DuneNews
Duneland School news for parents, students and teachers
Thursday, October 15, 2020 Vol. 55 No. 8
Message from the Superintendent...
Throughout the course of the school year, DSC has been tracking COVID-19 data and cases within our schools, townships within our corporation, Porter County and the State of Indiana. One of the key data points we were directed to follow was the county positivity rate. Those following the data have likely realized the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) positivity rate for Porter County often differs from the Porter County Health Department (PCHD) rate. The difference stems from the fact Porter County uses an individual positivity rate while the ISDH has switched to an all tests positivity rate.
Regardless of the positivity rate used, Porter County’s rate has been climbing. Currently, the PCHD lists the positivity rate at 10.4% while ISDH lists Porter County at 7.5%.
Last month, the ISDH created a dashboard that is available to the public. In addition, the ISDH provided a color-coded guide to assist schools in making decisions as it pertains to the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, Porter County is listed in the “Yellow” category with a rating of 1.5 (out of 3). A Yellow rating depicts moderate community spread. A county rating is based on the average of scores assigned for the number of weekly cases per 100,000 and its seven-day all test positivity rate. Moving forward, the PCHD is aligning with the ISDH guidance as it pertains to county metrics and school recommendations.
There may come a time when Porter County lands in the Red category (recommendation to close schools) on the ISDH map. Since Porter County covers a large geographical area, decisions on closing schools may differ throughout the county. For example, decisions made by the districts in the northern part of the county may not be best for districts in the south and east. In the end, decisions will be made based on data and in collaboration with the PCHD.
Increases in community transmission are concerning to all of us. The level of community spread informs the decision to keep school buildings open. Our DSC family can help with the efforts to decrease community spread by wearing masks, practicing social distancing, washing hands frequently and honoring isolation and quarantine recommendations.
DSC specific information can be found on our COVID-19 information page.
Thank you for your support.
Dr. Chip Pettit, Superintendent
Inclement Weather Information - School Closing/Delay Procedures
As we approach the winter season, please review the procedures for school closings and/or delays that may occur due to inclement weather. The decision to close school and engage in an eLearning day or alter the school day is done after collaborating with multiple district personnel, local, state departments and agencies, including: law enforcement, national weather service, highway/street departments, and transportation. In addition, other Porter County school districts are consulted due to partnerships that impact special education and career-technical education students.
Decisions about school delays due to inclement weather will be made as early as possible. In some instances, a school cancellation may follow a two-hour delay. In the event of a two-hour delay followed by a cancellation, we will do our best to make the decision to cancel school before 9:00 a.m. Delay or cancellation information will be delivered through the Skylert notification system. These notifications are based on the contact information provided in the General category within your Skylert notification system. Please review and update (if necessary) your contact information to receive these notifications. School closing/delay information will also be posted on the DSC website (www.duneland.k12.in.us) and sent to the following media outlets:
Radio: WAKE 1500 AM; Indiana 105.5 FM; WEFM 95.9 FM; WDSO 88.3 FM; WGN Radio 720;
WBBM Newsradio 780
TV Channels: 2, 5, 7, 9, 32, CLTV news
Websites: www.cancellations.com; www.emergencyclosingcenter.com
The following options will be considered during weather emergencies:
Option 1: Start of the school day will be delayed (2-hours from Level 1 start times). Delayed start times are:
- Elementary - 10:00 a.m.
- Intermediate - 10:15 a.m.
- Middle School - 9:50 a.m.
- High School - 9:40 a.m.
Option 2: Students will not report to school; students will participate in inclement weather eLearning day
Option 3: Schools will dismiss early
COVID-19 Dashboard
The DSC administration has established a COVID-19 dashboard that can always be found on our COVID-19 Support Center webpage. This 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). Below is the COVID-19 Dashboard with the latest update available at time of this publication. Please visit the COVID-19 Support Center for the most up-to-date postings.
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS
In-School Student Day on Wednesday, November 4
View the updated DSC Calendar to see the changes that reflect the transition to Level 3.
CHS 2021 Graduation Date Set
Mark you calendar! CHS Graduation Ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, June 9, 2021.
Progress Reports for K-4 Students
Student progress reports are now available in the Skyward Parent Portal. This update came three weeks earlier than in a typical year due to the possibility of a teacher change for students when moving from Level 4 to Level 3 on October 5.
In addition to quarterly report cards, student progress is monitored throughout the year using NWEA and mClass assessments. Kindergarten also utilizes ESGI to assess and monitor kindergarten skills. NWEA and mClass assessments are given three times a year to allow teachers the ability to identify areas to challenge and support a student’s academic needs. Individual student reports for these assessments will be sent home this week.
Parent Teacher Conferences K-6
Due to the fluid nature of the pandemic, the K-6 Parent Teacher Conferences originally scheduled for Thursday, October 22, 2020 will not take place. Duneland teachers will continue to communicate progress and concerns with families on a regular basis.
Parents/Guardians may contact their child’s teacher(s) requesting updates on their child’s school work. As always parents may check student progress using their Skyward parent portal.
eLearning on Wednesdays
All students will work independently, via a traditional eLearning day, on Wednesdays due to the teaching constraints of preparing and providing instruction in two different instructional models (remote and in-person) or in a remote-only model. The eLearning module assignments will be posted in Canvas by 8 a.m. Students will need to complete an attendance activity each Wednesday to be counted present for the eLearning day. Teachers will not be conducting live (synchronous) class sessions or holding office hours on Wednesdays.
NEW! eLearning Guidelines for students
The Food Bank of Northwest Indiana’s Mobile Marketplace is available to all Northwest Indiana residents in need of food assistance. Each Marketplace will provide FREE grains, fruits, vegetables and protein to individuals and families. Mobile Marketplace travels to a different community each week, distributing healthy food to communities across the Region.
Individuals should have valid proof of Indiana residency to access Marketplace services, and are asked to bring boxes or bags to carry items. All Food Bank of Northwest Indiana distributions are first-come, first-served while supplies last.
Chesterton High School (CHS) Student Government will host an outside Halloween Trunk or Treat event on Thursday, October 29 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. in the CHS front parking on the south side of Entrance #1, 2125 S.11th Street.
All ages are welcome to attend. The event is free of charge, but donations will be taken and proceeds will go to an anti-bullying charity.
All participants will be required to wear masks in the Trunk or Treat area and the participating clubs will be wearing masks and gloves. Efforts will be made to ensure proper distancing. Parking for the event will be available in the front north parking lot and in the northwest parking lot by Entrance #34.
'Tuesday at Ten' featuring Nicole Slack of Duneland Schools
DSC COVID-19 Support Center
Looking for COVID-19 Resources?
Duneland School's Daily COVID-19 Risk Level is located on our COVID-19 INFO Home page along with many other helpful resources.
Quick Reference Guide for Attendance
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.
In-person Learning Model Students
All students participating in the in-person 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
OCTOBER REFERENDUM SPOTLIGHT
The Positive Life Program provides opportunities for students to learn about positive approaches to life. Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug addiction prevention and awareness education is a priority when it comes to our students making lifelong healthy decisions. In fact, the program provides K-12 prevention and awareness education. This information is shared with students through presentations from recovering addicts, addiction counselors, Porter County coroner, informational programs from the Community Action Drug Coalition and Porter County Substance Abuse Council. Substance abuse classes also visit the Porter County Sheriff’s Department. Anti-bullying campaigns and social acceptance for all are priorities as well.
For more referendum information, go to: https://www.duneland.k12.in.us/domain/367
(The photo above is not a current photo and features a Positive Life sponsored program from a past school year)
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.
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.
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
UPDATED!!! DSC 2020-2021 Calendar for Level 3 Transition
The 2020-2021 Duneland School Corporation Calendar has been updated for the Transition to Level 3 and 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
Register for Fall Tennis Camp
Registration is now open for Duneland Fall Tennis Camp is for students in grades 5-8. Camp dates are Monday and Tuesday, October 19 and 20 (rain dates Oct. 21& 22). Students in grades 7&8 will meet from 3:30-4:45 p.m. and students in grades 5-8 from 4:45-6:00 p.m.
TO REGISTER or MORE INFORMATION VISIT: https://sites.google.com/view/dunelandtennis
Additional questions can be directed to Kyle Prow at kprow@duneland.k12.in.us
Help Promote WDSO 88.3 FM Radio by Ordering a T-Shirt/Hoodie
UPCOMING CALENDAR OF EVENTS
This calendar of events is subject to change
Thursday, October 15, 2020
3:15-5 p.m. LIS Fun Night
5:30 p.m. CHS Girls V VB-IHSAA Sectionals-Valpo
6 p.m. CHS Boys Frosh FB-Crown Pt.
7 p.m. WIS Fall Orchestra Concert - WIS Gym
7 p.m. CHS Choir Fall Concert- Web Concert
Friday, October 16, 2020
TBD CHS Boys V TN State Finals-Away
CHS TG Perform @ FB Game-CHS
7 p.m. CHS Boys V FB-M’ville-H
Saturday, October 17, 2020
9 a.m. CHS Boys JV/V SCR-IHSAA Regional-Goshen
10 a.m. CHS Boys JV FB-M’ville
10 a.m. CHS Boys V TN Regional-LaPorte
10:30 a.m. CHS Girls V CC-IHSAA Regional-H
11 a.m. CHS Girls V VB IHSAA Sectionals-Valpo
11 a.m. CHS Girls JV/V SCR-IHSAA Regionals-SB Adams
11:15 a.m. CHS Boys V CC-IHSAA Regional-H
6 p.m. CHS Boys JV/V SCR-IHSAA Regionals-Goshen
6 p.m. CHS Girls JV/V SCR-IHSAA Regionals-SB Adams
5 p.m. TG Community Night Performance-CHS FB Stadium
7 p.m. CHS Girls V VB IHSAA Sectionals-Valpo
Monday, October 19, 2020
7 p.m LIS Band Fall Concert-LIS Gymnasium
7 p.m. WIS Band Fall Concert-WIS Gym
Tuesday, October 20, 2020
7-8 p.m CMS Fall Orchestra Recording- Auditorium- not a public event
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
eLearning Day
End of the 1st Grading Period (41 days)
6 p.m. CHS Boys Fr FB-M’ville-H
6 a.m CMS virtual Book Fair begins
Thursday, October 22, 2020
NO SCHOOL - Teacher Professional Develop.m.ent (7-12)
6 a.m CMS Virtual Book Fair
Friday, October 23, 2020
NO SCHOOL - Fall Recess
6 am CMS Virtual Book Fair
Saturday, October 24, 2020
6 a.m. CMS Virtual Book Fair
TBD CHS Boys JV/V SCR-IAA Semistate-TBD
TBD CHS Girls JV/V SCR-IAA CHS Girls Semistate-TBA
TBD CHS Girls V VB Regionals-Away
10:30 a.m. CHS Boys & Girls V CC-IAA XC Semi-State-New Prairie
Sunday, October 25, 2020
6 a.m. CMS Virtual Book Fair
DSC NOW HIRING...
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. Click to apply online
CUSTODIAL POSITIONS
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. Click to apply online
SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS*
Duneland School Corporation is seeking substitute teachers for all grade levels. Requirements include:
- Completed Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and verified by an original transcript from the accredited institution; or
- Completion of 60 semester hours or more college credit from an accredited institution verified by an original transcript from the accredited institution; or
- Completion of 30 semester hours or college credit from an accredited institution verified by an original transcript form the accredited institution and at least one year of successful additional work experience with children within the last three years.
- "Additional work experience" may be satisfied by the applicant having completed (within the last three (3) years) at least one (1) year of instructing and/or supervising children in a classroom as a teacher aide in a public or private school, working in a nursery school, coaching and/or primarily working with children at YMCA, Boys' or Girls' Club, camp counseling, etc.
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