A revised 2009-10 Duneland School calendar approved Monday includes more snow days and, in response to a new state policy, no half-days for parent-teacher conferences or staff development.

Duneland Superintendent Dirk Baer said under the revised calendar, students will be dismissed early on days previously set aside for professional development and conferences, but only about an hour earlier instead of the half-day dismissal as in the past.

That change was prompted by a new policy announced in March year by Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett. Public schools will no longer be able to count half-days in their required 180 instructional days, and the state will no longer grant waivers for days missed due to bad weather.

Baer said Duneland is still committed to staff development and to parent-teacher conferences, but needs to revise its calendar to comply with the state’s new policy. The early dismissals will still occur on the previously scheduled days but students will only be dismissed an hour earlier, which meets the state requirements for the length of the school day.

As for the parent-teacher conferences, teachers will hold more evening hours to meet with parents.

“We are committed to the idea of parent-teacher conference, and our teachers are as well,” he said.

As for snow days, Duneland found itself in a bind this school year, when it needed to make up more snow days than what were built in the school calendar. One of the days made up was on a Saturday.

The revised calendar includes four snow days: Feb. 12, which normally would be part of the Presidents’ Holiday extended weekend; April 2 and 5, which are part of the Easter break; and June 4, the end of the school year.

Baer said Duneland has begun to work on the 2010-11 school calendar and expressed hope that at some point, the school can return to longer days for teacher training. “We’ll be very focused on our staff development,” he said.

Also Monday, the school board approved the hirings of four new teachers.

Lauren West will teach fifth grade at Liberty Intermediate. A Chesterton High School and Ball State graduate, West was also a top gymnast at both. She has filled in for leaves this year at LIS and CHS.

Shannon Stutler will teach music at Jackson Elementary. A Portage High School and Valparaiso University graduate, she did her student teaching at New Prairie Middle School.

Karen Rolfe will be a multi-age teacher at Yost. A CHS graduate, she received her bachelors from Purdue North Central and did her student teaching at Liberty Elementary.

Ryan Erelac will teach fourth grade at Yost. A Valparaiso High School graduate, he received his bachelor’s from Purdue and has taught in Colorado and Alaska.

West, Rolfe and Erelac all were in attendance at Monday’s school board meeting and all thanked the board for the opportunity to work in the Duneland Schools.

In other personnel issues, the school board accepted the resignations of Bailly first grade teacher Megan Wiesjahn and Chesterton Middle Spanish teacher Sylvia Reyna-Borowiak. The board also granted a child care leave to CMS art teacher Brooke Sutter.

With the economy still faltering, Duneland Assistant Superintendent Monte Moffett said he’s proud to announce that there will be only very nominal changes in the textbook rental fees for the upcoming school year. All the fees will stay the same as this year, except in grade 5 and 6. Fifth graders will pay $1 less than this year, while sixth graders will pay $1 more.

The following are the total fees, for books and supplies, for grades K through 6: K, $100; first grade, $150; second grade, $137; third and fourth grade, $123; fifth grade, $124; and sixth grade, $126. The fees for the higher grades vary based on the individual course work selected.

Posted 6/2/2009