WIS Weekly

• Who needs support at home, in school, and in the community? ... Every Child!
• Who needs our guidance, attention, and patience today and every day? ... Every Child!
• Who will shape the future of our world tomorrow and in the years to come? ... Every Child!

Dear WIS Family,

As we approach the week of December 16th, we have several exciting holiday activities planned for our students. Here’s what you need to know to help your child participate and enjoy the festivities:

Holiday Spirit Week:
Each day will feature different themed days for both students and staff to enjoy.

Holiday Clue Game:
A fun, school-wide clue game will take place throughout the week.

• Clues will be announced each morning, and students can participate by solving the riddle.

• A Google Form will be available on Mrs. Hurst's Canvas page for students to submit their answers.

• Prizes will be awarded during lunch to students who solve the riddle correctly.

Thursday, December 19th: Winter Wonderland Dance:

• The dance is after school from dismissal until 5:30 p.m.

• Tickets are $5 and will be sold Monday, December 16th, through Wednesday, December 18th, before school.

• Activities include a photo booth and concessions sold by the PTO (cash only).

• Kona Ice will be available during recesses on the 19th.

Friday, December 20th:

• Santa Hat (or holiday hat) Day: Students are encouraged to wear festive hats.

• A Special Surprise: During lunch, all students will receive a fun treat tied to the Holiday Clue Game.

We hope these activities bring joy and excitement to WIS as we celebrate the season together.

Mr. Longacre

slongacre@duneland.k12.in.us

We are striving to achieve a 96% attendance rate this year at WIS.

5th Grade 93.5215%

6th Grade 92.9562%

When needing to report a student absence, parents/guardians should call (219-983-3710) or email (mkowalecki@duneland.k12.in.us) the attendance secretary in the WIS office by 9:00 am on the day of the absence. If the school sends a student home early, then no notification is required.

5th Grade - Francesca Bazil

Each day in class, Francesca is a role model for other students. Not only does she participate in discussions and perform well on classwork, but she always demonstrates a willingness to help her peers who may struggle with challenging assignments. She has a strong ability to connect with those students who need extra assistance. Her kindness towards others and understanding of material reflect great maturity.

6th Grade - Maddie Snell

Maddie is an active volunteer in the WIS Pink Box Project. She willingly donates her time and has demonstrated a commitment to help her fellow classmates with their needs. In addition, Maddie regularly participates in Lunch Club where she and other students learn to develop both creative skills and responsibility. For example, Maddie has assisted students in building Lego projects, as well as helped them clean up and organize items that have spilled or been misplaced– all without anyone asking her to help. Her acts display great kindness.

Staff - Cara Ellerthorpe

Cara constantly explores new ways for her classroom to improve. She goes above and beyond in teaching students the skills of language arts. Cara cares greatly about student growth and constantly seeks new approaches to assist in student progress. She is the type of teacher who will lose sleep trying to think of strategies to help students who have had a bad day.

Staff - Betty Wheeler

Betty consistently goes above and beyond to make certain that Westchester Intermediate School provides the best possible learning environment. She dedicates her time – including weekends – to ensure that our building is clean, organized, and welcoming. As an example, Betty came into the building on a recent Saturday to prepare for our Veterans Day program, making sure it was ready for both our school and community. She also works closely with our maintenance department, as well as Skillman Co., demonstrating her commitment to excellence and collaboration. Betty’s dedication and proactive approach make her a deserving recipient of the Engage Award.

Family Friendly Schools Survey for DSC Families

In keeping with our Core Values, Duneland School Corporation is committed to fostering partnerships to improve the quality of life in our community. One of our most important partnerships is with our families. As we strive to continue to build upon and strengthen our family partnerships, DSC is applying for renewal from the Indiana Department of Education as an IDOE “Family Friendly Schools” corporation. In doing so, we will continue to “focus on addressing students' academic, physical, emotional, and social needs while providing the needed resources and fostering the active involvement of their families through schools and the community.” (Indiana Department of Education Family Friendly Schools Handbook)

Please help us as we continue to support our students and community by completing the IDOE online survey by December 20, 2024

Your ongoing support in educating the children of our community is greatly appreciated!

SURVEY LINKS AND INSTRUCTIONS:

Survey Links:

• 2025-2026 Family Friendly Survey Questions for Families

• 2025-2026 Family Friendly Survey Questions for Families-Spanish

School Name: choose your school from the drop-down list

School Corporation: 6470 Duneland School Corporation

School Liaison Name: MICHELLE PALKO

School Liaison email: mpalko@duneland.k12.in.us

School Codes for your convenience:

6928 - Bailly Elementary School

6819 - Brummitt Elementary School

6817 - Jackson Elementary School

6823 - Liberty Elementary School

6941 - Newton Yost Elementary School

6821 - Liberty Intermediate School

6927 - Westchester Intermediate School

6925 - Chesterton Senior High School

6926- Northwest Indiana Online School (Trojan Virtual Academy)

Clothing /Shoe Donation for Nursing Office

The nursing office of Westchester is in need of clothing for students who may need a change of clothes during the school day due to unexpected circumstances. Please consider donating a garment or two of your child’s gently used clothing that they have outgrown. We are in greatest need of girls leggings and boys elastic waist pants in varying sizes. Other items we like to keep in stock are T-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets and shoes. Any donation would be greatly appreciated. Please feel free to contact the Westchester nursing office any time during the school day at 219-983-3710 (WIS) or 219-983-3780 (WMS).

Most Appreciative,

Tina Sosby, R.N. & Abby Demeter, R.N.

Dear Parent/Guardians,

Starting November 6, 2024 through the month of January 2025 the Health Services at WIMS will be conducting Vision Screenings of 5th grade students , according to Indiana Law are required to have their vision checked.

We are asking that if your student wears glasses that they have them on their person daily so that there will be no delay in getting their testing completed. If you have any questions, please contact WIS School Nurse, Tina Sosby, R.N. at 219-983-3710 or via email at

tsosby@duneland.K12.in.us.

We are excited to announce that this year’s yearbook will include both Westchester Intermediate School (WIS) and Westchester Middle School (WMS). Yearbooks are available for $30.00, and you can order directly through this link: Order Yearbooks Here.

Sixth grade students will have the opportunity to participate in both WIS intramural sports and Westchester Middle School athletics. If your child wants to participate in middle school sports, they must have a current physical on file, dated after 4/1/24. Sixth grade students can ONLY participate in Middle School Cross Country, Westling, and Track and Field. This fall, students can participate in Middle School Cross Country. Mr. Rich Gross rgross@duneland.k12.in.us is the athletic director for Westchester Campus. Please reach out to Mr. Gross with any questions.

Our seven robotics teams competed at Plymouth this past Saturday for the VEX IQ competition. WIS had three teams make the playoffs which were teams A, E, and F. The playoffs were close matches and Team A: The Sweet Balon Bots won the competition with a combined score of 37. By winning the competition, Team A has qualified for the VEX IQ State competition at the end of March in Indianapolis. Team A consists of Nathan Seaman, Sai Jeeju, Carter Rudzinski, and John Easterday. I am so proud of all of our teams for their hard work and dedication to learning. I also want to give a shoutout to Abby Martin and Jocelyn Koniarz. These two stepped up to help another student from a school in West Lafayette so she could compete in the competition.

Westchester's grapplers are off to a strong start this season. Be sure to check the schedule and times to attend one of the upcoming meets.

Language Arts

• Last week we finished up reading Hello Universe and, through our Interactive Read Aloud, learned about the Strange Mr. Satie. Feel free to ask your students about both! We continued to practice finding the main idea and supporting details of nonfiction passages. This week, we will be taking the next NWEA language test. Honors ELA - Last week, students worked to film their final projects for Hello Universe. Groups created either a public service announcement, trailer, or news broadcast to share the main events of the story. The results were wonderful, and everyone had a great time. This week, we will be reading the Dickens classic A Christmas Carol.

Math

• Last week students completed the CSA on multiplying decimals. Students also had the opportunity to retake the CSA on adding and subtracting decimal numbers. This week, students will be learning about line plots and measures of central tendencies (aka mean, median, mode and range). This is our first foray into looking at data and it usually goes pretty well. Honors students will also be working with data as well as continuing to learn about integer operations and plotting points on the coordinate plane. Next week, students will take the mid-year NWEA test on Tuesday.

Social Studies

• We are learning about the original 13 colonies. Last week, we focused on the New England and middle colonies. This week, we'll look at the Southern colonies. We will have a CFA over the material on Friday.

Science

• Last week we learned about adaptations. The students worked on a project that allowed them to create a beast and create adaptations that would allow the beast to survive in its environment. This week we will wrap up the unit and take the CSA.

Language Arts

• This week students will read “Fish Cheeks”. Students will focus on priority standards RC.1, RC.7, and RC.8, which is a new standard. RC.8-Trace and evaluate the argument.

Math

• This week in the wonderful world of numbers . . . we continue our study of algebraic equations and inequalities. Students will be taking their CSAs on these topics prior to the end of the quarter. Students will be taking their math NWEA/MAPS test this week. iPads are a must for this. Please make sure your child’s iPad is fully charged.

Social Studies

• Students will complete their formative assessment on Feudalism. Social Studies’ classes will continue through the Middle Ages this week by focusing on the Crusades. We will talk about the effects that the Crusades had on religion, people, technology, and government.

Science

• This week the students will be taking a CSA on phases of the moon. Students will then start learning about eclipses and tides. Students will be taking notes, doing a web quest and creating a drawing of a lunar and solar eclipse. MS-ESS1-1: I can make a model of the solar system that can explain eclipses of the sun and the moon.

PE

• This week in PE we will be starting our bowling unit. Students will learn the basic rules of scoring. On Friday we will have cosmic bowling at WIS!

Art

• This week in art we will continue with our Kandinsky projects. Students will add their own elements to their artwork creating a balanced composition. Later in the week students will add color to their artwork by painting their projects.

Music

• This week in music we will begin composing melodies. Students will work in groups combining rhythm and pitch and learn about the basic tendencies that melodies follow. On Wednesday students will have a Note Identification quiz for the treble and bass clef.

PLTW

• This week in PLTW, the 5th grade students will be building a testbed to test out robotics sensors. The 6th grade students will begin using the Micro:bits to learn computer programming.

Media

• This week 5th graders will continue digital citizenship modules with a focus on expressing gratitude in communication. Sixth graders will continue digital technology modules this week and get a chance to view sample tech conference projects assembled and presented by students at VCU.

Our Trojan Cafe has a new look! We have a new serving area with 2 lines to serve our students. We will also have new trays available for our students to use during lunch.

Please help your student memorize their student identification number, as they will need to know this number in order to purchase their lunch.

Here are the meal prices for the 2024-25 school year.

Elementary Breakfast Price: $1.45

Elementary Lunch Price: $2.55

Intermediate/Middle/High Breakfast Price: $1.60

Intermediate/Middle/High lunch Price: $2.95

• iPads are the property of Duneland Schools. Students should keep the devices in operable condition.
• Students should refrain from downloading apps, pics, etc. that are not permitted under school and/or corporation policy.
  
• Students are required to bring their charged iPads to class.
• Our Intermediate curriculum is designed to utilize iPads for lessons, remediation, and enrichment activities.

5th and 6th grade students are not allowed to use their personal communication devices (cell phones and smart watches) during the instructional day. Items used for communication should be stored in lockers to be kept safe throughout the day. If students need to contact a parent/guardian during the day, they are welcome to do so from the office. Classrooms also have phone access. Similarly, students are not permitted to wear personal earbuds with bluetooth capabilities attached to their phones (e.g. Air Pods, etc.). Students will need to use their school-issued iPad earphones for Exact Path lessons and select ILEARN testing sessions. The only time audio ear pieces are permitted are for teacher-assigned classwork and medically-approved needs.

Westchester is committed to supporting students' use of technology. To get your problems solved as fast as possible, choose one of the following methods:

1. Open a new Incident IQ online:
   1. AV number is typically located on a sticker on the back/bottom of the device
2. Open a Incident IQ ticket by sending an email to: helpdesk@duneland.k12.in.us
   1. Please be sure to include email address, student or staff name, and a description of the problem
3. Contact Westchester's tech aide (Ms. Bennett) in WIS Library/Media at 219-983-3710 or fbennett@duneland.k12.in.us.

Welcome to our 2024 Winter Baseball Camp!

The Holiday Baseball Camp consists of 3 days of baseball activities for $50.

DECEMBER 26-27-28

• Grades 3-5 11am-12:30PM
• Grades 6-8 1:00 – 2:30 PM
  • Day One = Defense (IF, OF, P/C Drills)
  • Day Two= Offense (Tee Work, Soft Toss, Short Toss, Batting Practice, and our most important TWO STRIKE APPROACH**)
  • Day Three = FUN! TROJAN OBSTACLE COURSE and the World Series Wiffle Ball Tourney

  
  

  Link to Sign Up:

  https://forms.gle/ooCiW3hWxBjERhVu7

DUNELAND TRANSPORTATION

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.

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.

WIS Mission:

WIS provides a safe and engaging environment where students are empowered to explore their talents, build on their curiosity, embrace high expectations, and become responsible, caring citizens.

WIS Vision:

WIS inspires learners to become independent, critical thinkers collaborating in an environment where responsibility, adaptability, and reflection are modeled and developed.

Email: slongacre@duneland.k12.in.us
Website: https://www.duneland.k12.in.us/Domain/14
Location: 1050 South 5th Street, Chesterton, IN, USA
Phone: (219) 983-3710
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westchesterintermediate/