DuneNews
Duneland School news for parents, students and teachers
Required School Immunizations, Indiana 2025-2026 by Grade:
Students entering Kindergarten: DTaP, Polio, Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Varicella
Students entering 6th Grade: Tdap, MCV4 (Meningococcal) *Note: Students who are 11 years old are eligible to receive these vaccines
Students entering 12th Grade: MCV4 (Meningococcal) *Note: Students who are 16 years old are eligible to receive the 2nd dose of this vaccine
Registration for the 2025-2026 school year is now open! If you haven’t already registered, please log into your Skyward Parent Access to complete your registration. We are aiming to have all registrations completed by the last day of school, May 29, 2025.
Incoming Kindergarten students who enrolled at 2025 Kindergarten Round Up should also complete the registration process.
Need help or more details? Visit DSC 2025-2026 registration site for all the info you need under Helpful Information for all families including tips for using Skyward Parent Access.
During school hours you can also contact your child’s school for help and support if needed. We appreciate you taking the time to get this completed!
The Liberty Middle School Academic Super Bowl team competed this past Saturday, May 3 at the Junior Academic Super Bowl area competition hosted at LaPorte Middle School. The students competed in math, science, social studies, and English. The topic this year was Ireland.
LMS Math coach Mrs. Kim Connelly and her team of “Mathletes,” (pictured at right) Aidan Harris, Chloe Brosas, and Jake Sessions, earned first place.
English team members, coached by Mrs. Tina Clindaniel, were Chloe Brosas, Samantha Huijon, Aiden Scobey, and Michael Roberts. The English team also earned first place.
The LMS social studies team of Jake Sessions and Zac Racette coached by Mr. Luke Eliser, placed third.
The Science team of Michael Roberts and Zac Racette, coached by Mrs. White, brought their best during their rounds, but met tough competition.
As a separate way to recognize academic achievement, the Indiana Association of School Principals (IASP) will award a certificate to the Overall Top 10 schools in each enrollment class based on the cumulative scores of all five rounds. Based on their scores, the LMS Math team placed 8th overall and will be awarded a certificate for being in the top10 schools. The English team placed 11th overall.
Several Chesterton High School and Liberty and Westchester Middle School students participated in the 51st annual Tri-County Jr./Sr. High School Art Exhibition at South Shore Arts in Munster, Indiana. Their work will be on display at South Shore Arts, 1040 Ridge Rd., Munster, Indiana through May 11.
Liberty Middle School eighth graders Brittany Anderson, Rowan Cashmer, Adrienne Clemons, Kinsley Barich, Elena Harrinton, Sydney Johnson, Madelinn Miles, and Abby Roper; and seventh graders Adrienne Clemons, Peyton Hamilton, Brooklyn Hardsock, Lily Huneryager, Izabella James, Rebecca McCord, Serenity Vargas, Lauren Spiess and Victoria Wojtaszek. LMS teacher is Jason Gast.
Westchester Middle School eighth graders are Malaki Goodner, Emery Ho, Averie Kucala, Sophia Lugo, Morgan Millis, Charlotte Morgan, Ella Rak and Ella Rone; and seventh graders Piper Adler, Emily Carnes, Sophia Hailey, Zoey Maldonado, and Olivia Vereb. WMS teacher is Katherine Jones.
Receiving recognition and monetary awards this year were:
The combined 8th grade ensembles from Liberty and Westchester Middle Schools had a successful day this past weekend at Music in the Parks event in Gurnee, IL. Competing against ensembles from across the Great Lakes from Wisconsin to Ohio, each group earned Superior ratings, first place in their respective categories, and Grand Champion overall. Congratulations to all these middle school musicians!
District Assistant Principal of the Year
Congratulations to Liberty Middle School Assistant Principal (AP) Angela Grayson!
Mrs. Grayson was selected as the Assistant Principal of the Year for District I in the Indiana Association of School Principals/Assistant Principals of the Year Program. District I consists of Lake, Porter, Newton and Jasper counties.
The Indiana Association of School Principals annually recognizes outstanding school leaders in each of the 12 Indiana districts who have succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students. These principals are acknowledged by their peers for the exemplary contributions they have made to the profession. The IASP will honor District Principals and Assistant Principals of the Year its annual Fall Professionals Conference on November 24.
National School Nurse Day
On Wednesday, May 7 the district will celebrate National School Nurse Day. This has been set aside to recognize school nurses and to thank them for all that they do for our students. National School Nurse Day was established to foster a better understanding of the role of school nurses in the educational setting.
Something to Smile About Scholarship - The KTG Family Scholarship
The "Something to Smile About" Scholarship aims to support Duneland students aged 10-18 who need braces but face financial challenges in obtaining them.
Initiated through the collaboration of a local family and orthodontist, this scholarship provides an opportunity for parents or guardians to ensure their child receives professional orthodontic care, ultimately enhancing their confidence and promoting a positive self-image through a healthy smile.
General Eligibility Requirements:
Your child is between 10 and 18 years old.
Your total family income is 200% of the poverty level or less.
Your child receives regular dental care and has good oral hygiene.
Your child is not currently in orthodontic treatment or in between phases of treatment.
Your child has not received previous orthodontic treatment.
The family contribution is $500.
Downloadable Something to Smile About Application
The district is excited to begin implementing its new school-to-home communication called ParentSquare for the 2025-2026 school year.
Last week, parents and staff should have received the DuneNews via the current School Messenger platform and again through our new ParentSquare platform. Each week until school ends, you will receive the DuneNews in both of these platforms. This will help get everyone acclimated and onboard with the new platform beginning in June.
PLEASE NOTE: Parent contact information is fed to ParentSquare through information provided by parents/guardians in Skyward. Please review your contact information when registering your student for the 2025-2026 school year.
This unified communications platform is designed to keep parents and guardians informed and encourage greater engagement and connection with Duneland School Corporation. It provides a safe way for district administrators, school principals, teachers, staff, and parents to:
Send and receive school and class information
Share pictures and files
See calendar items
Sign up to volunteer
Schedule parent-teacher conferences
and much more . . . all in one centralized place!
All district and school, grade level and classroom information will now be sent to your computer or phone via email and/or text. For even more convenience, download the ParentSquare app (available for free for iOS and Android devices).
Have questions? Click the question mark in the top right corner of the desktop version or the Help tab on the app (tap the triple bar icon at the top left) to find answers to most of your questions.
Join the CHS Alumni Association for Giving Thursday on May 15, 2025 anytime between the hours of 4:00-8:00 p.m. at the 219 Taproom, 109 S Third Street in Chesterton for Fun, Fellowship and Door prizes!
All are welcome for this fun family mixer benefiting the Chesterton High School Alumni Association. Join us for some food and/or beverages and leave a generous tip. 100% of your tip goes to the Alumni Association, a 501c3 organization, committed to supporting Chesterton High School Student Scholarships and the Duneland School Corporation. If you are unable to join us, you can make a donation to the cause here:
CHS Class of 1990 - 35th Reunion
WHEN: Saturday, July 12, 2025
WHERE: Spa Special Events Center - 333 N Mineral Spring Road, Porter, IN
TIME: 6-10 p.m.
Click for more details on the Class of 1990 Reunion
Come visit the Duneland Early Learning HUB!
The Duneland School Corporation Early Learning HUB is proud to be the first birth-to-school initiative in Porter County. It’s a special place where caregivers and children can come together to learn, play, and grow.
This May, the HUB is exploring exciting topics like bugs,animals, dinosaurs, and so much more with our families. If you have children ages 0-5, we invite you to join us Monday through Friday at the HUB for some fun and engaging activities!
Don’t miss out on this FREE program—visit our DSC website to learn more and get involved!
Discover Duneland School Corporation’s Trojan Learning Center (TLC)!
The Trojan Learning Center (TLC) provides a variety of educational opportunities designed to support young children and their families. Here’s a glimpse of what we offer:
- Duneland Early Learning HUB
A FREE program for children ages 0-5 and their caregivers, offering birth-to-school educational experiences. Learn more about this exciting initiative here: Duneland Early Learning HUB. - Preschool Programs
Tailored programs for children ages 3-5 with developmental delays and Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). - Duneland Family YMCA Partnership
In collaboration with the Duneland Family YMCA, we offer two additional preschool classrooms, expanding learning options and enhancing the educational experience.
Our preschool programs are grounded in a research-based curriculum that promotes children’s social skills and emotional development. At TLC, we ensure every child is immersed in a nurturing, engaging environment with activities designed to bring all preschoolers together!
Emergency School Closing Procedures
As we approach the winter season, please review the procedures for school closings and/or delays that may occur due to inclement weather. See DSC Unplanned Synchonous eLearning Day Schedules below.
eLearning - Unplanned Synchonous Schedules
If students are asked not report to school due to emergency weather conditions; students will participate in an unplanned inclement weather eLearning day (virtual-synchronous-see Guidelines for Students)
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. Please click on the link above for more information.
SKYWARD Family Access Portal
Link to Skyward Family Access Portal
DSC 2024 -2025 Calendar
2025-2026 DSC Calendar
The Duneland School Corporation School Board of Trustees approved next school year's 2025-2026 district calendar
CHS 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
Say Something Anonymous Reporting System
NEW!! DSC K-4 Anonymous Safety Reporting Form
K-4 Anonymous Safety Reporting Form
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.
DSC Strategic Plan 2024-2028 Update
In the Fall of 2023, a strategic planning team was formed to review and update the current four-year strategic plan into a five-year plan that will be used to guide the Corporation from 2024-2028. The Board of School Trustees for the Duneland School Corporation approved the new DSC Strategic Plan at its December 4, 2023 regular meeting. The plan will guide DSC for the next five years in the areas of Student Achievement, Safety & Operations, People & Culture, and Finance & Facilities.
These timelines were revised as of December 2024 to reflect necessary adjustments to the plan and to ensure the continued success and growth of our educational community.
Click this link to view the new 2024-2028 Strategic Plan
CONTACTING IT SUPPORT
Contact the Duneland School Corporation IT department via one of these methods:
- Open a IncidentIQ ticket by sending an email to: helpdesk@duneland.k12.in.us
- Log into IncidentIQ and submit a request duneland.incidentIQ.com
Internet Connectivity
Families without internet due to financial hardship have access to programs from two local providers.
Comcast Internet Essentials:
Families that qualify for public assistance programs such as the National School Lunch Program, Housing Assistance, Medicaid, SNAP, SSI and other programs may also qualify for the Internet Essentials program from Comcast.
This program offers internet at a low cost per month.
Additional options and services are also available
More information is available at this Comcast link
Frontier Lifeline Program:
Families that qualify for public assistance programs such as the National School Lunch Program, Housing Assistance, Medicaid, SNAP, SSI and other programs may also qualify for the Lifeline Program from Frontier.
More information is available at this Frontier link
Duneland School Corporation
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