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!

WIS Family,

Our nursing clinic is running low on cough drops, and while we have placed an order for more, we may not receive additional supplies before the end of the school year. If your child needs cough drops, we encourage you to send in a personal supply for their individual use. Students are allowed to keep their cough drops in their lockers or another personal space, as they do not need to be stored in the nurse’s office like medication. However, we do not encourage students to share cough drops or any OTC medications.

Respectfully,

Mr. Longacre

slongacre@duneland.k12.in.us

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

5th Grade 93.3614%

6th Grade 92.8555%

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.

Immunization requirements prior to the start of 6th grade

The State of Indiana requires 6th grade students to be immunized with Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccine) and Meningitis vaccine. The Tdap and Meningitis vaccines must be received after the student turns 11 years of age and not before, to be considered valid.

On Thursday, February 20th 2025, your student was sent home with an envelope containing a letter indicating what immunizations your child needs before 6th grade and a copy of the most current immunization record the school has on file for your child. In the letter coming home, the vaccinations your student needs are highlighted and written in. Please make your appointment with your physician or health department as soon as possible to get started on this process.

If your student is 11 years old and has already received these immunizations please turn them in or email a scanned copy to the school nurse. You do not not need to wait until next school year.

Please contact Mrs. Sosby, WIMS School Nurse at 219-983-3710 or email tsosby@duneland.K12.in.us with any questions or concerns covered in this message.

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.

Join the Duneland Education Foundation for an enchanting evening of masquerade, silent auctions, and celebrating another year of giving.

The Duneland Education Foundation is the foremost philanthropic partner of the Duneland School Corporation. DEF grants and scholarships ensure ALL Duneland students have access to a high-quality, exceptional educational experience.

During Spring Spirit week, Mrs. Lamb, Mrs. Cowser, and Mrs. Hurst welcome students to the School Counseling office. Twining/Tripling!

WIS lunch staff during Spring Spirit week.

Duneland families were recently given the treat of seeing the combined Liberty and Westchester choirs perform together at CHS. The choral arrangements featured popular song standards from several eras. The event was organized and coordinated by the DSC Music Department under the direction of Ms. Marquez, Mrs. Garrett, and Ms.Morris.

We are pleased to offer our students an opportunity to play Intramural Basketball at WIS. Intramural Basketball will consist of ball handling, shooting drills, and, of course, playing basketball.

Language Arts

• Before spring break, we completed our persuasive writing. This week, we'll continue reading Hoot, and working on skill reviews for ILearn. StoryWorks homework "The Fascinating History of Fire" is due by Friday morning. Honors ELA - Before spring break, we completed our persuasive writing. This week, we will continue reading The Egypt Game in our book clubs, and working on skill reviews for ILearn. StoryWorks homework "The Fascinating History of Fire" is due by Friday morning.

Math

• This week students will finish our unit on the area of polygons. They do not need to memorize the formulas but will need to know how to choose and use the formulas for areas of parallelograms, triangles and trapezoids. There are review options in Canvas that can help them prepare. The CSA for most students will be tomorrow, April 1. Later this week, students will revisit measurement conversions. Again, they will not need to memorize the conversions but will need to know how to move from larger units to smaller units and smaller units to larger units. For example: from inches to feet and from feet to inches. In the next few weeks, some students may be taking the ILEARN Checkpoint 2 test again to see if they can improve after more practice adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers. When we took this checkpoint originally, we had only just begun learning these skills and hope that students see how much they have learned. Not all students will be taking this checkpoint again.

Social Studies

• Before spring break we completed our unit on Foundations of Government. This week, we will start learning about our role in government as citizens. We'll have a CFA on Thursday/Friday.

Science

• The week prior to spring break the students took the CSA on Earth’s Systems. This week we will spend some time interpreting data. Opportunity two of the ILEARN Math Checkpoint 2 will also be administered during science this week.

Language Arts

• This week students will once again practice for the ILEARN test by reading and analyzing two passages. Please ask your child what their goal is for their tests and what test-taking strategies they plan on using.

Math

• We hope everyone had a relaxing break. As we return for our final quarter, students need to continue to focus on their daily expectations. Students should always have a charged iPad and other necessary materials for their classes. This week in the wonderful world of numbers . . . students will be completing their study of geometry. We will be reviewing all 6th grade skills from our Indiana State Standards. On Thursday we will take checkpoint 3 opportunity 1. This checkpoint will cover rates, ratios, proportions, area, and volume.

Social Studies

• This is the first week of the 4th quarter. We will begin by wrapping up our dive into the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution. We will review all that freedom of expression entails with a focus this week on freedom of religion. Students will look at case reviews of landmark Supreme Court decisions that have upheld as well as put limits on our first amendment rights. A common formative assessment will be given on Friday covering the first amendment.

Science

• Welcome back from break! The students will continue moving through our rights protected by the Constitution. Our focus this week will be on "Right to Equal Protection of the Laws." Students will focus on the struggle for equal rights amongst citizens and the amendments/court cases that have helped to protect these. There will be no summative assessments this week.

PE

• In PE this week, we will be starting our flag football unit. We will be working skills and playing lead-up games. We will finish the unit with flag football games.

Art

• In Art this week, we will continue with the creation of our cut paper Mola projects. Students will continue working with their selected color scheme to create their individual Mola inspired animal and background.

Music

• 5th grade- Fifth graders are beginning their Songwriting projects. This week we will focus on writing lyrics. We will explore and analyze existing lyrics as well as different techniques to create patterns or symbolism that will captivate an audience such as Rhyme Scheme and Metaphor. 6th grade- Sixth graders are learning about the benefits of drumming for cognitive exercise as well as mental health. We will begin our drum circle projects this week. Karaoke Friday Theme for 4/4: Storytelling (All songs must tell a story through the lyrics.)

PLTW

• Both 5th & 6th graders will complete a virtual field trip to learn more about robotics and technology in Amazon Fulfillment Centers. 5th graders will also continue to do coding on VEX VR and 6th graders will learn more about coding with the Microbits.

Media

• 5th and 6th graders will be receiving back their digital citizenship or digital technology packets this week. Any modules which have not been completed will be marked and assigned. By Friday, 5th graders should have at least 8 modules completed in BrainPOP; 6th graders should have 6 modules in BrainPOP, 4 modules in Micro:bit, and 4 modules in Common Sense.

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.). 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.

Dear Families,

We are excited to announce that we have adopted a new form of school-to-home communication at called ParentSquare 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 [school or district name]. 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!

Parents—Getting Started Video

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.

Summer School Registration Opens Monday

Registration for DSC 2025 Summer School programs will open up on Monday, March 17. New this year is the ability for parents to register for summer school via the Skyward Family Access. For directions on how to register your child please follow the links below based on the current grade level of your student.

Instructions for Grades K-7 - Registration Open March 17 - April 15

Instructions for Grades 8-12 - Registration Open March 17 - May 2

Note: Students in grades 8-12 who are interested in taking PE should review the additional information on the Flex PE Credit and reduced diploma requirements prior to registering.

Grades PreK-7 Summer School will take place at Liberty Elementary School from 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in Session 1 Only. Grades 8-12 Summer School will take place at Chesterton High School from 7:30 a.m. - 12:55 pm for both Session 1 and 2.

Separate invitations will be provided for families interested in KinderCamp, our Pre Kindergarten Program.

Need Skyward Support? If you need support in registering for summer school within the Skyward Arena Scheduling please call your child’s school and the Skyward/Office Administrative Assistant can provide support.

Should you have any questions about summer school programming please contact the following:

Grades PreK-7 - Call the Department of Teaching & Learning at 219-983-3656

Grades 8-12 - Contact the CHS Counseling Office at 219-983-3730

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