The Duneland School
Board met briefly Monday night, approving next year’s Trailbound trip and
the Marine Biology/Scuba program for Chesterton High School students next
summer.
As mentioned by CHS
history teacher Bob DeRuntz at September’s board meeting, the Trailbound
group will travel during the week of June 14-21 to the Outer Banks in North
Carolina to visit the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the replica of the 16th
Century ship Elizabeth II and the site where the original Roanoke Colony was
located.
The group will next
stop at Kitty Hawk nearby and tour the Wright Brothers National Memorial. On
their way home, the group will stop in Dayton, Ohio, to visit the Dayton
Aviation Heritage National Historical Park and the Museum of the Air Force
to complete their lessons in the history of aviation, said Duneland
Assistant Superintendent Jim Goetz.
Goetz said this is
the 16th year for Duneland’s Trailbound program. The course will be called
“First Colony, First Flight.”
Also, the Marine
Biology/SCUBA will fly down to Key Largo, Fla., and spend five days, July
13-17, at “Marine Lab,” a marine research facility.
Students will
complete several lab experiments diving, snorkeling, and learning about
marine ecology and biology. The trip will also set aside a day in Key West,
Fla., but most of the days will be spent in the lab.
Students
participating in the programs will also receive class credit.
"It’s just a great
opportunity for the kids to do something they may never get the chance to
do, and they get a credit for it,” said Goetz.
Both the Trailbound
and the SCUBA program are self-supporting with students paying their own
expenses. The per student cost for Trailbound is $800 while the SCUBA
program is $867.
Applications were
due Friday, Oct. 31. Eighteen students signed up for the SCUBA program.
WIS students in
shape
with activity
monitors
Also during the
meeting, Westchester Intermediate physical education teacher Nicole Wilson
and sixth grader Chloe Deterling gave a presentation on how WIS students are
using activity monitors to promote a healthy lifestyle. The monitors are
worn on the wrist like a watch and tell how many steps the student has taken
and calories burned that day.
Wilson said the
monitor also keep track of how many minutes the student is involved in
moderate to vigorous activity. She encourages students to reach 60 minutes a
day in those activities.
Student data is
then evaluated and awarded either a gold, silver or bronze rating. Wilson
said at the end of a nine-week period, the homeroom with the top number of
minutes gets to display a trophy for bragging rights.
Deterling handed
out monitors to each of the school board members to demonstrate how they
work. “They help teach the benefit of leading a healthy and active
lifestyle,” she said.
Wilson said the
monitors were paid for with the school’s technology funds.
Accolades
In his comments to
the board, Schools Superintendent David Pruis praised CHS juniors and art
students Haylee Corzan and Mia Johnson, who in September were awarded Best
in Show at the Youth Chalk Art Competition hosted by Frontline Foundations
in Chesterton. They each received a $250 gift certificate for art supplies,
Pruis said.
Pruis also gave
kudos to the CHS Boys Cross Country team for advancing to semi-state, the
CHS Trojan Guard Marching Band for placing fifth out of 20 bands in the
ISSMA state finals, and the Bailly Elementary Student Council for donating
$225 to the L.O.V.E. for Haiti, raised by selling scented pencils.
Future meeting
dates
Because of meeting
dates abutting holiday vacations, the board approved date changes for its
December and January meetings.
The board will meet
next on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 5 p.m. It will hold its reorganization meeting on
Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 6 p.m.
In other upcoming
events, School Board president Ralph Ayres encouraged the community to
attend one of the veteran programs at the Duneland Schools. There will be
one at 1 p.m. at the Middle School on Veterans Day, he said.
Ayres said the
Indiana General Assembly is scheduled to have its reorganization meeting on
Nov. 18. He reminds that this upcoming assembly will be a budget year, which
means state lawmakers will be studying the funding formula for public
schools.
Personnel report
The board
unanimously approved the consent agenda containing a list of staff
appointments and resignations.
David Sultzer will
be the alternative class placement supervisor at CHS. Christine Pratt will
be permanent groundskeeper at CHS.
Walter Schulz and
Tiffany Cardin are starting as custodians for the school district on a
probationary basis. Custodians Travis McCormack and Tonya Kennoy will move
from probationary to permanent effective in November and December,
respectively.
Faith Michael will
be an instructional aide for Westchester Intermediate and Sue McLaughlin
will be an instructional aide at Liberty Elementary.
Jayne Wachsmann
will be a high ability aide for the school corporation.
Two new lunch aides
will be welcomed, Tehana Letica at CHS and Claire Mueller at Jackson
Elementary. Sarah Lively will be a cooks helper for the corporation.
Coaching positions
include Ken Florek who will be the 7th Grade basketball coach at the middle
school. Kellie Cahillane and Elise Gustafson will be assistant girls track
coaches at CHS.
Resigning this past
month are DSC high ability aide Kaylee Collins, Bailly Elementary
lunch/recess aide Jean Gaulke, CHS access control/detention supervisor David
Sultzer, and CHS alternative class placement supervisor Jennifer Drlich.