WIS Weekly
September 12, 2022
January 23, 2023
It's all about OUR KIDS!
- Who needs support at home, in school, and in the community? ... Our Kids!
- Who needs our guidance, attention, and patience today and everyday? ... Our Kids!
- Who will shape the future of our world tomorrow and in the years to come? ... Our Kids!
A Message From Mr. Longacre...
Dear WIS Family,
We are very excited to offer the VNA Phoenix Center / Westchester Club for students who have lost a loved one. This after-school program is designed to help students as they grieve the loss of a loved one. Through a variety of fun and age-appropriate activities, students will learn coping skills and peer-interaction strategies, as well as share their individual stories. The club will meet at 4:15 p.m. on Thursdays starting on February 2nd and continue weekly until March 9th. There is no cost.
We know losing a loved one affects the family. Consequently, if there is enough interest, we will also have a parent/guardian group meeting simultaneously. Please keep in mind, students may participate either alone or with their parents/guardians.
If you are interested in participating in this newly created club, please follow the Google link below. (Note: There will be a questionnaire to let us know who passed away and a form from VNA Phoenix Center to complete. Mrs. Hurst will send them to you.)
If you have any questions, please contact Maureen Hurst, Westchester School Counselor at mhurst@duneland.k12.in.us or 219 983-3710 ext. 6103.
Respectfully,
Mr. Longacre
As always, please reach out to me anytime.
Honor Roll Party
The annual WIS Winter Honor Roll Lock-in was a complete success. Students from 5th and 6th grades enjoyed a fantastic late afternoon which featured an abundance of energy and vitality, a plethora of hustle and bustle, and a fair amount of food and fun. DJ Andy enhanced the pm vibe by providing a complete hip-hop dance mix. Different areas within WIS offered the students the opportunity to engage in a wide range of kid-friendly activities. Even a chicken showed up to get the party started! Students are reminded that maintaining good grades is the only ticket they need to gain admission to the next honor roll lock-in.
A look into WIS classrooms...
5th Grade Curriculum
Language Arts
In 5th grade we continued to read the novel Hoot, filling out character charts and plot mountains as we went through the events and details of the novel. Tuesday of this week we take our first novel quiz, in which students are encouraged to refer back to their books and notes to support the skill of utilizing the text to find and cite answers.
Students are making excellent text-to-text connections as we continue our expository text unit with our Interactive Read Alouds. Last week we explored stories about birds and giant squid. In the coming week we will continue to look at non-fiction text features such as headings, subheading, pictures, captions, diagrams, maps and charts as we read A Cod’s Tale and The Story of Salt.
Math
Last week, students worked on adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators. We will continue with that skill this week and have a quiz on Thursday or Friday.
Social Studies
- Students will not be blocking with Science this week. Students will have both Science and Social Studies every day this week. Students are creating posters of historical figures who made a significant impact on the American Revolution.
Science
- Last week in science the students continued learning about properties of matter and the different states. The students took some time to explore the affect temperature has on reaction rates. We will continue learning about matter and the difference between chemical and physical reactions this week.
6th Grade Curriculum
Language Arts
Sixth grade ELA students will be assessed over author's purpose and perspective at the end of this week. Students have been working diligently on their RACE (Restate, Answer, Cite, and Explain) responses.
Honors ELA students will continue reading their chapters on Robinson Crusoe. They will also analyze the speaker/characters of "Invictus" and how they relate to the Power of Mind.
Math
This past week math students continued studies in algebra. The week ended with students testing over inequalities. Student notebooks should be filled with rich vocabulary centered on both equations and inequalities. Students should be studying vocabulary frequently.
This week students will review perimeter and area. Students will focus on the area of parallelograms, triangles, and trapezoids.
Social Studies
- Students will begin to learn about the Renaissance period which is a period in European civilization that was marked by a revival of Classical learning and wisdom. They will learn about different people who impacted this period.
Science
- This week in science students will use their creativity to design a comic strip about the adaptations an alien would need to live on one of the planets in our solar system (not Earth).
- Students will then construct an alien that has those adaptations using recycled materials, household items , and craft supplies. We will provide some craft supplies, but students will need to bring other materials from home ( empty and clean pop bottles, empty toilet paper rolls, empty paper towel rolls, egg cartons, foil, and other “recycled materials” that could be used to construct an alien)….so save your clean trash to send with them for the project.
Related Arts
Music
- This week in music class, fifth grade students are learning about the instruments of the orchestra, and how the different instruments may be used in their musical compositions. Sixth grade students are reinforcing their rhythm skills and learning major and minor chords so they can use those elements in their composition projects.
PE
- In PE this week, students are going to start their basketball unit. Students will work on skills, drills, and lead-up games.
Art
- Visual art students continued looking at the art of Asia. The students used value (shading) techniques along with various textures to create Chinese influenced Dragon Eyes. The students created a color scheme using blending colors to add color to their artwork.
Health
- In Health, Mrs. Mitchell's 5th grade SRT and Mrs. Filipek's 6th grade SRT will begin their Health rotation. Students will be in Health until February 3, and will not be in their SRT class. They may have more work to complete at home than normal.
Mark your calendar...
Jan. 24th
Culver's Night...Donate while you dine!
Jan. 26th
ASL Club Meeting
Meet in the Maker's Space
Jan. 27th
Intramural Basketball Sign-Ups
We are pleased to offer our students an opportunity to play Intramural Basketball at WIS. Intramural Basketball will consist of ball handling, shooting drills, and, of course, playing basketball. We are planning to run our after-school program for girls Monday thru Thursday from January 30th to February 16th, from 3:15 P.M. - 4:15 P.M. The boys' program will practice on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from February 21st thru March 20th. Students will be picked up from door 8 on the north side of the building. Players will need to wear athletic clothing and athletic shoes to play.
If your child is interested in participating this year please complete the following form:
If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Doolin at bdoolin@duneland.k12.in.us, regarding the boys' program, or Mrs. Guess at kguess@duneland.k12.in.us, regarding the girls' program. You may also call the school at (219) 983-3710.
Recess Donations Needed
Due to our ongoing construction during the next couple of winter months, students will sometimes have limited choices for recess activities.
Here's how you can help: We are looking for a couple of Nintendo 64 gaming systems and controllers so that we may offer students the opportunity to participate in some friendly lunchtime competitions. Games are also welcome as long as they are kid-friendly titles (e.g. Mario-Kart, Mario Golf, Starfox, etc.).
If you have a N64 console, controller, or game in working condition that is no longer needed, please consider donating it by contacting WIS Library/Media (983-3710 ext. 6171). Thank you.
WIS PTO Fundraiser
Family Trivia Night
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.
eLearning Information for 2022-2023
eLearning Updates for 2022-2023
Please read and make yourself aware of the updated eLearning guidelines. The biggest change will be how lessons are coordinated on unscheduled eLearning days. On these days, students will take part in Google meet sessions with their teachers to receive face to face instruction. Teachers will post schedules by 9:00 A.M. on the eLearning day.
2022-2023 Procedures for Delaying/Closing Schools
Please review the DSC Procedures for Delaying/Closing Schools in case of inclement weather.
The Chesterton High School Hall of Fame Committee has developed a program of recognition designed to honor those individuals who through their commitment, sacrifice, and dedication to the Chesterton High School Athletic Program have brought pride and distinction to our school community as a player, coach, administrator, or active supporter.
If you are interested in nominating someone for the CHS Athletic Hall of Fame, please download and complete the form below or submit the online form below.
The deadline for nominations is Monday, February 27. The 2023 Hall of Fame Class will be announced in June and honored at halftime of the Trojan football game against Warsaw on Friday, August 24. In addition there will be a dinner banquet held on Saturday, August 25, 2023 to celebrate these outstanding individuals and their success.
All submissions must be completed and submitted via this form below and submitted to the Chesterton High School Athletic Department or completed online with the link below.
9th Annual Alley-Oop for Awareness Game
Attention Chesterton Basketball Fans! The 9th annual Alley-Oop for Awareness basketball game will be taking place on Saturday, January 28th. For those of you who have not attended this night before, it is a very special competition featuring some very special people. Students from the CHS Applied Skills class will be scrimmaging against the JV and Varsity players. To commemorate the contest, a limited number of game shirts will be on sale for $15 each. All proceeds will go towards the Peer Leader Scholarship. In addition, some athletes will be signing autographs after the game. If you're a hoops fan looking for a community event that truly celebrates Our Kids, then this game is for you. Let's give these student-athletes a full house of fans to cheer them on-- we hope to see you in the crowd!
Helpful Links
2022-2023 Duneland School Calendar
(REVISED 6/6/22)
Skyward
Class schedules, grades, bus routes, ILearn, and lots more!
Westchester Intermediate School
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/