By VICKI URBANIK

In the hopes of discouraging families from taking vacations during the school year, the Duneland School Corp. will have a new attendance policy in place beginning next fall for grades K through 6.

Jackson Elementary Principal Linda Rugg, who worked on the attendance policy revisions, said many people may not think that taking younger students out of school for a family outing can affect their grades, but that it does. She noted that in elementary grades in particular, much of what is taught involves hands-on and interactive work that can’t be sent home in a worksheet.

So far this year at Jackson, Rugg said there have been 207 days of student absences due to the planned family leaves.

Duneland Superintendent Dirk Baer noted that two or three of the Duneland Schools just missed getting the Indiana Department of Education’s Four-Star ranking due to the attendance criteria. He expressed hope that with the new policy in place, families will think twice before pulling out their students during the school year for vacations and the like.

Under the new policy, students who make up class assignments upon their return to school will have just one day for every day missed to complete the work. Currently, students are given two days for every one day missed.

The new policy also gives teachers two options for make-up work. As it is now, the matter of make-up work varies from building to building. Rugg noted that elementary teaching requires a great deal of flexibility, so if a teacher prepares make-up work ahead of time to give the student leaving on vacation, something may change in the classroom and the work given out in advance might not be what’s being taught at the time that the student returns.

Under the new policy, individual teachers will have the discretion to prepare the assignments ahead of time, with all make-up work due on the day that the student returns to school, or they may give the students their assignments when they return to school, giving them one day for every day missed to make up the work.

Another change is that all planned family absences will be counted on the students’ attendance records as “unexcused.” Such absences are now considered “excused” on the records, though the report cards do not make the differentiation.

The policy will also require that families give schools five days’ advance notice of their planned absence. Another change is that the new rules apply only for grades K through 6; currently, the same attendance policy is in place for grades K through 8. The middle school will retain its current policy.

The Duneland School Board adopted the changes, with board president Michael Trout pointing out that it’s important that the schools send the proper message to families about the importance of attending school.

Retirements

Also Monday, the school board accepted the retirements of two veteran educators: Barbara Funke and Linda Pauli. They have worked in education for a combined total of 71 years, 62 of which have been at Duneland.

Funke came to Duneland in 1970. A graduate of Valparaiso University, she began teaching at Liberty Middle and later moved to Chesterton High School, where she has taught communications. She has been a speech coach and has been recognized by the National Forensic League.

Pauli came to Duneland in 1980 and has taught vocal music at CHS. She has degrees from Baldwin-Wallace in Berea, Ohio, and from Vandercook College of Music in Chicago.

She has been the choral director and has been the recipient of many awards for her work as director of the Show Choir and Sandpipers.

Foundation Winner

A highlight at Monday’s school board meeting was the Duneland School Foundation’s annual raffle drawing for a $10,000 college scholarship.

Out of more than 700 tickets sold, the winning ticket was that of Heidi and John Sullivan of Dune Acres for the college fund of Marissa Sullivan.

Ellen Sharpe, who recently resigned as executive director of the Duneland Foundation and who was on hand for Monday’s drawing, said that since the foundation was formed in 1995, it has awarded more than $90,000 in grants for Duneland school projects.

Media Show

The school board was also treated to a multi-media, computer presentation by Bailly Elementary students. First and fourth graders worked on the presentation, which included the use of Power Point, digital cameras, a “smart board,” and other technology.

One of the projects is called “Feeling Fit,” which addresses the importance of physical activity.

The other is a web page about Chesterton titled “There’s No Place Like Home,” which highlights festivals, history, entertainment and other events in and around Chesterton.

Those presentations, along with one about Native Americans, have qualified for a state media competition and will be featured at Bailly’s “Festival of Learning” event on April 27.

The students who gave their presentation before the school board were first graders Erin Grimes and Delaney Wright and fourth graders Alex Alexander, Rachel Campbell, and Leah Jennings.

Donation

The school board also approved a donation of a copy machine to the Chesterton-Duneland Chamber of Commerce.

Duneland Assistant Superinten-dent Dave Pruis said the administration center is purchasing a new copier and moving the current one to the Alternative School.

The Alternative School’s copier, meanwhile, has outlived its usefulness for the schools, though Pruis said it is still in very good condition and has just recently been serviced.

That copier will be the one to be donated to the Chamber.

Student Request Denied

The school board took no action on a request from a Chesterton High School senior that CHS Principal James Goetz serve in a decision-making capacity for the student.

The issue arose due to the student’s request to attend a school field trip.

Baer said the student is unemancipated but not living at home and could not obtain the parental or guardian-signed permission needed.

School board members raised concerns about precedent and the lateness in the school year for it to be making such a decision.

The matter died when no one made a motion.

Posted 4/14/2006