. Registration: What is the Difference?

Student Enrollment is the one-time process of arranging to attend Duneland School Corporation. Once a student is enrolled with Duneland School Corporation, they are eligible to proceed with registration.

Registration is the yearly process of reviewing and updating student information completed electronically prior to the start of school.

The 2025-26 online registration has opened earlier this year so that ALL DSC students are registered by the end of the 2024-2025 school year. To register your children online visit: Parent Access Portal through Skyward. Thank you for your time in reviewing and editing this vital information regarding your student(s) for the schools.

Incoming Kindergarten students who enrolled at 2025 Kindergarten Round Up should also complete the registration process.

Scheduled ILEARN testing is now complete for all students. We appreciate your help and support of the students during the past few weeks. We look forward to seeing the results.

Beginning in June, DSC will begin migrating to ParentSquare. All communication to parents, staff and students will utilize this platform only beginning on July 1, 2025. If you have not signed up yet, please get the App (iOS or Android) or sign in via the Invite that was sent to your school-related email address. Check out the Parents—Getting Started Video or this Quick Guide

Dear 4th Grade Families,

Welcome to Liberty Intermediate School! We are so excited to have you join us for the upcoming school year, and we want to extend a warm greeting as you prepare for this exciting next step in your child's education. 5th grade is an exciting year full of new experiences, challenges, and opportunities to learn and grow. We can’t wait to see all the amazing things your child will accomplish with us next year.

To help our incoming 5th graders start getting familiar with our school, we will be hosting a 4th grade field trip to Liberty Intermediate School in May. This will be a great opportunity for students to explore and get a sense of what life is like at LIS.

Additionally, we would like to invite your family to our 4th Grade Family Night on Monday, May 19. This event will provide helpful information for both students and parents, give your child another opportunity to get familiar with our building and tour our school, meet some of our staff, and ask any questions that you might have. Parking will be on the North side of our building, entering at the LIS main office- Door 2N, or on the West side of our building, entering near our main gym- Door 16W.

Please see the attached flyer for more details. We can’t wait to meet you and your child and are excited to have you join the LIS community!

Sincerely,
Mrs. Kelly Hardwicke
Principal
Liberty Intermediate School

Students have the opportunity to be recognized for displaying the positive behaviors our staff teaches them each day. Recognition comes in the form of Caught Being Awesome tickets. The following students received tickets this week:

Per the Indiana Department of Education, students should be in attendance for at least 94% of the school year. This means students should be absent for 10 or fewer days across the entire year. See below for our progress toward that goal.

Congratulations to kindergarten for having our best attendance percentage this week! As a reward, the grade level earned an extra recess period.

We'd like to highlight the 134 students who had perfect attendance in the month of April.

If you need details about the attendance policy, please see the below graphic or refer to the student handbook.

Dear DSC Elementary Families,

To ensure that all students, staff, and families have a way to report safety concerns anonymously, DSC administration has introduced a "K-4 Anonymous Safety Reporting Form."

This form is designed for individuals who wish to remain anonymous or for students who want to report something but are unsure of how to proceed. Parents are encouraged to continue reaching out to the school directly via email or phone for any concerns.

Please keep in mind that this initiative was created to keep communication channels open and provide students with a safe way to report incidents while maintaining their privacy. If you have any questions or safety concerns, don't hesitate to contact your building principal.

Submissions are not reviewed in real time. As a result, all emergencies should be reported to local law enforcement by calling 911.

We are working with students to help them learn what is expected of them in the various settings they encounter during their school day. We are focused on three big ideas: we want students to be safe, be respectful, and be responsible.

We know the power of partnering with our families and caregivers. We encourage you to speak with your child about the expectations in the "Everywhere" column, as this language will become a daily part of your child's experience at Jackson. We welcome support in helping students see the importance of these behaviors not just in school but in every other context of their lives.

Spirit wear items are available for purchase throughout the school year. Families may order at a time that suits them; the store will remain open all school year.

Kindergarten students will attend related arts with their classroom group. In grades 1-4, students are attending related arts with a mix of students from the other classrooms. The groups they attend are named after universities in Indiana: Ball State, Indiana State, IU, and Purdue. If you ask your child their group, then the below schedules will help you know which related arts class they have each day.

Each day is assigned a color (Maroon, Gold, White, Black). That color corresponds with a particular spot in the rotation. All classes rotate in the same direction: music moves to art, art moves to PE, PE moves to media, media moves to music.

The "Something to Smile About" Scholarship aims to support Duneland students aged 10-18 who need braces but face financial challenges in obtaining them.

Initiated through the collaboration of a local family and orthodontist, this scholarship provides an opportunity for parents or guardians to ensure their child receives professional orthodontic care, ultimately enhancing their confidence and promoting a positive self-image through a healthy smile.

General Eligibility Requirements:

• Your child is between 10 and 18 years old.

• Your total family income is 200% of the poverty level or less.

• Your child receives regular dental care and has good oral hygiene.

• Your child is not currently in orthodontic treatment or in between phases of treatment.

• Your child has not received previous orthodontic treatment.

• The family contribution is $500.

Downloadable Something to Smile About Application

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.

The school meals program is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Duneland School Corporation will process free or reduced-price meal benefit applications for those students who apply and are approved. Those students not qualifying for free or reduced-price meals will be charged the paid meal price for breakfast and/or lunch.

Meal prices for the 2024-2025 school year are available on the DSC Child Nutrition website.

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.

Duneland School Corporation offers MyPaymentsPlus, a state-of-the-art online service that provides you the convenience and information you need to manage your student's meal account. This system speeds up serving lines in the cafeteria, eliminates the need to send physical payments to school or worry about lost or forgotten lunch money and ensures that your child will receive a nutritious meal.

At no cost, MyPaymentsPlus allows any family to: Create a FREE, secured account to manage all your student’s accounts, check your student's current account balance, and create settings to receive email notifications when the account reaches a low balance.

Also, at no cost, MyPaymentsPlus allows any family to make a prepayment into your student's meal account using a check, credit card, or debit card at MyPaymentsPlus or by calling 1-866-441-9125. Funds deposited through MyPaymentsPlus are usually available for student use within a matter of minutes. Create settings to automatically replenish your student's account when it reaches a low balance.

The Duneland School Corporation encourages all parents (even if you do not prepay for your student's meal account) to create an account at no cost. To create a new account, follow the on-screen directions and register your student using their Student ID number. Student ID numbers can be obtained by contacting customer support at: 1-877-237-0946.