DuneNews

As forecasted before construction and planned through redistricting, the enrollment between campuses is much more consistent, with 877 students attending Liberty 5th–8th grade and 855 attending Westchester 5th-8th grade. This includes additional exceptional learning classrooms on both campuses to ensure that students can attend their home campuses with peers. With the change in student start times and restructuring of our bus routes, students enter and exit at the start and end of the school day with little lapse in transition or wait time. Students also spend significantly less time on the bus during their route. Our curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular offerings provide several opportunities for students to learn and grow. The staff at both Liberty and Westchester collaborate regularly to ensure that students are given similar experiences regardless of which school they attend. Students at each grade level are guaranteed access to parallel academic courses, and many of the same co-curricular and extracurricular clubs are available across both campuses. Especially noteworthy is the increase in student engagement and achievement, thus resulting in decreased student disciplinary actions.

This collective effort has laid a strong foundation for continued growth and excellence across our new 5-8 campuses. The collaboration of all stakeholders, strategic planning by DSC staff members, and the support of our community have been instrumental in this success.

The following students and staff members were recognized by the Duneland School Board members at their Monday, April 7 meeting.

Congratulations to CHS Gymnast Sammie Boster on winning the IHSAA State Championship with her Beam routine on Saturday, March 16. Sammie finished her Beam performance with a score of 9.675 which was the best score of the day by all gymnasts by two tenths of a point. In addition, Sammie finished the day in eighth place in the all around with a score of 37.200 with scores of 9.425 (Vault), and 9.050 (Floor and Bars). Sammie was also named to the all-conference team, as well as DAC MVP.

Congratulations to the CHS Japanese Olympiad team for winning two state championships - one in the third and one in the second-year divisions at the Japanese Olympiad of Indiana at DePauw University in Greencastle on February 21. Additionally, the fourth-year team was state runner up. CHS has now won the Japan Bowl/Japanese Olympiad state championship twenty-five times along with three national Japan Bowl championships and one national runner-up.

The Japanese Olympiad of Indiana is an academic competition for second, third and fourth-year students with categories including speaking, culture, kanji characters, proverbs, listening, geography, history, and onomatopoeic expressions.

CHS Japanese Olympiad team members are:

Emily Ponce, Jany Zhang, Hannah Welch, Conleigh Murray, Ria Kashyap, Aly Malinovsky, Rylin Rietman, Maeci Mullet, Marissa Roe, Michael Izguerra, Ellie Johnson, Emily Ilges, and Alina Summer.

Coaches are John Sparks and Aki Tsugawa.

Congratulations to the CHS Speech team for placing 3rd overall in the AAA division at the State speech competition in March. CHS started the day with 18 entries; six of those reached quarterfinals, three advanced to semis, and five made it to the finals!

Individual State Speech Champions are:

Carmen Thomas – State Champion in Original Oratory, 3rd in Broadcasting

Damion Lopez – State Runner-Up in Broadcasting, 3rd in Original Performance
El Thompson – State Runner-Up in Original Oratory

Coaches are: Josh Coots, Aaron Drew, Dannielle Hunt, Jacob Lukach, Andrea Orosz, and Kevin Potter

Congratulations to the Chesterton High School Dance Team for capturing its first championship title at Indiana High School Dance Team Association (IHSDTA) State competition in the AA Jazz category and a second-place finish in the AAA Kick category. In addition, a Small Ensemble routine, comprised of dancers Suzanne Adent, Lana Glazer, Zoe Komp and Georgia Peterson brought home another championship at the IHSDTA Solo & Ensemble State Competition.

Dance team members are: Marley Mayer, Amelia Kelly, Suzanne Adent, Ashley Bafia, Lana Glazer, Mackenzie Kogl, Zoe Komp, Georgia Peterson, Mallory Billings, and Sydney Johnson.

On Saturday, April 5, the Westchester Middle School Science Olympiad team won 4th place at the State tournament hosted at Purdue Northwest in Hammond. The team qualified for state after winning the regional competition in March.

Placing in the top three in their individual events were:

Air Trajectory (1st) - Weston Booras and Noah Rhinehart

Ecology (1st) - Adelyn Booras and Ryan Seaman

Experimental design (1st) - Adelyn Booras, Job Hennigar, and Ben Hiestand

Potions and Poisons (1st) - Adelyn Booras and Stella Strupeck

Dynamic Planet (2nd) - Ryan Seaman and Job Hennigar

Road Scholar (2nd) - Adelyn Booras and Weston Booras

Metric Mastery (2nd) - Robert Hundt and Ben Bryak

Botany (3rd) - Sophia Solmos and Alexis Dees

WMS team members are: Adelyn Booras, Weston Booras, Ben Bryak, Kaitlyn Calloway, Alexis Dees, Job Hennigar, Ben Hiestand, Robert Hundt, Jackson Lukes, Paisley Miller, Liam Mshar, Lennox Murray, Noah Rhinehart, Ryan Seaman, Rylie Sizemore, Avery Smith, Sophia Solmos, and Stella Strupeck

The Chesterton High School Science Olympiad team competed at the State Science Olympiad on Saturday, April 5 against 22 Indiana high schools. Lauren Yarosz and Taryn Wellensiek, pictured at right, earned a 3rd place medal in Bungee Drop. The team earned 10th place overall.

Members of the team include Andrew Adams, Oliver Appel, Izdel Berruecos Huerta, Nicholas Carpentier, Giacomo DePasquale, Natalie Fry, Ria Kashyap, Alaina Welsh McGrogan, Elizabeth Tatone, Mia Tsugawa, Elizabeth Uehling, Abby Vidt, Callum Webb, Taryn Wellensiek, Oliver Wood, Lauren Yarosz, and Jany Zhang. Congratulations to the entire team on a great season!

Congratulations to all the Liberty and Westchester Middle School music groups who participated at the ISSMA Organizational Contests hosted this past weekend at Chesterton High School with the help of music parents and the Boosters. All groups received Gold ratings at the event.

Combined LMS & WMS 8th grade bands are directed by Vince Arizzi and Matt Christensen.

CMS 8th grade Band members are: Clara Arizzi, Nevaeh Arreola, Leonardo Atkins, Vishva Bharath, Ryan Bradford, Elizabeth Bugajski, Samuel Carper, Melody Chapman, Londyn Cohen, Eleanor Dado, Mason Donahue, Kaysen Earle, Ian Fadell, Abiageal Feero, Matzen Finck, Isabella Freeman, Scarlette Gaulke, Hector Gerena, Jr, Tanner Glinski, Graciela Gonzalez Greenman, Olivia Goodwin, Herschel Hardwick, Noah Hyde, Aiden Kirk, Lily Koppers, Payton Kroslack, Marabella Lafata, Joshua Lahaie, Kevin Landers, Eleanor Lewis, Landen Longfellow-Pedraza, Aubrey Lorenz, Sean Maldonado, Benjamin Malinovsky, Audrina McCance, Andrew McClelland, Audrey McDowell, Callum McKiddy, Bailiee Metz, Samantha Mills, Phillip Moon, Thomas Moore, Carter Nadratowski, Mia Navardauskas, Gary Neal, Natalie Newman, Kenzie O'Daniel, Stone Palko, Theron Papachronis, Breanne Pappas, James Peschke, Miranda Ramirez, Nathaniel Regan, Reagan Rex, Te'Ari Reynolds, Calvin Rossi, Emmaline Salentine, Tyler Santiago, Madelynn Scharp, Levi Schott, Katelyn Sim, Hunter Smith, Salvador Stetler, Lucas Torres, Madelyn Welborn, and Aaron White.

The combined LMS & WMS 8th grade orchestras earned Gold ratings from all three judges. The group is directed by Jessica Christensen and Rachel Malott.

CMS 8th grade Orchestra members are: Abigayle Chisko, Elsie Crothers, Julia Depew, Charlotte Ellis, Sierra Else, Elise Engels, Ava Flores, Evelynn Fortney, Elijah Haas, Isabella Hansen, Natalie Hargarten, Job Hennigar, Maxwell Hepner-Gibson, Michelle Horton, Jack Howerton, Daniel Koch, Lacie Linsemeyer, Anya Martin, Elyssa Martin, Hunter Mayer, Lilah McLendon, Jackson Morgan, Evelyn Prater, Ryan Seaman, Makenzie Soto, Lyla Szczudlak, Violet Thompson, Daniel Vidt, and Anna Wayne.

The Liberty MS 7th grade Band is directed by Vince Arizzi.

LMS 7th grade Band members are: Brooke Ales, Adam Anderson, Noah Anderson, Zoe Asbury, Jamie Boyle, Grady Bunting, Colin Campana, Cortez Carter, Sydney Chaffee, Autumn Clark, Grady Clark, Adrienne Clemons, Aaron Combs, Noah Cook, Chayton Cooksey, Aria Costello, Lilian Grace Darden, Kobe Donaldson, Hayden Eppenstein, Cori Evans, Shane Fausset, Benjamin Finger, Norah Fischer, Clara Fletcher, Dillon Gallagher, Lillian Gallion, Evan Gonzalez, Liam Good, Molly Gray, Hannah Grgic, Cora Hardin, Caroline Haubold, Carson Hawthorne, Carter Holland, Isaac Holmes, Ava Isaacson, Maya Kellogg, Charley Love, Daphne Miller, Mackenzie Nichols, Brydon Nicola, Riya Patel, Addison Payne, Cailyn Pearson, Andres Perez, Kaylee Potts, Koty Pronger, Hannah Robertson, Rayanna Romero, Arnaa Saxena, Richella Sierazy, Damien Smith, Evan Soblotne, Elliott Stadler, Ryder Summer, Piper Suppa, Luke Thomas, Ava Vermette, and Garrett Woods.

The Liberty MS Treble Ensemble and Mixed Ensemble both earned Gold. The groups are under the direction of Kristen Garrett, and accompanied by Jane DeVries.

LMS Mixed Ensemble members are: Justin Adams, Anaya Alioto, Clara Arizzi, Ledien Avery, Kaylie Balon, Delilah Barrios, Michael Baughman, Elise Belcher, Vishva Bharath, Katie Biggs, Elizabeth Bugajski, Nevaeh Carr, Londyn Cohen, Everett Cooper, Ellie Coppinger, Lily Costello, Lia Demeo, Julia Depew, Claire Eli, Ian Fadell, Kaiden Harding, Natalie Hargarten, Caelan Heck,

Chloe Herbert, Logan Herbert, Franz Nikola Isla, Iris Jonas, Dilynn Mahoney, Ella Marganti, Hadynn Martinez, Jillian Menear, Samantha Mills, Phillip Moon, Rayna Naccarato, Tucker Nelson, Liam Nieves, Macie Pack, Karoline Price, Kennedy Reynolds, Elena Rosado, Jacob Sessions, Aditi Shiggavi, Arianna Siegmund, Madison Smith, Hunter Smith, Samantha Spalla, Emmalee Szabo, Molly Szostek, Lucas Torres, Liv Waechter, Zenon Wiatrowski, Ava Willis, and Theodore Young.

LMS Treble Ensemble members are: Aria Costello, Emily Delong, Isabelle Fields, Norah Fischer, Clara Fletcher, Aubrey Forsythe, Raegan Gadzala, Molly Gray, Hannah Grgic, Lily Huneryager, Izabella James, Avery Knoll, Kathryn McLendon, Sophia Miller, Autumn Orban, Cailyn Pearson, Claire Rogers, Anya Sartin, Arnaa Saxena, Kinley Sessions, Lauren Spiess, Aubrey Sulski, Rhyan Surane, Jasmina Trajkoski, Zoey Vrancks, Autumn Wall, Natalee Willis, and Mikayla Wozniak.

The Liberty MS 7th grade Orchestra earned Gold ratings from all three judges. The group is directed by Jessica Christensen.

LMS 7th grade Orchestra members are: Annabelle Artis, Cecilia Christ, Charlotte Demsich, Aubrey Forsythe, Caleb Garcia, Isaac Higgins, Sophia Miller, Liam Nieves, Charlize Page, Jason Perrine, Claire Rogers, Madison Skafgaard, Skylar Trembly, Braylinn Weidinger, Natalee Willis, and Izaak Wright.

The Westchester MS 7th grade Band earned Gold. The group is directed by Matt Christensen.

WMS 7th grade Band members are: Piper Adler, Derek Ames, Quinn Bartkus, Abby Blankenship, Jocelyn Bodenstein, Weston Booras, Emily Carnes, Sophia Christopher, Kyle Dant, Jr, Alexis Dees, Kingsley Flynn, James Gano, Jr, Hunter Grcich, Cassidy Hallock, Na'Talyia Howard, Albert Howerton, Robert Hundt, Dylan Johnson, Tessa Johnston, Abigail Kuffer, Garrett Kuta, Ella Lamar, Matthew Loyer, Jackson Lutrick, Zoey Maldonado, Aleeyah McCormick, Jackson McCurdy, Audrey Mercaldo, Elijah Nay, Olivia Nowka, Cohen Parrott, Piper Pavy, Brielle Purser, Grace Reinhardt, Carver Ricks, Isabelle Siegmund-Mruk, Rylie Sizemore, Avriana Spears, James Stathis, Dylan Steele, Colton Vanderploeg, Andrew Yerks, and Nathan Zuranski.

The Westchester MS Treble Ensemble and Mixed Ensemble both earned Gold. The groups are under the direction of Bella Marquez, and accompanied by Gina Jones.

WMS Mixed Ensemble members are: Samuel Carper, Emily Clark, Kaylee Collins, Penelope Didelot, Olivia Goodwin, Micah Gray, William Hipp, Emily Hoffman, Michelle Horton, Charles Irvine, Lily Koppers, Payton Kroslack, Eleanor Lewis, Holden McCready, Brooklynn McCurdy, Mason McElroy, Natalie Miller, Morgan Millis, Ryder Monik, Aviana Murray, Gary Neal, Saniah Newcome,

Natalie Newman, Layla Niewiadomski, Adrianna Nowka, Sophia Ontiveros, Zoey Pierce, Alexandria Ponce, Arabella Purser, Carver Ricks, Madelynn Scharp, Zander Serratore, Melody Shapiro, Rylie Sizemore, Sarina Spoonmore, Dylan Steele, Natalie Stewart, Lyla Szczudlak, Grayson Tenbarge, Violet Thompson, Kiersten Tucker, James Vernon, Olivia Witt, and Coralei Zeilstra.

WMS Treble Ensemble members are: Amelia Anguiano, Elena Baruth, Paisley Cherkis, Marlo Colburn, Blythe Curran, Alexis Dees, Brooklyn Fields, Hope Fuller, Cassidy Hallock, Ella Henderson, Emma Lane, Elisa Marquez, Virginia Murray, Olivia Nowka, Amelia Parlor, Linnea Ransberry, Alexa Reed, Felicity Robinson, Victoria Rosas, Mia Schirripa, Nora Shultz, Amiracle Slack, Avriana Spears, Nadia Stone, and Leanna Valadez.

The Westchester MS 7th grade Orchestra earned Gold. The group is directed by Rachel Malott.

WMS 7th grade Orchestra members are: Emma Allshouse, Danielle Burchuk, Della Capodice, Marlo Colburn, Blythe Curran, Daelyn Dolph, Kyleigh Evans, Trinity Evans, Ella-Patricia Ewing, Brooklyn Fields, Hope Fuller, Micah Gray, Ella Henderson, Cooper Himan, Penelope Lockhart, Liam Mshar, Lennox Murray, Patrick Norris, Chase Olszewski, Matthew Overbey, Scott Pfeiffer, Felicity Robinson, Nora Shultz, Amiracle Slack, Avery Smith, Genevieve Smith, Sophia Solmos, Natalie Stofko, Grayson Tenbarge, Lydia Thompson, Olivia Vereb, Catherine Ward, and Sadie Williams.

Two Brummitt Elementary Robotics teams participated in the VexIQ State Robotics Championship on March 22, in Indianapolis. The GLAM Techs (34160A) and Firebots (34160G) put forth their best effort and had a great time doing it!

Student DJs at Chesterton High School

Chesterton High School’s WDSO Radio Station will host their 34rd annual Radiothon on Friday, April 18, and the week of April 21 - 25.

DJs will take song requests, song dedications, and will be giving away prizes all week long. Giveaways will be prizes from local businesses and WDSO Merch. Students will be live on the air participating in the station’s pledge drive Friday, April 18 from 3 - 10 p.m., and Monday, April 21 - Friday, April 25 from 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. On Friday, April 18, WDSO is encouraging all alumni and WDSO lovers near and far to sport their WDSO shirts and hoodies that day to show their support of the station and its student DJs. If you don’t already have one and would like to participate, you can purchase and pick up a t-shirt anytime during school hours by contacting the station and placing an order. Shirts are $25.00, and Hoodies are $35.00.

The Radiothon will be led by Senior program directors Braden Kennelly and Elsa Estridge; and WDSO staff members and DJs Dallas Howard, Cece Post, Claire Demmon, Sam Ames, Joe Lucken, Phoe, Damion Lopez, and Owen Edlen.

During the event, listeners can make a pledge by calling the station at (219) 983-3777 or by contacting the station through Facebook Messenger. Listen to WDSO on FM 88.3, or stream through the Tune-in app, or you can ask your Alexa or Google Home to play WDSO. Pledges can be mailed in with cash, checks made out to WDSO, or donate via credit/debit card through the link, which will be posted on WDSO’s Facebook starting Friday, April 18. WDSO will also be bringing back the retro logo shirts for a donation of $25. The logo (at right) was designed in the 1980s by Chesterton resident Deano Recktenwall. These were a huge hit last year! Anyone interested in a throwback shirt, or one of WDSO’s other logos should contact the station.

WDSO 88.3 FM, is Chesterton High School’s student-run, not-for-profit radio station. WDSO has been on the air since 1976, and its sound waves reach listeners in Chesterton, Portage, Valparaiso, and Michigan City. WDSO broadcasts a wide variety of music all year long. During the school year, the station provides listeners with local news, weather reports, local sports coverage, and a variety of educational and community-driven programs Monday through Friday. Students who join WDSO have the opportunity to learn hands-on about media production and broadcasting, allowing them to gain skills, confidence, and a connection with their community.

WDSO members engage with community members and give them an opportunity to teach others about topics they are passionate about. The integration of these programs allows both staff members and listeners to strengthen their bond with their community and become involved and informed citizens. WDSO strives to bring attention to and elevate the voices of residents, community assets and issues, local history, and cultural highlights. WDSO is dedicated to being a place where young and emerging adults can form lasting mentorship bonds and community connections. Students can explore futures in broadcasting careers while building confidence, leadership, communication, and STEM skills that they will use throughout their lifetime.

Donations received from the public during WDSO’s yearly Radiothon help support the station's general upkeep, as well as funding the cost of a much-needed mixing board upgrade. Support from the community helps ensure that WDSO will stay on the air for years to come, allowing Chesterton High School students the unique opportunity to study and work in a student-run, not-for-profit radio station. This will be WDSO’s 34rd annual Radiothon. The first Radiothon was hosted in 1991, WDSO members Brandon Kroft and Daryl Anderson attempted to be on-air for 30 hours straight the DJs managed to stay on the air for twenty-four hours and raised a total of $283.60.

WDSO is currently looking for donations from local businesses, specifically gift certificates to contribute to their pool of on-air giveaways, a staple of Radiothon. Additionally, the station is seeking out testimonials from WDSO alumni to read on air about why WDSO was beneficial to you. Reach out on WDSO’s Facebook messenger or email efletcher@duneland.k12.in.us if you would like to contribute to either cause.

Brummitt Elementary Library partnered with the Porter County Chapter of the Izaak Walton League for their annual VIP Science Night on Thursday, April 4. The Izaak Walton League is a conservation organization who prides itself on being “Defenders of Soil, Air, Woods, Water, and Wildlife.” Volunteers came to Brummitt to teach our students about many interesting topics relating to their mission. Students and their VIPs (Very Important People) were able to see live animals, participate in archery, learn about the importance of recycling, and much more!

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

Westchester 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 Westchester 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. Westchester 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."

Westchester 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 Lauren Seiss. 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.

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

8th Grade Reality Check is set for May 9, 2025, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. at Liberty Middle School, located at 50 W 900 N in Chesterton. For more than 20 years, this event has been preparing 8th grade students from the Duneland area on how to be successful in life after graduation.

Students are given a predetermined salary that they would earn in their chosen profession at age 28. During 8th Grade Reality Check, they visit tables where they pay such expenses as taxes, housing, childcare, etc. Some do end up in bankruptcy, while others may have a little money left over at the end. The ones that have remaining funds can “spend” their money on imaginary rewards such as investments, trips, concerts, motorcycles and so on.

The Reality Check is organized by the Duneland Chamber of Commerce and the Duneland School Corporation. The event takes over 120 volunteers each year. Volunteers are welcome to take part in the 8th Grade Reality Check for either a half day or whole day. Morning sessions are from 7:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., and afternoon sessions are from 11:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Lunch is provided for all-day volunteers. Volunteers should contact Rachel Campbell at the Duneland Chamber of Commerce at 926-5513 or by email at rachel@dunelandchamber.org. Volunteers can also register online www.dunelandchamber.org/events

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 at 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.

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". Performances are on Friday and Saturday, April 11 & 12 at 6:00 p.m. at Liberty Middle School. Please use Door W16 to attend the event.

• 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.

Come and help the CHS Alumni Association raise money for CHS Senior Scholarships and enjoy some fellowship with CHS Alumni!

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

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.

The DEF Gala Auction is online! Can't make it to the Gala, you can still bid on our fantastic auction items! Over 50 items! There's something for everyone! https://givebutter.com/c/DEF2025

Feeling nostalgic? Would you love to own a piece of Duneland School Corporation history? We have several pieces of the Goldsborough Gym Floor up for auction at this year's gala! https://givebutter.com/c/DEF2025

CHS Boys Basketball Camp 2025 Link to registration for boys in grades K-8

It's Dad's turn to tell his three rambunctious kids their bedtime stories, but when he gets fuzzy on the details, the classics get creative: a prince with a snoring problem spices up The Princess and The Pea, The Boy Who Cried Wolf cries dinosaur instead, and Rumpelstiltskin helps turn all that pesky gold into straw. You may think you know your fairy tales, but not the way Dad tells them.

Please RSVP to this final Parent Ambassador meeting of the year to Lisa Ilgin at 219-983-3600 or lilgin@duneland.k12.in.us

Mark you calendar for this informational evening for incoming Westchester Middle School students and parents.

WHEN: Saturday, July 12, 2025

WHERE: Spa Special Events Center - 333 N Mineral Spring Road, Porter, IN

TIME: 6-10 p.m.

Click for more details on the Class of 1990 Reunion

The Duneland School Corporation Early Learning HUB is proud to be the first birth-to-school initiative in Porter County. It’s a special place where caregivers and children can come together to learn, play, and grow.

This April, the HUB is exploring exciting topics like rainbows, plants, food, and so much more with our families. If you have children ages 0-5, we invite you to join us Monday through Friday at the HUB for some fun and engaging activities!

Don’t miss out on this FREE program—visit our DSC website to learn more and get involved!

DSC Duneland Early Learning HUB

The Trojan Learning Center (TLC) provides a variety of educational opportunities designed to support young children and their families. Here’s a glimpse of what we offer:

• 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: Duneland Early Learning HUB.
• Preschool Programs
  Tailored 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, expanding learning options and enhancing the educational experience.

Our preschool programs are grounded in a research-based curriculum that promotes children’s social skills and emotional development. At TLC, we ensure every child is immersed in a nurturing, engaging 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