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!

WIS Family,

I hope you all had a restful and enjoyable summer. I am thrilled to welcome each of you back to Westchester Intermediate School as we embark on this new school year together. This year brings exciting changes and new opportunities for our school community. As we open our new 5-8 Westchester campus, we look forward to creating a vibrant and supportive environment for our students to learn and grow.

On a personal note, I spent part of my summer vacationing at Gun Lake in Michigan with my family. It was a unique and memorable trip, complete with a rented pontoon boat and family members, including some boyfriends and girlfriends— haha! Additionally, I worked on a Father’s Day gift from my children, a journal titled "Dad, I Want to Hear Your Story." This project prompted deep reflection on my life and led to meaningful conversations with my parents and siblings as I gathered accurate details for the journal. I highly recommend undertaking a similar project to share your stories with your children, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews.

If you are planning on attending our Back-to-School-Night this evening, August 12th, please see below.

WIS and WMS Self-Guided Tours: 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Students and parents may come anytime during this period to tour the building and get familiar with the locations of their classes and lockers.

WIS Families & Students: 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

1. You will need access to your student’s schedule. I recommend taking a screenshot of it.

2. Please park on the north or south side of Westchester.

3. When you arrive, please enter our cafeteria.

4. If you need a hard copy of your student’s schedule, please go to our main office to receive one.

Agenda:

• Meeting with Mr. Longacre and Related Arts Team in the Cafeteria

• After the meeting with Mr. Longacre, you will proceed to the 5th or 6th grade hallways to meet teachers and familiarize yourself with WIS.

As always, please reach out to me anytime.

Mr. Longacre

slongacre@duneland.k12.in.us

This is the perfect opportunity to check in with the WIS teachers to see how the school year has started. Each grade will have a dedicated time for talking with teachers and touring the building. We hope you'll join us for this event.

Our SRO (School Resource Officer), Officer Joe Christian, has put together a detailed video that goes over procedures for student drop-off & pick-up.

Note: Door numbers have changed. We will use Door 17 not Door 8.

How do returning Duneland Students Register?

• Go to Skyward to register online. Parents are encouraged to use a computer instead of a cell phone mobile app to complete the registration.

Where do I find my student's schedule?

• Schedules will be available in Skyward on Friday, August 9th.

What supplies are needed for the first day of school?

The flyer above has more information on school supplies. Students will need a backpack.

Will bus service be provided?

• Yes, but riding the school bus is a privilege. School busses are extensions of the school environment. To maintain safe student transportation, proper bus conduct is required of all student riders. Discipline for poor behavior will range from a simple warning to suspension of bus services.

Where do I find bus information?

• Bus information was available on your student's Skyward account on Friday, August 11th.
• In Skyward, navigate to the Portfolio and the Transportation drop-down.

Where is car rider drop off/ pick up?

• Pick up and drop off students at Door 18 (north side of the school).
• When entering from 5th street, take an immediate right into student pick up/drop off lanes.
• Cones will be placed where cars should stop.

• Staff will be out assisting with traffic flow -- please follow directions.

Will students be provided lunch by the corporation?

• Families not already utilizing Duneland's food assistance program will pay for lunch this school year.
• More information regarding free and reduced lunch can be found below: https://www.duneland.k12.in.us/Page/164
• In addition, students will need to memorize their student identification numbers for presentation during checkout in the lunch line. Students' numbers can be found in Skyward under Student Info.

Is WIS a food allergy aware school?

• Yes, several students at our school have life-threatening food allergies. Trace amounts of foods like peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat may cause hives difficulty breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, or swelling of the lips/mouth/throat, which in turn can lead to anaphylaxis and even death. Even touching contaminated surfaces may cause a reaction. WIS faculty and staff have been trained to recognize such a reaction and to administer medication (epinephrine) in an emergency.
• What can you do to help?
1. Instruct your child to not share lunch items with classmates.
2. Remind your child about the importance of hand washing before and after eating.
3. Support our policy of no snacks and birthday treats at WIS.
4. Tell your child to get help from an adult immediately if a classmate has a reaction.

Will students have lockers?

• Yes, students will have lockers this school year. We are currently working on the lockers, and our goal is to have them ready for the first day of school.
  
• We recommend practicing with your students on how to use a combination lock at home.

What information does my student need to know for the first day?

• Students will need to know how they will get home; this question will be asked by your child's teacher.

• When students arrive, they will be greeted by a staff member. Fifth graders will be escorted to Gym A, and sixth graders will be escorted to the cafeteria. While in the cafeteria or gym, students will sit with their first-period class. From both of these locations, teachers will walk students to their first class and provide escort or guidance to rooms throughout the day.
• Students need to memorize their student ID number. The ID will be used to access their lunch accounts.
• Cell phones must be turned off when students enter the building and will remain in their lockers throughout the school day. If a child needs to contact home, they may use a school phone.

• It is helpful if your child knows the name of their first-period teacher and bus number.

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.

Dear Parent/Guardians of 6th Grade Students,

Please make sure your child's immunizations are up to date. Exclusions Day for 6th grade students who are not current with their immunizations is Thursday, September 12th.

If you have any questions, please contact WIS School Nurse, Tina Sosby, R.N. at 219-983-3710 or via email at tsosby@duneland.K12.in.us.

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.

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/