DuneNews
Duneland School news for parents, students and teachers
Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022 Vol. 57 No. 19
DuneNews for the New Year 2023
Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year to you all!
Wishing students and families a restful and relaxing holiday break.
Classes will resume on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. The next issue of the DuneNews will be published on Thursday, January 5, 2023.
The second quarter/first semester will end, and Winter Recess will begin at the end of the school day on Friday, Dec. 16. All classes will resume on Tuesday, January 3. Report cards will be available in the Skyward Parent Portal on Friday, January 6th at 3:00 p.m.
STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
RISE Academy Graduates
Mid-year Graduates Recognized at RISE Academy Ceremony
Pictured above, RISE Academy mid-year graduates, left to right, Ethan Fisher, Alexis Rangel, and Rhys Miller. A full list of graduates not pictured are listed below.
Nine students were recently recognized as mid-year graduates from Duneland RISE Academy.
These students started in the program either in the fall of 2021 or 2022 and have completed all graduation requirements. Collectively, this group has earned 194 credits towards their diploma during this time period. Duneland RISE Academy is Duneland’s alternative learning program allowing students to accelerate their diploma track in a smaller learning environment with additional support. Many RISE students also hold jobs, conduct volunteer work hours, or are participating in career and technical education to round out their school day. Duneland RISE Academy houses students from Chesterton High School and Trojan Virtual Academy.
Graduating from CHS and Duneland RISE Academy in Semester 1 of this school year are: Ethan Fisher, Maxwell Gronceski, David Kuehl, Rhys Miller, Brayden Peyton, Alexis Rangel, Jacob Rutkowski, Taylor Stevens, and Chris Zubrenic.
Students within the program are given a wooden brick to sign and place on the Signatures of Success wall in the Duneland RISE Academy classroom. The wood used is repurposed and cleaned pallet wood symbolic of the journey of the students to find a new path and excel towards a successful end. Students completing work with Duneland RISE Academy go on to work, the trades, and to college based on their anticipated life goals.
Duneland RISE Academy is supported by the counseling and administrative team from Chesterton High School as well as Luke Eliser (teacher), Shalonda Henderson (teacher), Michelle Bruss (social worker), Taylor Lipniskis (Success Coach), Sara Lorenz (Success Coach), Jennifer Bye (admin assistant) and Kevin Zeck (Director) as well as their families and friends.
INSPIRE | ENGAGE | EMPOWER
CHS Speech Competes at Munster
Pictured, left to right, Joshua Hoover, Carmen Thomas and Jackson Dudek.
The Chesterton speech team traveled to Munster High School to compete at their invitational speech tournament on December 10. Munster hosted 10 schools and more than 200 competitors. Chesterton returned home with second place overall, narrowly following Culver Academies.
There were 2 first-place victories from Chesterton, including Joshua Hoover (12) & Jackson Dudek (12) in original performance and Carmen Thomas (10) in original oratory. Hoover and Dudek performed a self-written piece in which they satirically critiqued the state of Indiana speech and debate. They were also the runners-up in improvised duo. Thomas spoke on the importance of embracing vulnerability at a personal and societal level. She was also 4th place in prose interpretation.
Other final round finishes included Cai McClure (12) 6th in drama, Addie Botts (11) 4th in drama, the team of Aleksa Sorgic (10) & Sam Ames (10) 3rd in duo, Katie Asbury (11) 6th in humor, Elsa Leady (10) 3rd in humor, the team of El Thompson (9) & TiffanyNichole Nolasco (11) 4th in improv duo, Aleksa Sorgic 6th in informative speaking, Gigi Hanner (12) 4th in original oratory, Damion Lopez (10) 6th in original performance, Katie Asbury 5th in original performance, Maddi Morton (10) in prose, TiffanyNichole Nolasco 3rd in prose, Savanna Hugley (11) 4th in broadcasting, and Cai McClure 3rd in broadcasting.
This tournament closes out the first semester of competition for the Chesterton speech team. Over break, students and coaches will be hard at work preparing for the second semester, which begins with a combined speech and debate competition at Fishers High School on January 7.
“Second place is a comfortable position to close the first semester,” said coach Karly Carden. “We’ve got plenty of work ahead of us, and this break is a great opportunity to pull ahead of the competition.”
INSPIRE | ENGAGE | EMPOWER
CHS Dance Club
The CHS Dance Team competed this weekend at their first competition of the season at Northrop High School in Fort Wayne. The team placed 1st in Triple-A Kick, 1st is Small Ensemble, 1st in Junior Ensemble and 3rd in Large Ensemble. Soloist Adele Megaro placed 1st in Senior Division, Olyvia Clark placed 2nd in Senior Division and Vanessa Vega placed 1st in the Junior Division. Addie Eagan and Amelia Kelly also competed as soloists. The girls are looking forward to a promising season! Congrats to the CHS Dance Team!
INSPIRE | ENGAGE | EMPOWER
DSC PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
New Teacher Academy
New Duneland teachers attend new teacher academy meetings throughout the school year during their first year of teaching at DSC. The New Teacher Academy hosted a meeting recently lead by Yost Elementary Principal, Josh Huwig.
Huwig presented on the research of John Hattie. Hattie studied and quantified the effects of instructional practices, teacher behaviors, and other attributes of students and school. He identified behaviors of high impact on student learning and those that were less impactful. The goal of the new teacher training presentation was for new teachers to reflect on the teaching strategies they use in their classrooms and consider opportunities to replace or supplement with what research would indicate is a better alternative.
STUDENT ACTIVITIES
German club visits Chicago's Christkindlmarkt
This year, CHS German teachers Herr Knauff and Herr Martinson took 37 CHS German students to the Christkindlmarkt in Chicago. The group shopped at the famous Macy's department store before heading over to the market, where the students tried traditional cuisine such as Bratwurst, pretzels, apple strudel, Stollen (a traditional holiday bread loaf), and roasted nuts. Students were able to shop for holiday candy, ornaments, and woodwork from Germany while at the market. This is a great tradition that makes everyone feel closer to Germany this time of year! For those of you who may go to the market this year, watch out for Krampus and make sure you're on St. Nikolaus' nice list!
Genießen Sie die Feiertage!
(Enjoy the holidays!)
Duneland Early Learning HUB
That's a wrap for Quarter 2. The HUB schedule will resume the week of January 9. Families with 0 to 5 year olds can check us out at https://www.duneland.k12.in.us/earlylearninghub.
From the HUB family to yours, we wish everyone a safe, healthy, restful holiday season filled with play, quality family time and memory making! Happy Holidays!
SCHOOL MEALS:
No Longer FREE For ALL Students
School meals are no longer free for all students during the 2022-2023 school year unless you qualify for free meals through the free or reduced-price meal benefit.*
Please note: Parent/Guardians who owe money for their child(ren)’s meals, will receive an email each day with the amount owed. Those emails will be coming from the cafeteria computer software and will show up with Solana as the sender. Excessive negative balances can be turned over for collections.
Current Meal Prices:
Elementary/Intermediate Breakfast Price - $1.45
Elementary/Intermediate Lunch Price - $2.55
Middle/High Breakfast Price - $1.60
Middle/High lunch Price - $2.95
Parent/Guardian’s can also put money on their child’s meal account through the following link: MyPaymentsPlus
*To see if you qualify for free or reduced price meals you must fill out an application. Applications can be found on the DSC Child Nutrition webpage or by calling your child’s school.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS
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.
CHS Boys Baseball Winter Camp
Duneland Education Foundation (DEF)
On Saturday, January 21, the Duneland Education Foundation is proud to host its 3rd Annual Trivia Night. The event will be from 5-9 p.m. at the Loyal Order of Moose 1623; 602 Broadway Avenue Chesterton, IN 46304. Click on the video below to learn more about the event.
IMPORTANT INFO FOR PARENTS
2022-2023 Procedures for Delaying/Closing Schools
Please review the DSC Procedures for Delaying/Closing Schools in case of inclement weather.
2022-2023 eLearning Guidelines
Guidelines for Students 2022-2023 School Year
Follow the links below by grade level to find the appropriate Unplanned (Virtual - Synchronous) eLearning Day Plan for your student.
Grades K-4 Synchronous Plan - NEW UPDATE!
DSC 2022-2023 Calendar
The REVISED 2022-2023 Duneland School Corporation Calendar is available on our website. Click on the link above to open or visit our website at Resources > Documents and Forms
👀 Looking for dates for NEXT school year? Here is the NEW DSC calendar for 2023-2024
CHS Maroon & Gold Calendar/Bell Schedules
Parent Observer Account
Parents are encouraged to set up their Canvas observer accounts to monitor their students' progress.
Parents can click this link to view how to set up their Parent Observer Account
Link to the Canvas Log In
LONG-TERM CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS
Yost Campus
Liberty Campus
Westchester Campus
At the DSC School Board meeting on Monday, December 5, school board members and the public were updated by Scott Cherry of The Skillman Corporation on the work that has been completed in the last four weeks at each of the current worksites, as well as what will be happening in the upcoming weeks.
The most current information regarding the DSC Long-Term Capital Improvement projects, such as current concept drawings, information and preliminary timelines, are available on the DSC website. The information on the website will be continuously updated as we move forward with the process.
Community members may review the current Long-Term Capital Improvements information that will be continuously updated on the DSC website.
DSC Strategic Plan
The Duneland School Corporation Strategic Plan provides the focus and alignment for the school district over the next 3-4 year. These timelines were revised as of June 2022 to reflect the necessary adjustments to the plan.
DSC NOW HIRING!
The Duneland School Corporation is seeking candidates for the following positions:
CHILD NUTRITION
Child Nutrition associates provide nutrition services to students and staff. Benefit-eligible positions available. Click to apply online
CUSTODIAL
Duneland School Corporation Custodians are required to clean and sanitize all corporation facilities. This position has a highly responsible role in providing custodial services and dealing with students and staff on a regular basis. Custodians interact with individuals both inside and outside the corporation and therefore, must have the ability to present a professional and organized image at all times. Custodians may be required to work in other Duneland School Corporation facilities. Benefit-eligible positions available. Click to apply online
TRANSPORTATION
Duneland School Corporation Transportation positions (Bus Drivers, Sub Bus Drivers) require eligible persons to operate all school vehicles or (Sub Bus Aides) to assist in the transportation of all special students needing additional attention. These positions are highly responsible roles in transporting and dealing with students and staff on a regular basis. Transportation personnel interact with individuals both inside and outside of the corporation and therefore, must have the ability to present a professional and organized image at all times. Benefit-eligible positions available. Click to apply online
SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS
Seeking substitute teachers for all grade levels. To apply for a substitute teaching position, please apply in person at the Duneland Administration Center, 601 W Morgan Ave. in Chesterton to complete an application.
NorthShore Clinic for DSC Students
Duneland School Corporation has partnered with NorthShore Health Services and has established a school-based health clinic that is now located in Chesterton Middle School.
This partnership provides access to healthcare for ALL Duneland School students.
Some of the services include:
- Strep Throat
- Ear Infections
- Immunizations
- Sports Physicals
- Treatment for pink eye
- Rashes
- Behavioral health services and referrals
Duneland parents interested in using the school-based clinic for their child will need to have a signed consent form on file. Consent forms are available from your Duneland school nurse or can be obtained at the NorthShore clinic where the visit is scheduled.
Currently Open:
Mondays and Thursdays - 6:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Tuesdays and Fridays - 7:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Wednesdays - 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Thursdays - 6:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Fridays - 7:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
(Closed on holidays)
The clinic will be open during the Winter Recess with the exception of 12/23/22 and 12/26/22.
Call: 219-983-3776 x7020 -or- the call center at (219)763-8112 to schedule an appointment
601 W Morgan Avenue
Enter using CMS Door #7
CONTACTING IT SUPPORT
The Duneland School Corporation IT department is committed to making hybrid and remote learning models as successful as possible. To get your problems solved as fast as possible:
- Open a new Freshservice ticket:
- AV number is typically located on a sticker on the back/bottom of the device
- Serial number is also acceptable
- AV number is typically located on a sticker on the back/bottom of the device
- Open a Freshservice ticket by sending an email to: helpdesk@duneland.k12.in.us
- Please be sure to include email address, student or staff name, and a description of the problem
- Please use the above best methods to contact the DSC IT Department.
Device Repair
In some cases there will be issues that cannot be resolved remotely. If you have a device that has sustained physical damage (i.e. cracked screen, broken keyboard), please fill out the form below. After submitting the form, a member of the IT department will contact you to schedule your service appointment.
Internet Connectivity
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 for as low as $9.95 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
DECEMBER REFERENDUM SPOTLIGHT
Registered Nurses in Every School Building
On May 7, 2019, residents living in the Duneland School Corporation boundaries voted to continue a twenty-two cents ($0.22) tax levy originally approved in 2012, for the purposes of maintaining the current educational and operational programs of the Duneland School Corporation. This general operating referendum will expire in 2026. Each month, the DuneNews will highlight a different initiative or program being funded by referendum dollars. The Duneland School Corporation thanks the community for their support, and in turn, pledges to be innovative and responsible stewards. This month, DSC highlights Registered Nurses in Every School Building.
The Duneland School Corporation is fortunate to have a registered nurse in each of its school buildings. Only about 50 percent of schools nationwide have a full-time registered nurse for
at least 30 hours per week and 18 percent do
not have a nurse at all.*
A skilled school nurse can be a lifesaver for teachers. School nurses have medical training to deal with the physical and mental illnesses
of students as well as the entire school population. School nurses are a vital part of the health of our schools and community.
* Taken from Building Strong Children: Why We Need Nurses in Schools, by Erin D. Maughan (www.aft.org/ae/spring2016/maughan)
For more referendum information, visit: https://www.duneland.k12.in.us/domain/367
CMS/CHS Student PE/Strength Training Uniforms
Purchase your CMS/CHS student P.E./Strength Training uniforms (shorts and t-shirts) online and arrange to have them delivered to your home or pick up at the store.
Duneland School Corporation
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