Believe and Achieve Times
Student and Parent Edition: May 17, 2021
COVID-19 Vaccine Available at CMS on May 24th!!!!
It’s Finally Your Turn!
All students 12 and older are now eligible for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
Even though students are at a lower risk for complications, you now have the opportunity to protect yourself and those around you.
Get the vaccine for yourself as well as your family and friends!
Also, did you know… Once you are fully vaccinated, you no longer have to quarantine if you’ve been exposed to a person with the virus.
This means more time out with friends, more time participating in extracurricular activities and the chance to get back to your regular life. Don’t miss out!
Duneland School Corporation is planning a local vaccination clinic at Chesterton Middle School on May 24th from 2:00 – 4:00.
Any student interested in getting the COVID-19 vaccination must pick up a consent form from the nurses office. These consent forms must be completed with parent consent and turned in no later than Friday, May 21.
Graduation Information
Graduation plans for the Class of 2021 are now set! Below are detailed plans approved by the Porter County Health Department regarding our upcoming Graduation Ceremony. Tickets will be available for students to pick up beginning on Friday, May 14 in the main office. Only students can pick up tickets. Students will be given the following tickets for guests to attend:
10 Blue tickets
8 Yellow tickets
6 Orange tickets
4 Red tickets
Handicapped Seating: Families in need of handicapped seating for the graduation ceremony must exchange 2 tickets of every color set (red, orange, yellow, and blue) in the main office. In exchange, they will receive 2 handicapped seating tickets. Due to the limited capacity for the ceremony, only 2 tickets can be exchanged.
Each week Porter County is labeled with one of the above colors based on the COVID-19 positivity rate. Patrons will use the tickets allotted based on the color labeled by the Porter County Health Department at the time of the event. For example, if we are labeled 'Yellow' on June 9th, then each student will be allowed to have 8 guests attend the graduation ceremony and only 'yellow' tickets will be accepted for entrance to this event. Below are more detailed plans regarding the Graduation Ceremony for the Class 2021.
Graduation Ceremony Plan 2021
Date: June 9th, 2021 (June 10th, 2021, in case of inclement weather)
Time: 7 pm ceremony
Duration: 2 hours
Handicapped Seating at Graduation!
If guests attending graduation are in need of handicapped seating, two of the tickets from all color-coded sets (two red, orange, yellow and blue tickets) must be exchanged for two handicapped seating tickets in the main office. Due to the limited capacity for graduation, only two tickets will be available if necessary.
Handicapped parking tags will also be available in the main office.
Student Staging & Processional:
- Students arrive no later than 6 pm and report directly to the CHS field house.
- Students will receive a copy of the seating chart in advance via email.
- Students will receive video instructions outlining the entire graduation plan.
- Folding chairs are staged in the field house in two sections of 11 chairs and 45 rows facing west.
All chairs will be separated by 4 feet in all directions.
All students and adults must wear masks while indoors during staging and processional.
Staff will take attendance and ensure dress code compliance.
The dress code will include a mask donated by local organizations.
The dress code will require that female students do not wear high heeled shoes in order to prevent damage to the turf field.
Other dress code traditions will remain from previous ceremonies.
At approximately 6:40 pm, the graduates will be led in order out door 34, while maintaining social distancing requirements and into two single file lines of students.
Teachers assigned to sit with and guide the graduates will maintain the appropriate spacing throughout the processional. Students will be directed to allow 3-6 feet of space per graduate to prevent the lines from shrinking to below the 3 foot guidelines.
Students will cross the north parking lot and enter the CHS stadium through the south gate and onto the football field.
Near the southern goalpost, the two lines will separate and students will walk along the sidelines until they reach their designated row.
Stadium & Student Seating:
Each student will be allotted a certain number of tickets based on the county COVID-19 positivity rate at the time of the ceremony. Blue=10, Yellow=8, Orange=6, Red=4. These numbers are based on the capacity of the CHS stadium and the positivity rate in Porter County at the time of the event.
Gates open at 5:30 pm.
Only ticketed guests may attend the graduation ceremony. Guests will be required to wear a mask throughout the ceremony.
Seating for the ceremony will be available on the home and visitors’ sides of the stadium.
Guests will only be able to sit in designated areas.
Handicapped seating will be available on the track on both the east and west sides of the football field. Guests needing handicapped seating may sit in pairs if family members attending the ceremony cannot climb the stadium stairs. The handicapped seating will be separated 6 feet apart in all directions.
The CHS band will practice social distancing and set up on the southwest side of the track.
The stage will be set up on the football field at the 5 yard line near the southern end zone and face north.
Graduate seating will have 45 rows of 22 students, divided into two large sections of 11 students with an aisle in the middle. Each student chair will be separated by 3 feet in all directions.
When student names are read over the PA, teachers will direct the students to stand as they await their turn and lead students to maintain social distancing guidelines in between the next person in line.
Students will be able to remove their masks while seated on the football field.
Students must wear their masks while receiving their diploma, but may remove it briefly for a photograph
Students will return to their seat once they have received their diploma.
- At the conclusion of the graduation ceremony, graduates will stand and conduct a recessional out of the stadium and return to CHS to pick up their diplomas.
- Students will wear masks throughout the recessional
- Students in the east and west sections will form two single-file lines while maintaining social distancing. The lines will exit the stadium through the north gate and walk into the school building.
- Students in the east section will enter Door 31. Students in the west section will enter Door 34.
- The students who enter Door 31 will report to the cafeteria to pick up their diplomas. Diplomas will be organized inside the cafeteria on the south wall and separated by six feet.
- The students who enter Door 34 will report to the field house to pick up their diplomas. Diplomas will be organized on the north wall of the field house and separated by six feet. Students will exit the field house through Doors 32 and 33.
- Graduates will receive their diplomas and exit the school building.
- Once the graduates have left the CHS stadium, the guests will be asked to remain in their seats and await dismissal.
- Handicapped seating will be dismissed first, followed by the lower sections of the southern sides of the bleachers. The upper sections of the bleachers will be dismissed next, followed by the lower sections of the next most southern section of the bleachers, etc. until all guests have been dismissed.
- Guests will be asked to leave the school immediately following the ceremony to maintain social distancing guidelines.
Recessional & Dismissal:
- Folding chairs are staged in the field house in two sections of 11 chairs and 45 rows facing west.
All chairs will be separated by 4 feet in all directions.
All students and adults must wear masks while indoors during staging and processional.
Staff will take attendance and ensure dress code compliance.
The dress code will include a mask donated by local organizations.
The dress code will require that female students do not wear high heeled shoes in order to prevent damage to the turf field.
Other dress code traditions will remain from previous ceremonies.
At approximately 6:40 pm, the graduates will be led in order out door 34, while maintaining social distancing requirements and into two single file lines of students.
Teachers assigned to sit with and guide the graduates will maintain the appropriate spacing throughout the processional. Students will be directed to allow 3-6 feet of space per graduate to prevent the lines from shrinking to below the 3 foot guidelines.
Students will cross the north parking lot and enter the CHS stadium through the south gate and onto the football field.
Near the southern goalpost, the two lines will separate and students will walk along the sidelines until they reach their designated row.
Stadium & Student Seating:
Each student will be allotted a certain number of tickets based on the county COVID-19 positivity rate at the time of the ceremony. Blue=10, Yellow=8, Orange=6, Red=4. These numbers are based on the capacity of the CHS stadium and the positivity rate in Porter County at the time of the event.
Gates open at 5:30 pm.
Only ticketed guests may attend the graduation ceremony. Guests will be required to wear a mask throughout the ceremony.
Seating for the ceremony will be available on the home and visitors’ sides of the stadium.
Guests will only be able to sit in designated areas.
Handicapped seating will be available on the track on both the east and west sides of the football field. Guests needing handicapped seating may sit in pairs if family members attending the ceremony cannot climb the stadium stairs. The handicapped seating will be separated 6 feet apart in all directions.
The CHS band will practice social distancing and set up on the southwest side of the track.
The stage will be set up on the football field at the 5 yard line near the southern end zone and face north.
Graduate seating will have 45 rows of 22 students, divided into two large sections of 11 students with an aisle in the middle. Each student chair will be separated by 3 feet in all directions.
When student names are read over the PA, teachers will direct the students to stand as they await their turn and lead students to maintain social distancing guidelines in between the next person in line.
Students will be able to remove their masks while seated on the football field.
Students must wear their masks while receiving their diploma, but may remove it briefly for a photograph
Students will return to their seat once they have received their diploma.
- At the conclusion of the graduation ceremony, graduates will stand and conduct a recessional out of the stadium and return to CHS to pick up their diplomas.
- Students will wear masks throughout the recessional
- Students in the east and west sections will form two single-file lines while maintaining social distancing. The lines will exit the stadium through the north gate and walk into the school building.
- Students in the east section will enter Door 31. Students in the west section will enter Door 34.
- The students who enter Door 31 will report to the cafeteria to pick up their diplomas. Diplomas will be organized inside the cafeteria on the south wall and separated by six feet.
- The students who enter Door 34 will report to the field house to pick up their diplomas. Diplomas will be organized on the north wall of the field house and separated by six feet. Students will exit the field house through Doors 32 and 33.
- Graduates will receive their diplomas and exit the school building.
- Once the graduates have left the CHS stadium, the guests will be asked to remain in their seats and await dismissal.
- Handicapped seating will be dismissed first, followed by the lower sections of the southern sides of the bleachers. The upper sections of the bleachers will be dismissed next, followed by the lower sections of the next most southern section of the bleachers, etc. until all guests have been dismissed.
- Guests will be asked to leave the school immediately following the ceremony to maintain social distancing guidelines.
Recessional & Dismissal:
Trojan Virtual Academy
https://www.duneland.k12.in.us/Page/1705
CHS Announcements!
Senior Banquet Information
Rising Seniors Locker Selection Process
Starting on Thursday, May 13th, juniors will be able to start choosing a locker for their senior year. As seniors, you can choose where in senior hall you would like your locker to be for your final year at CHS.
All juniors will be placed into one of four groups based on your attendance. Group 1 will be able to pick their lockers on 5/13, Group 2 will be able to pick their lockers on Friday, 5/14, Group 3 will be able to pick their lockers on Monday, 5/17 and Group 4 on Tuesday, 5/18.
The list of students in each group is currently posted outside of the AP office. You can also find the group list attached to this email.
Locker selection will be done electronically only. You will receive a Smore from Mr. Blumenthal with all of the information you will need to choose your locker. However, you will only be able to review the information but not choose its location until your group is allowed to choose.
Have a great weekend!
Important Dates to Remember!
May 27: Senior Banquet
May 28 - June 3: Final Exams
June 4: Elearning Day
June 8: Senior Car Parade
June 9: Graduation Ceremony