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This Week at Jackson
August 5th
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Friday, September 1st
Pictures from This Week
Labor Day Holiday
Labor Day Holiday: There will be no school for all Duneland School students on Monday, Sept. 4 to observe the holiday. Classes will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 5.
Have a safe and happy Labor Day!
Beginning of the Year mCLASS & NWEA Testing
All grades will make use of the mCLASS and NWEA assessments. The mCLASS battery of assessments focuses in a student's decoding and reading skills, comparing each student's results to the expected grade-level benchmark for that testing window. NWEA tests students in reading and math; upper grades add a language usage assessment. These results are nationally-normed, so the results you see will provide you a sense of how your student compares to their peers across the country.
Looking Ahead: Standards-Based Grading
Last spring, we shared information with you regarding the shift from traditional grading practices to standards-based grading that is taking place in all Duneland elementary schools this year. At that time, the following table was shared with you comparing the two grading practices.
As we move deeper into the academic year, we wanted to remind you of this shift so that you understand the language students and teachers will be using, which will be reflected in what you see in Skyward's Parent Access Portal.
One of the major changes that parents and students will see is an increased focus on proficiency scales. Our teachers have been working to turn the Indiana Academic Standards into proficiency scales that clearly define what students must be able to do to demonstrate they have mastered the standard. Each scale defines different levels of proficiency: emerging, foundation, target, and beyond target.
The below picture is a great way to begin to understand proficiency scales.
Many of us have had the experience of learning to ride a bicycle. When we begin, our learning target is to be able to ride a bicycle independently. This is the goal; once we can do this, we will have demonstrated our proficiency in riding a bicycle.
However, when we begin to ride, we often need support from others, including training wheels and the guiding hand of a trusted adult. Although we might say we are riding a bicycle, at this point our proficiency is only emerging, or beginning to develop. Later, we might ride only with training wheels. Although an adult no longer needs to be there to guide us, our reliance on training wheels shows that we are only at a foundational level of independently riding a bicycle. Take away our training wheels and we may struggle.
Once we continue to develop our proficiency with more practice, we may reach our learning target of riding a bicycle independently. At this point, we will have demonstrated the target level of proficiency. But what happens if we want to continue to demonstrate our riding proficiency?
Some of us may develop riding skills beyond the target, perhaps riding independently on mountain trails. Although this is to be celebrated, we should remember that our goal was to ride a bicycle independently, not to go mountain biking.
Friday Story with Mr. Marshall
Today marked the return of our Friday story. Although construction has forced a pause to our video announcements, today we tried a new method to bring the entire school together for a story. We read The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak. Mrs. Sloan's students joined us as our live studio audience, while the rest of the school joined virtually from their classrooms.
High Ability Services
If your child was identified last spring as needing high ability services, they will begin to receive services in their qualifying area starting the week of Labor Day. Due space constraints during construction, we will be converting the old main office into the new high ability classroom.
Reminder: New Behavioral Expectations for Students
Our rules are: be safe, be respectful, and be responsible. A copy of our rules and how they apply in different school contexts is below. Because it is designed to be printed on 11x17 paper, the font is very small in this format.
School Pictures
Picture Day for Jackson Elementary School is scheduled for Thursday, Sep 28.
This event's Order Code is 80466BF.
Online ordering is available before and after Picture Day. Shipping and handling charges may apply to orders placed after Picture Day.
Panda Express Fundraiser
PTO Calendar
Lunch Menu
Related Arts Rotation
With the exception of the first four days of school, our students rotate through their related arts classes every two days. The below charts will help you to know what is happening with your child each day.
DSC 2023-2024 Calendar
Meet the New HUB Coordinator
Chesterton Basketball, K-6
Duneland School Clinic
Duneland Transportation
Information regarding student bus transportation for the 2023-2024 school year is available on DSC website under the Transportation Department.
Track Student's Bus with MyStop App
The DSC Transportation has My Stop available for our families.
My Stop is a web-based application which allows parents to access live bus GPS information using a smartphone, tablet, or computer and securely view the current location of your child’s bus on routes. The system also provides the bus’s estimated time of arrival at your child’s bus stop.
Please read the attached letter to parents for more information on how to use My Stop to track your child's bus.
Child Nutrition: 2023-2024 School Meals
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 2023-2024 school year will be available on the DSC Child Nutrition website beginning Tuesday, August 15, 2023.
MyPayment Plus for School Meals
Need to add money to your students school meal account on MyPaymentsPlus? Click on the image below to access
Duneland Community Opportunities
The goal of the Duneland School Corporation district school newsletters is to inform students, parents and the school community about school-related information.
This year, the Duneland Schools will share information that pertains to opportunities our students may be interested in 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.