Articles by cyzem

On Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, the Dubuque Community School District Board of Education approved the school calendars for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years.

View the approved calendars

The Dubuque Community School District is excited to open Seedlings Preschool Center, a new state-of-the-art preschool center in Dubuque’s industrial center for the start of the next school year.

The 18,000-square-foot Seedlings Preschool Center, located in the soon-to-be-renovated former Medline building on Chavenelle Road, will also offer streamlined access to wrap-around child care programming in the adjacent Dubuque Community Y Early Learning Center.

ENROLL NOW AT SEEDLINGS PRESCHOOL CENTER

Seedlings was designed entirely with our earliest learners in mind, including:

• Up to 10 newly renovated classrooms
• A fully accessible outdoor playground
• Specially designed sensory spaces
• Meal service and common spaces
• A dedicated team of preschool teachers and support staff

Both morning and afternoon preschool slots will be available for families. Enrollment and registration for Seedlings Preschool Cener (and all other Dubuque Community School District preschool sites) is now open at www.dbqschools.org/preschool.

Wrap-Around Child Care: The Dubuque Community Y Early Learning Center is connected to the preschool center and allows for a seamless transition between child care and preschool programming.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DUBUQUE COMMUNITY Y EARLY LEARNING CENTER

The Dubuque Community School District has released draft calendars for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years.

View the DRAFT 2024-2025 School Calendar

View the DRAFT 2025-2026 School Calendar

NOTE: The draft calendar feedback period has now closed.

The Dubuque League of Women Voters held the 2023 School Board Candidate Forum on Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 6:30 p.m.

Members of the public were invited to attend the forum in person, which was held at the Dubuque Community School District Office at 2300 Chaney Road.

WATCH THE VIDEO:

The forum can also be viewed live on Mediacom Channel 16 or 117-6.

Join us for a
Dubuque Community School District
Family Education Series Event

SUICIDE PREVENTION:
A Message of Hope and Recovery

Thursday, November 2
6-7:30 p.m.
Roosevelt Middle School Lass Auditorium

ADMISSION IS FREE AND NO RSVP IS NECESSARY

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth aged 14-18. In addition, 1 in 5 youth have reported they are seriously considering suicide.

At this presentation, you’ll hear from guest speaker Kristen who will share her story of how she was able to cope and recover from the impact of significant trauma in her childhood. The presentation is sponsored by the Duck Cup Memorial Fund.

The presentation will be followed by a panel of local experts and a question-and-answer session, including:

• Ann Butzier, Parent and UnityPoint Health Nurse
• Kristen Nolen, Dubuque Senior High School Brain Health Retreat Room Liaison
• Dr. Michael Peroski, Medical Associates Psychiatrist
• Dan Powers, Alta Vista Campus Administrator and Former School Counselor

Local agencies will also be present before and after the event to talk with families and offer resources.

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of each school, Jefferson Middle School and Washington Middle School will host community open houses on Sunday, Oct. 1, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at each school. The community is invited to attend.

During the open houses, community members will have the chance to tour areas of the school, interact with student representatives and school staff, and view historical memorabilia. There will also be an opportunity for attendees to sign a commemorative item recognizing the anniversary.

In 1921, the Dubuque Community School District Board of Education called for construction of two new junior high schools – ultimately becoming Washington and Jefferson. The schools were both constructed during 1922 and opened in 1923.

Today, Jefferson serves approximately 460 students and Washington serves approximately 630 students, all in grades six through eight.

The Dubuque Community School District will host a series of upcoming community information meetings on the $150 million school bond referendum that will be on the November election ballot.

Sessions will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 30, at Bryant Elementary School; Wednesday, Sept. 27, at Eisenhower Elementary School; and Wednesday, Oct. 18, at Marshall Elementary School. Each meeting will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

VISIT THE BOND WEBPAGE TO LEARN MORE

The meeting will feature information on projects included in the bond referendum, which include:

• Construction of a new, modern middle school on the Washington Middle School site to replace the more than 100-year-old Washington and Jefferson buildings while ensuring access to similar, high-quality facilities for all middle school students in the district.
• Addition of air conditioning (and other HVAC mechanical improvements) to all schools in the district currently without it.
• Construction of a gymnasium addition to Eisenhower Elementary School to eliminate space constraints due to not having a separate gymnasium and lunch/multipurpose room.
• Construction of a baseball and softball complex with lights, restrooms, and concessions.
• Land acquisition for a potential future elementary school aligned with geographic population shifts.

At the meeting, the team from INVISION Architecture leading the bond facility project planning will provide an overview of the projects. They will also discuss the financial impacts of the bond, which will not cause the district’s overall tax levy rate to change.

Need help registering your student?
Looking for a job in an amazing school district?
We are hitting the road and bringing the district to you!

Visit our registration and human resources teams at one of our Mobile Registration and Employment Fair stops throughout the community.

At each stop:

• Our registration team will be on hand to assist families in completing online registration for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year.
• Our human resources team will take applications and conduct on-the-spot interviews for a variety of district jobs, including paraprofessional, transportation and food/nutrition positions.
• Computers with internet access will be provided – and we even have a few treats in store!

Join us at one of the following times:

Saturday, Aug. 5, 11 a.m.- 2p.m.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL BASH: Audubon Elementary School
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BACK-TO-SCHOOL BASH, including the shuttle schedule to get there!

Monday, Aug. 7, 1-3 p.m.
Allison-Henderson Park

Tuesday, Aug. 8, from 3-5 p.m.
Hempstead High School

Wednesday, Aug. 9, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Murphy Park

Thursday, Aug. 10, from 1-3 p.m.
Roosevelt Middle School

We look forward to seeing you!

The Dubuque Community School District has added competitive dance to its high school extracurricular offerings for the 2023-2024 school year, with teams taking shape at Dubuque Senior High School and Hempstead High School.

As part of the launch of these new teams, a Dance Clinic will be held for students entering grades 9-12 at Dubuque Senior and Hempstead on Thursday, July 20, from 9 a.m.-noon at Dubuque Senior’s Nora Gymnasium.

Cost for the camp is $25 per person and reservations can be made at www.dbqschoolscamps.com.

With the addition of this new activity also comes the appointment of inaugural head coaches for these teams. The district is pleased to announce the appointment of Kylie Goedken as the head coach of the Dubuque Senior High School dance team and Angie Olson as head coach of the Hempstead High School program.

Goedken, a graduate of Dubuque Senior, is owner/studio head director at Xtreme Dance in Dubuque. Olson is a German teacher at Hempstead who brings a variety of competitive dance experience to the role. Both schools will begin competition in the upcoming school year.