Articles from May 2018

The Dubuque Community School District Teacher of the Year was named at the annual Educators’ Recognition Dinner on May 10, hosted by the Dubuque Education Association.

Brandi Moeggenberg

Brandi Moeggenberg, a kindergarten teacher at Marshall Elementary School, was selected for the honor. Moeggenberg has taught at Marshall since 2012. “She works magic with her solid, research-based strategies and willingness to do whatever it takes to help her students learn,” said one of her nominators. “She has high expectations for students and they respond in amazing ways.”

Other finalists for the Teacher of the Year Award were:

• Alicia Bergfeld, a second-grade teacher at Hoover Elementary School
• Angie Breitbach, a science teacher at Hempstead High School
• Bridget Daly-Wilhelm, a language arts teacher at Washington Middle School
• Melissa Fondell, an instructional coach at Table Mound Elementary School
• Paul Kilgore, an English teacher at Dubuque Senior High School
• Andrea Leach, a third-grade teacher at Bryant Elementary School
• Adam Miller, a social studies teacher at Hempstead High School
• Stephanie Vondal, a fourth-grade teacher at Marshall Elementary School
• Barbara Vrotsos, a teacher on special assignment (world languages and English Language Learners) at the district-level

At the dinner, two other special awards were presented. Stan Rheingans, superintendent of schools, and Phil Kramer, executive director of human resources, received the TEAM (Together Educators and Administrators Make-it-happen) Award presented to an administrator for exemplary support of teacher success.

Otto Krueger, a long-time School Board member, received the Friend of Education Award. Krueger has mentored a student throughout his entire Dubuque Community School District education and this year, the student will graduate from high school and is prepared to go on to college.

The Dubuque Community School District is pleased to announce the appointment of Brian Howes as the new principal of Washington Middle School for the 2018-2019 school year, pending approval by the Board of Education at its May meeting. Howes will replace Mark Burns, who was recently named director of secondary education for the district.

As principal of Washington, Howes will be responsible for the strategic and day-to-day operations of the school, which serves approximately 650 students and has 105 professional and support staff. Howes is currently an assistant principal/registrar at Dubuque Senior High School, a position he’s held since 2011. For his work in this role, he was named the 2017-2018 Iowa Assistant Principal of the Year by School Administrators of Iowa.

Prior to his work at Senior, Howes was assistant principal at Hempstead High School from 2010-2011 and previously served as the district’s K-12 science curriculum coordinator, 6-12 math curriculum coordinator, and 6-12 career-technical education (CTE) coordinator.

At the school level, Howes served as an instructional coach and gifted/talented facilitator at Washington Middle School  and science department chair and science teacher at Hempstead High School. He began his career as an eighth-grade science teacher in the Garnavillo Community School District.

“Brian brings a great deal of administrative and leadership experience with him as he takes the helm at Washington Middle School,” said Superintendent of Schools Stan Rheingans. “I’m confident that his energy and enthusiasm for Washington and the district will serve him well in this new role.”

Howes holds a bachelor of arts degree in chemistry teaching, a master of arts in science education degree, and an advanced study certificate (PK-12 Principalship) from the University of Northern Iowa.

The spring 2018 Online Student Art Gallery is now live featuring art from the district’s elementary school students!

View the Elementary Gallery

This gallery is a way to highlight the remarkable products of art education in the district. It’s a digital attempt at bringing the work of our student artists at all levels into your home – because art is created for others to take in.