DuneNews
Duneland School news for parents, students and teachers
Thursday, September 24, 2020 Vol. 55 No. 5
Transition to LEVEL 3 on October 5
Message from the Superintendent...
Schools will be moving to Level 3 on Monday, October 5th. Students coming to campus for in-person instruction will attend on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
In an effort to provide families with choices during the pandemic, students were able to change their learning model (in-person or remote) prior to this level change. 631 students moved from remote to an in-person learning model and 325 students moved from an in-person to remote learning model.
The Skyward parent portal will be down for most of the week of September 28th as we make these adjustments. Some students will have teacher changes due to efforts to balance class sizes in an attempt to maintain social distancing.
Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
Dr. Chip Pettit, Superintendent
In-School Student Day on Wednesday, November 4
NEW! Quick Reference Guide for Attendance
CHS Homecoming 2020 Candidates
Six Chesterton High School students have been chosen as Homecoming royalty candidates for the 2020 CHS Football Homecoming event.
Royalty court candidates are seniors Chloe Deterling, Hannah Geiser, Nicolas (Nico) Kittredge, William Rinker, Annali (Ani) Sasak and Natalie Streeter.
Deterling, daughter of Kimberly and Lance Deterling of Porter, is active in Varsity Track and Field and Earth Club.
Geiser daughter of Richard and Ann Geiser of Valparaiso, is active in Show Choir, Varsity Track and Field, Theater and is an athletic trainer.
Kittredge, son of Lloyd and Aurora Kittredge of Chesterton, is active in Jazz/Pep/Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Pit Orchestra, Natural Helpers, and is an Alchemy Club Facilitator. He also participates outside of school in the Chesterton Club Lacrosse and East Ave Lacrosse.
Rinker, son of Charles Rinker and Sidney Findley of Valparaiso, is active in Football and Track and Field and weightlifting.
Sasak, daughter of Rebecca Sasak of Chesterton, is interested in film studies and is currently taking this course. She is also actively participating in art endeavors outside of school.
Streeter, daughter of Jessica Elzinga of Westville and Jack Streeter of Chesterton, is active in Girls Rising and is a member of National Honor Society (NHS).
The CHS homecoming royalty will be chosen on Friday, Sept. 25 at halftime at the homecoming football game against Portage. Due to COVID-19, there will be no scheduled homecoming parade or dance.
PCES Students Return to In-Person Learning
Students began the school year through the Virtual Learning process with a revised return to school goal of Oct. 12, 2020. This proposed date was able to be pushed ahead of time through the help of local Porter County school systems.
This facility houses educational programs which are jointly provided for through interagency agreements with Porter Starke, Vocational Education, and Special Education. Services are provided for children in Porter County from age three to age twenty-one.
Special Education Preschool Services are available as well as a Developmental Kindergarten Program. Elementary, Middle and High School classrooms for students with severe disabilities and emotional disabilities are also housed at SELF. Services are also provided for preschool students with communication disorders. Related Services, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy provided when needed.
Bailly Elementary Celebrates World Milk Day
DSC Kdg. Team Receives Grant for Remote Learning Kits
DSC COVID-19 Support Center
Looking for COVID-19 Resources?
COVID-19 Dashboard
The DSC administration has created a COVID-19 dashboard that can be found on our COVID-19 Support Center webpage. The dashboard will be updated as active cases are announced and/or as they are removed from active status (conclusion of the 10 day isolation period).
School Meals TO GO!
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted a waiver to allow all children under the age of 18 to receive school meals at no cost. This program is now in effect.
Hybrid Learning Model Students
All students participating in the in-school learning model can pick up a free meal during breakfast and lunch daily Monday-Friday (M-F)when at their school. On days that those students are remote learning from home, their meals can be picked up following the Remote Learning Model instructions listed below.
Remote Learning Model Students
All students in the remote learning model will be able to pick up daily free meals between the hours of 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the following sites:
Liberty Intermediate - 50 West 900 North
Enter the parking area at the west entrance (next to Liberty Elementary), follow the horse shoe left around the parking spaces. Pick up is at the Main Entrance of the Intermediate School.
Westchester Intermediate - 1050 S. 5th St.
Enter Parking area from 5th Street. Follow drive to the right at the fork. Circle around the median to pick up meals at door #8.
Yost Elementary - 100 W. Beam St.
Enter parking area from Beam St. Go left down the hill. Stay left of the cones and follow drive around to back of the building for meal pickup at the Food Service Entrance.
Please pick up meals for all children in the household at one location.
If you will be picking up meals for a child with food allergies, please contact the Child Nutrition Director, Tammy Watkins, at 219-983-3700 for detailed information.
Please remember that if your child receives their free meal when they are in-school, parents are not allowed to also pick up a meal for that same child at the mobile pickup location on the same day.
Visit this link to see the Menu for Remote Learning
INTERNET CONNECTIVITY & IT SUPPORT
Internet Access for DSC Families
Duneland School Corporation understands that the pandemic has placed a heavy emphasis on internet connectivity in order to access learning within Canvas (our learning management system) and that there are several factors that may prevent you from receiving this service. We have provided information from our local providers below to assist you.
Comcast Internet Essentials - https://www.internetessentials.com/
About Comcast Internet Essentials:
Internet Essentials is a program for families and other income-limited households who currently do not subscribe to Internet services at home. Xfinity Internet customers are not eligible for Internet Essentials.
For all new and existing Internet Essentials customers, the speed of the program’s Internet service has increased to 25 Mbps downstream and 3 Mbps upstream.
Households with outstanding debt owed to Comcast may be eligible for Internet Essentials. Comcast is waiving this qualification if you apply and are approved by December 31st, 2020 (standard eligibility rules apply).
Here are some quick links to the program and direct to the application. https://Apply.InternetEssentials.com = English Application Portal https://Aplicar.InternetEssentials.com = Spanish Application Portal
Frontier Lifeline - https://frontier.com/resources/discountprograms/lifeline-program
About the Frontier Lifeline program
If you have been living without phone service because you cannot afford it, you may be eligible for this government assistance program. Frontier is committed to helping qualified income-limited individuals pay for telephone service or qualifying internet access services by supporting the principles of Universal Service. The goal of Universal Service is to make telephone or qualifying internet access services affordable, by participating in low-income Lifeline (or Tribal Lifeline/Link Up) programs in all the states where Frontier provides service.
You can apply your Lifeline discount to qualifying standalone internet access services. If you do not have voice (traditional telephone) services with Frontier, but you have standalone internet access, you may be able to qualify for the Lifeline discount. Services and availability vary by location, so contact Customer Service and a Frontier representative will be happy to see if you have qualifying internet access services in your area.Did you know that several local businesses offer free WiFi?
Several local businesses in both Chesterton and Valparaiso offer free WiFi for community members. For locations please see this map. https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1RlCX9awpwFhyLyo6cU252WWRFg10nC9T&usp=sharing
Families that continue to experience issues receiving internet service or if you have other extenuating circumstances, we ask that you please contact your building principal to discuss alternative options.
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.
LIBRARY BOOK RETURN
Anonymous Tip Line
Do you have a safety or security concern at Duneland that you'd like to make us aware of? Please contact us by email or phone (contact information below), or use our anonymous tip line.
Have You Completed the 2020 Census?
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
Remote Learning Student Expectations for 2020-2021
Required Face Coverings/Daily Screening Tool
Reentry Plan 2020-2021
Questions about school, procedures, daily schedules during the 2020-21 school year. Please consult the DSC Reentry Plan for details
REVISED DSC 2020-2021 Calendar
The Revised 2020-2021 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
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
Chesterton Basketball League
Chesterton Trojan Baskeball is excited to start its first year in-house Chesterton Basketball League. The goal is to provide an opportunity for kids in grades K-6 to develop as an overall basketball player within our basketball program.
View this link for more information about the league and how it will be set up: Chesterton Basketball League flyer
We are looking forward to working with your son and the future of our basketball program.
TO REGISTER or MORE INFORMATION VISIT: chestertonbasketball.com
UPCOMING CALENDAR OF EVENTS
This calendar of events is subject to change
Thursday, September 24, 2020
4:15 p.m. CHS Boys V TN-Munster
5 p.m. CHS Girls FR/JV/V VB-Valpo-H
6 p.m. CHS Boys FR FB-Valpo
Friday, September 25, 2020
7 p.m. CHS Boys V FB-Portage-H
CHS TG Perform @ FB Game-CHS
Saturday, September 26, 2020
TBD CHS Girls V Golf Regional-Battle Ground CC
9 a.m. CHS Boys & Girls V CC Inv-Highland
10 a.m. CHS Boys JV FB-Portage
11 a.m. CHS Girls JV/V SCR-Northridge-H
3:30 p.m. CHS Boys JV/V SCR-Concord-H
Monday, September 28, 2020
5 p.m. CHS Girls Fr/JV/V VB Hobart-H
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
4:30 p.m. CHS Boys V TN-IAA TN Sectional-Portage
5 p.m. CHS Girls JV/V SCR-LaPorte-H
5 p.m. CHS Girls Fr/JV/V VB-Crown Pt.-H
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
JA Picture Day
4:30 p.m. CHS Boys V TN- IAA TN Sectional-Portage
5 p.m. CHS Boys JV/V SCR-LaPorte -Kesling Park
6:30-7:30 p.m. CHS IB Parent Meeting - Auditorium
Thursday, October 1, 2020
5 p.m. CHS Girls JV/V SCR-Griffith
5 p.m. CHS Girls Fr/JV/V VB-Portage
6 p.m. CHS Boys Fr FB-Portage-H
Friday, October 2, 2020
TBD CHS Girls V Golf-IAA State Golf Finals-Prairie View C. C.
7 p.m. CHS Boys V FB-Lake Central
Saturday, October 3, 2020
8 a.m. CHS Girls JV VB Tournament-Lowell
9 a.m. CHS Boys V CC-DAC Championship Meet LaPorte
9:45 a.m. CHS Girls V CC-DAC Championship Meet-LaPorte
10 a.m. CHS Boys JV FB-Lake Central-H
10 a.m. CHS Boys JV/V SCR Invite -H Crown Pt Viking Arena at TJMS
10 a.m. CHS Boys JV/V SCR Invite-Valpo
Duneland Schools Spirit Store
Did you know that Duneland Schools has an online Spirit Wear Store where you can buy your Duneland spirit wear?
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.
Join the CHS Alumni Association!
Have you been thinking about joining the Chesterton High School Alumni Association, but just haven't gotten around to it? Would you like to help support the enhancement of the Duneland School Corporations' educational processes and scholarships for graduating seniors at Chesterton High School. Your dues in the organization and support of our fundraising efforts will help the group to continue to grow and present more and more of our graduates college assistance.
Visit the Duneland School Corporation's website at this link: Download an application to join today.
Duneland School Corporation
Inspire | Engage | Empower
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