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,

6th Grade iPads

On Monday, May 27th, the Duneland IT Department will be at Westchester to collect iPads from all current 6th grade students (who will be entering 7th grade in the fall). Students will turn in their current iPads and receive a new device.

What to Bring: iPad, charger, and case (all stickers must be removed before turn-in)
This swap is part of the district's device refresh process and ensures our students continue to have access to up-to-date technology as they move into middle school.

Purses In Classrooms

Girls may carry sling bags in classrooms; however, purses are not permitted during instructional time. If any item becomes a distraction … such as lip gloss, toys, excessive keychains, fidget items, etc. - Teachers will direct students to put it away in her locker.

Respectfully,

Mr. Longacre

slongacre@duneland.k12.in.us

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

5th Grade 93.4062%

6th Grade 92.8318%

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.

As the end of the school year approaches, any student with medication remaining at school needs to be picked up on or before Thursday, May 29 , 2025. Any medication that is not picked up by this date will be discarded. In accordance with Duneland School Corporation policy, medication held by the school for administration during school hours may only be released to the student's parent/guardian or to an individual who is 18 years of age or older and has been designated in writing by the parent/guardian. Additionally, medication that is not classified as a controlled substance may be sent home with the student, provided the parent/guardian submits written permission for the student to receive it. Medication return forms have been mailed home to those students who have medication at school. Completing and submitting this form to the school nurse serves as official written consent.

This is a reminder to parents/guardians of students entering the 6th grade, at Westchester Intermediate School. The State of Indiana requires all students to be updated on their immunizations. The required immunizations are as follows, Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis, Meningitis. A copy of an updated immunization record needs to be presented prior to or on the first day of school. If immunizations are not updated at this time an appointment card with date, time and location will be accepted. Students are required to have all updated immunizations completed and presented to their designated school within 20 days from the first day of school. Please help your student start their successful school year by taking care of their immunization requirements prior to registration.

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

We are proud to share that Westchester Intermediate School has been recognized as a 2024–2025 PLTW Distinguished School! This national honor celebrates schools that demonstrate a strong commitment to increasing student access, engagement, and achievement in Project Lead The Way programs. Through hands-on, project-based learning, PLTW courses aim to prepare students for success in STEM fields and emphasize problem solving, critical thinking, and collaboration. We are proud of this achievement and remain committed to empowering our students through innovative STEM education!

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.

Registration for the 2025-2026 school year is now open! If you haven’t already, 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.

Need help or more details? Visit our registration website for all the info you need, including tips for using Skyward Parent Access.

Duneland 2025-2026 Registration

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!

https://skyward.iscorp.com/scripts/wsisa.dll/WService=wsedudunelandscin/seplog01.w

https://www.duneland.k12.in.us/about-us/enrollmentregistration

"We had wonderful sunny weather Monday morning, so our sixth grade orchestra classes practiced our pieces outside in the sunshine! One of our pieces is called Sunlight, so we thought that was fitting for such a bright day. We have our spring concert on May 22, and we hope you come to hear our performance!" - Mrs. Malott

Language Arts

• Students will continue to read the novel Holes. As three different timelines and plotlines begin to come together, be sure to ask your student what this story is all about. There will be a test over the novel on Thursday. Honors ELA - This week, students will continue Chasing Vermeer. As the mystery deepens, students are noticing more and more connections, as well as pieces that just don't seem to fit! Be sure to ask your student what this book is all about, who they think the thief might be, and how it will all turn out.

Math

• This week in math class some students will be working on Real World Math with a Restaurant project. Students will also be taking a CSA: Geometry on triangle classification and radius and diameter of circles. Retake options for some CSAs will be available until the end of next week. Students will still be completing Get More Math weekly goals, working in IXL and completing spiral review daily homework.

Social Studies

• As we continue to look at westward expansion, this week we will be learning about the Oregon Trail and the Gold Rush. Feel free to share your memories of playing the Oregon Trail computer game with your student! We'll take part in a Gold Rush simulation on Friday.

Science

• Last week we talked about the importance of personal hygiene and how to say no to drugs using refusal skills. This week the students will put their engineering hats back on and work on their creating, modifying, and communicating skills! On Thursday, May 22nd or Friday, May 23rd 5th grade students will be walking to the bird sanctuary with their Math or ELA teacher. During the walk, the students will complete an ecology scavenger hunt. This will allow the students to revisit the material learned earlier in the year.

Language Arts

• Students will continue to read and analyze their classroom novels this week.

Math

• This week in the wonderful world of numbers . . .Students will continue to review previously taught math skills. We will also continue our work with integer operations and probability.

Social Studies

• Students will be finishing up their Civics lessons this week. We will be focusing on the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizens. We will discuss what the phrase “Common good” means. Students will look into how congressional hearings work and see examples of debate over legislation.

Science

• This week in science, the students will be learning about the digestive system. On Monday, the students will become the components of the digestive system. In the middle of the week, students will be putting together the digestive system in Gizmos. Finally, they will display their knowledge by doing an escape room.

PE

• This week in PE, we are starting our baseball/softball unit. We will be playing lead-up games and finishing the unit with a wiffle ball game.

Art

• This week in art students will complete our digital spacecraft projects and begin working on landscape drawings.

Music

• 5th Grade - Students will finalize their lyrics and begin writing the background music for their song. We will study Chord Progressions and how Melodies work. 6th Grade - Students will begin layering melodies using classroom instruments. Karaoke Friday Theme: Songs featured in Movies

Media

• Students will resume progress through their BrainPOP modules this week. 5th graders who have not yet submitted their review of “Jade’s TikTok Letter” should finish and share in class.

PLTW

• 5th grade students will learn about loops in computer coding and use them to create pixel art in VEX Vr. 6th grade students will learn about inputs and outputs with the Microbits and create programs to detect temperature, sound, and light levels.

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.

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

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/