Yost Weekly Update: August 11, 2023

Who: Parents and Sara Hoyt, Dunebrook presenter

What: Parent night for all Duneland K-4 parents/guardians

Where: Bailly Elementary (800 S 5th Street) in the cafeteria.

When: Tuesday, October 15th at 6:00pm

Why: Sara Hoyt will discuss the advantages and benefits of your child learning about body safety. The parent presentation will go over the body safety program and explain to parents what their child will learn during their body safety presentation later this year. A letter will be sent home prior to your child's scheduled body safety day for the option to opt out of your child attending the body safety presentation. This is a parent only event, as no childcare is available.

We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, October 15 at 6:00pm!

PLEASE CONTACT THE BODY SAFETY PRESENTER SARA HOYT WITH ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS OR CONCERNS: (219) 874-0007 Ext. 408

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88669819856?pwd=RkvCMoyrbdlrC3UcK3QKJnmI95nRUW.1

Yost is looking for staff to work in an instructional aide capacity. If interested, please visit the DSC website for more information.

https://www.duneland.k12.in.us/administration/employment-opportunities

Yost Title I Annual Meeting - If you were unable to join us at the PTO meeting, you can view the presentation slides through this link. To enter your child in a drawing for FREE books, complete the google form to acknowledge Title I information was shared with you. Click this link or scan the QR code!

Halloween Costumes will be available for all students at no cost. Bring in any old ones you no longer need to donate.

We are looking for interested people to volunteer for the following events,

• Winter Shop (Dec) daytime

• Color Run (May) anytime

• Staff Appreciation (May) anytime

Please email us with what you are interested in helping with. More hands/Less Work is our goal

And Yes, PLANNING HAS BEGUN FOR ALL THESE EVENTS

In case you missed it: PTO Highlights

1. If we work together and earn $500 in BoxTop$,

- We will have Mr. Huwig or Officer Adam wear this BoxTop$ Hat all day that Lauren, our PTO President, is trying on for us. During the PTO a vote was taken and we will reveal who will be wearing this once we hit our goal!!

- Freeze Party for the school

2. Spring Fundraiser up for a Vote

- Nice & Steady, Read-a-thon OR

- Change of Pace, Apex Leadership Fitness

For those families that volunteered, the student directory is attached.

Please refer to the video for updated traffic patterns.

https://youtu.be/sVQEas2ZlOA

Please note the information regarding IREAD.

Yost is committed to supporting and honoring those men and women that currently serve and have served in our military.

10/15 Body Safety Parent Presentation Bailly Elementary School @ 6:00

10/17 Yost PTO Silly Safari Family Night

10/18 Quarter 1 Ends

10/24 & 10/25 Fall Break (no school)

11/5 eLearning Day (campus closed) & Parent/Teacher Conferences

11/25 Yost Family Math Night

11/25 & 11/26 Body Safety Dunebrook presentations

11/27-11/29 Thanksgiving vacation (no school)

12/20 End of Semester 1

12/23-1/6 Winter Recess (no school)

1/7 Second Semester begins

The first step to maximizing academic growth throughout the year is getting to school as much as possible. This year, we have a goal of a 95% attendance rate for the year. We will celebrate class winners and share our school attendance rate for the week.

In an effort to improve attendance which directly positively impacts student growth and achievement along with adhering to the new state law regarding attendance, Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 282, Duneland School Corporation has developed a new Attendance Policy.

A few important changes:

• Parent/Guardian Verified Absence: This is a new category of student attendance. It is used when an absence does not meet the criteria to be considered "Excused" or "Unexcused." There will only be four (4) Parent/Guardian Verified absences allowed a semester. Additional absences called in by a parent or guardian not meeting the definition of "Excused" will be considered "Unexcused."
• Parents only have one (1) week to verify an absence or provide documentation for an "Excused" absence.
• A student who is absent from school for five (5) days within a ten (10) week period without the absences considered "Excused" will be deemed a student in need of truancy prevention.

1. Absenteeism in the first month of school can predict poor attendance throughout the school year. Half the students who miss 2-4 days in September go on to miss nearly a month of school.
2. Chronic absence appears to have doubled by the end of the 2021-22 school year. We estimate that it now affects nearly one out of three students (or 16 million vs. 8 million students in the 2018-19 school year).
3. Poor attendance can influence whether children read proficiently by the end of third grade or be held back.
4. By 6th grade, chronic absence becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.
5. Research shows that missing 10 percent of the school, or about 18 days in most school districts, negatively affects a student’s academic performance. Chronic absence is considered two days a month.
6. When students improve their attendance rates, they improve their academic prospects and chances of graduating.
7. The most important thing to track is not just how many are missing school without an excuse but how many are missing so many days in excused and unexcused absences that academics are off track.
8. Missing one (1) day of school every two (2) weeks, adds up to almost a year and half of school from kindergarten to senior in high school.

Yost Attendance- 95.18%

Kindergarten- Mrs. Nay 96.19%

1- Mrs. Hernandez 96.84%

2- Mrs. Street 99.05%

3- Mr. Dodds 99.58%

4- Ms. Taylor 97.86%

Please review the new addition to DSC board policy as well as student handbook.

The first grading period will end on Friday, Oct. 18 and report cards will be available on the Skyward Family Access Parent Portal on Tuesday, October 29 at 3 p.m.

There will be no school for all Duneland School students on Thursday and Friday, October 24 & 25 for fall recess. Classes will resume on Monday, October 28.

Duneland School Corporation celebrated Custodial, Maintenance and Grounds Appreciation Day this week on Wednesday, October 2. Please take a moment to thank DSC personnel in and around your school building this week for all they do to keep everything clean, manicured and running smoothly inside and outside of your buildings.

Information regarding sign-ups for boys and girls basketball is below.

Below is information regarding Ready, Set, Kindergarten. The program is hosted at Yost as well as the other elementary schools.

Below is information regarding the universal screener for dyslexia. This link connects you to information from the IDOE. As required by state law, all kindergarten, first, and second graders were screened for learning characteristics of dyslexia this year. Your child's results will be shared through the mCLASS Home Connect report. School staff will be contacting parents/ guardians of students who were identified as at risk or at some risk for characteristics of dyslexia to schedule a meeting

Learn more about the Duneland Early Learning Classes at the the HUB. Click on the image below to enroll.

To make an appointment please call 219-763-8112. Let NorthShore know you are a Duneland School student or staff member and that you would like to make an appointment at the Duneland School Clinic located at the old CMS.

Below are lists for student success.

Information regarding student bus transportation for the 2024-2025 school year is available on DSC website under the Transportation Department.

TRACK STUDENT'S BUS WITH MYSTOP APP- The Duneland School Corporation Department of Transportation has now made My Stop available to our families.

My Stop is a web-based application which will allow parents to access live bus GPS information using a smartphone, tablet, or computer and securely view the current location of your child’s bus on routes. The system also provides the bus’s estimated time of arrival at your child’s bus stop.

Please read the attached letter to parents for more information on how to use My Stop to track your child's bus.

The DSC Child Nutrition Department utilizes NutriSlice as its menus program. This app is available for iPhone and Android through your mobile app store. Parents can also access the full website for Duneland Schools on a computer via this NutriSlice link.

This app will allow parents and students to view the menus as well as the nutritional info for each menu item at any of the Duneland Schools. This program will be developed further incorporating images of the actual food items being served at each of the Duneland schools.

Email: jhuwig@duneland.k12.in.us
Website: https://www.duneland.k12.in.us/Domain/12
Location: 100 West Beam Street, Porter, IN, USA
Phone: 219.983.3640