News Releases

The Dubuque Senior Theatre Department had a successful showing at the 2024/2025 International Thespian Excellence Awards (or Thespys® for short).

The national qualifier event was held at the Iowa Thespian Festival on Friday, November 14 at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, IA. The International Thespian Excellence Awards program is designed to provide feedback for Thespians on theatrical performances and technical presentations. Students are adjudicated by theatre educators and professionals on rubrics that reflect national standards in theatre education.

Dubuque Senior brought home nine Superior ratings in the competition in a variety of performance events. In addition, students earned eight overall Excellent and one overall Good rating for their performances.

Students that earned overall Superior ratings qualified for the national event held at the University of Indiana in June, 2025, as part of the International Thespian Festival. The following students earned Superior ratings and have qualified:

SUPERIOR RATINGS – QUALIFIED FOR NATIONALS

Solo Musical Theatre

• Kelsey Ahlers | “Losing My Mind”
• Riley Beck | “Out There”
• Ami Bellings | “With You”
• Liam Dostal | “Giants in the Sky”
• Avery Kane | “Not a Day Goes By”
• Bella VandenBerge | “I Can’t Say No”

Duet Musical Theatre

• Riley Beck + Ami Bellings | “Love is My Legs”

Group Acting

• Riley Beck + Chase Kreimeyer + Jameson Norton | “The Complete Word”

Group Musical Theatre

• Kelsey Ahlers + Riley Beck + Ami Bellings + Julien Derks + Peyton Dixon + Liam Dostal + Avery Kane + Chase Kreimeyer + Jameson Norton + Bella VandenBerge | “When You’re An Addams”

The following performances were also selected by adjudicators as the best in their performance centers for the competition:

FIRST PLACE

Solo Musical Theatre

• Ami Bellings | “With You”

Group Acting

• Riley Beck + Chase Kreimeyer + Jameson Norton | “The Complete Word”

Group Musical Theatre

• Kelsey Ahlers + Riley Beck + Ami Bellings + Julien Derks + Peyton Dixon + Liam Dostal + Avery Kane + Chase Kreimeyer + Jameson Norton + Bella VandenBerge | “When You’re An Addams”

SECOND PLACE

Solo Musical Theatre

• Riley Beck | “Out There”
• Avery Kane | “Not a Day Goes By”

Lighting Design

• Wyatt Branscomb | “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”

Duet Musical Theatre

• Riley Beck + Ami Bellings | “Love is My Legs”

THIRD PLACE

Solo Musical Theatre

• Liam Dostal | “Giants in the Sky”

The following students earned an overall Excellent or Good Rating for their performance:

EXCELLENT RATING

Solo Musical Theatre

• Cheyenne Brown | “Don’t Rain On My Parade”
• Olivia Gennings | “She Used To Be Mine”
• Reid Postma | “Where is the Life”

Solo Musical Dance

• Ella Meyer | “I Want to Be a Rockette”

Lighting Design

• Wyatt Branscomb | “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”

Duet Musical Theatre

• Seattle Bontemps + Morgan Weiland | “The End of the Line”
• Olivia Gennings + Blair Kapp | “Suddenly Seymour”

Group Musical Theatre

• Seattle Bontemps + Kate Putnam + Morgan Weiland | “Mama I’m a Big Girl Now”

GOOD RATING

Solo Musical Theatre

• Ella Meyer | “She Used to Be Mine”

---

Furthermore, Dubuque Senior High School’s production of Lauren Gunderson’s The Revolutionists has been selected to perform at the 2025 International Thespian Festival. The selection is based on adjudication from theatre professionals from across the country. The performance of The Revolutionists at the 2024 Iowa Thespian Festival in November was reviewed by the national adjudicators and was selected to be one of just eight main stage performances at the International Thespian Festival.

CRITIC’S CHOICE AWARD (IHSSA All-State Festival) & SUPERIOR RATING (Iowa Thespian Festival)

One Act Play

• Ami Bellings + Peyton Dixon + Avery Kane + Bella VandenBerge | “The Revolutionists”

Dubuque Senior’s production of The Revolutionists featured four remarkable actresses as historical characters at the height of the Reign of Terror in France. The cast includes seniors Ami Bellings (Charlotte Corday) and Bella VandenBerge (Olympe du Gouges), and juniors Peyton Dixon (Marianne Angelles) and Avery Kane (Marie Antoinette). Adjudicators noted the Dubuque Senior actresses for their performances which were “captivating to watch” and for their “emotional depth.”

The production also featured music performed by Anna Garrett-Douillet on the harp. Adjudicators commented on Anna’s powerful performance and musical talent.

The ensemble of The Revolutionists included Kelsey Ahlers, Seattle Bontemps, Joslyn Brown, Olivia Gennings, Norah Homb, Iris Lammer-Heindel, Camilla Moeller, Jameson Norton, Josie Norton, Madeline Oney, and Izzibelle Pregler, as well as a special appearance by Grace Weber. The creative team included Aaron Dean (Director), Katie Galliart (Music Director), and Megan Schumacher (Scenic Art). The design team included more than twenty Dubuque Senior students working on costumes, lights, sound, props, and more. Adjudicators commended the student designers for the strong supporting role the technical elements played in the production.

Dubuque Senior’s performance at the International Thespian Festival will be June 25, 2025 at the University of Indiana in Bloomington, Indiana. More than 3,000 students from across the country and abroad will gather for a week of main stage and studio performances, workshops with theatre professionals, and national competitions.

Congratulations to all our students on their achievements!

High school students from Hempstead and Dubuque Senior recently qualified to compete at the 2024 IGHSAU Girls Swimming and Diving State Championship.

Congratulations to the following students:

State Qualifiers

Hempstead High School

100-Yard Breaststroke

• Maisey Duehr

200-Yard Freestyle Relay

•  Maisey Duehr | Maggie Kelzer | Rebecca Roling | Taylor Tigges

200-Yard Medley Relay

•  Maisey Duehr | Adalyn Mairet | Rebecca Roling | Taylor Tigges

400-Yard Freestyle Relay

• Maisey Duehr | Maggie Kelzer | Rebecca Roling | Taylor Tigges

500-Yard Freestyle

• Taylor Tigges

Para 50-Yard Freestyle

• Ally Darter

Para 100-Yard Breaststroke 

• Ally Darter

Alternates 

• Mallory Blum
• Morgan Mason

Dubuque Senior High School

100-Yard Backstroke

• Annie Gilligan

200-Yard Freestyle

• Annie Gilligan

500-Yard Freestyle

• Lily Steines

200-Yard Freestyle Relay

• Kaley Beimborn | Annie Gilligan | Ellie Hoffman | Lily Steines

400-Yard Freestyle Relay

• Kaley Beimborn | Annie Gilligan | Ellie Hoffman | Lily Steines

1-Meter Diving 

• Payton Ryan

Alternates 

• Adi Finnin
• Ana Konrardy

Students from both Dubuque Senior and Hempstead High Schools competed in the Iowa High School State Cross Country qualifying meet to determine their eligibility to compete at the State Championship at Kennedy Park in Fort Dodge on Friday, November 1st.

Congratulations to the following Class 4A student qualifiers:

Dubuque Senior High School

GIRLS

Team Qualifiers

• Emily Gorton | Grade 12
• Claire Hoyer | Grade 12
• Briel Bechen | Grade 11
• Emma Chesterman | Grade 11
• Nevaeh Kessler | Grade 11
• Stella Weber | Grade 11
• Lise Hoyer | Grade 10

Alternates

• Lilly Anderson | Grade 12
• Audrey Kilgore | Grade 12
• Braeley Wullweber | Grade 11
• Millie Eikamp | Grade 10
• Josie Beard | Grade 9
• Skylar Carpenter | Grade 9
• Mallory Schaefer | Grade 9

BOYS

Individual Qualifiers 

• Jacob Haug | Grade 12
• Danny Rothert | Grade 12

Hempstead High School

GIRLS

Team Qualifiers 

• Evie Henneberry | Grade 12
• Mylee Lange | Grade 12
• Gracie Driscoll | Grade 10
• Maggie Henneberry | Grade 10
• Natalie Leitzen | Grade 10
• Paige Pitz | Grade 10
• Chelsea Heiberger | Grade 9

Alternates

• Maria Hart | Grade 11
• Eva Stevenson | Grade 11

BOYS

Individual Qualifiers

• Micah Fern | Grade 11

The Dubuque Community School District and the Dubuque Esports League (DEL) are pleased to announce an innovative partnership that will establish a new esports program for students enrolled at Dubuque Senior High School and Hempstead High School.

One of the fastest growing activities in the world, esports is a form of competitive video gaming where players compete against each other in organized tournaments and leagues. Often connected to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) learning, extracurricular esports programming helps students develop strong bonds with their school and classmates while developing critical mental and physical skills such as teamwork, strategy, communication, mental toughness, hand-eye coordination, technical skills, time management and more.

“Esports has skyrocketed in popularity across the world and it’s been a regularly requested addition to our extracurricular offerings,” said Coby Culbertson, the district’s chief technology officer. “This new partnership gives us the chance to connect our students up with the expertise and facilities of the Dubuque Esports League. It’s a true partnership with everyone dedicated to giving students outstanding opportunities to compete while developing them as individuals.”

Through this new partnership, the district will recruit students to participate in esports and provide a staff liaison to coordinate programming at the high schools. The Dubuque Esports League, which is a 501(c)3 charitable organization, will provide students participating with access to the organization’s state-of-the-art esports facility as well as coaching support and training opportunities for the esports teams. Funding the for the district’s initial year of programming was made possible through a generous grant from the DRA, a Dubuque-area philanthropic organization.

This is the first extracurricular offering in the Dubuque Community Schools that is facilitated through a partnership with an outside organization – and it’s a model that both groups believe could spark additional future innovation in activities programming.

“We’re excited to see this partnership come to life and offer Dubuque Community Schools students new esports opportunities,” said Shelby Wartick, DEL co-founder and co-executive director. “Our goal has always been to create a safe, welcoming community where students can thrive. We’re grateful to partner with a school district that innovates to engage students in their passions and help them grow through skills like teamwork and leadership through platforms like esports.”

“As college scholarships for esports continue to grow, this partnership offers students a pathway to compete and pursue educational opportunities through esports,” said Susie Quinn, DEL co-founder and co-executive director. “We’re excited to kick off our winter season with games like Overwatch 2 and Rocket League, both of which are also played at the collegiate level. The possibilities ahead are incredibly exciting!”

High school junior varsity and varsity teams will begin forming this fall and the district anticipates joining the Iowa High School Esports Association, which currently oversees esports competition between high schools in the state.

The Dubuque Community School District will host an open house and ribbon cutting for the district’s new Seedlings Preschool Center on Wednesday, Sept. 11. The event will begin with a short program at 4 p.m., followed by an opportunity to tour the facility. The community is invited to attend.

Seedlings Preschool Center is a newly remodeled, state-of-the-art facility located at 7810 Chavenelle Road on the Bright Minds Campus (formerly Medline facility at 7900 Chavenelle Road).

The 18,000-square-foot free preschool was designed entirely to support the community’s youngest learners. The center aims to meet the community demand for high-quality early childhood education with seamless access to wrap-around child care programming in the adjacent Dubuque Community Y Early Learning Center.

Seedlings Preschool Center features newly renovated classrooms, a fully accessible outdoor playground, specially designed sensory spaces, meal service and common spaces, and a dedicated team of preschool teachers and support staff.

We are excited to celebrate the Class of 2024 one more time. Relive the memories from Dalzell Field in the photo albums linked below. All images are available to download.

CLICK HERE for the Hempstead High School graduation album.

CLICK HERE for the Dubuque Senior High School graduation album.

The Dubuque Community School District will participate in the USDA Summer Food Service Program to provide no-cost meals to students weekdays from July 8 through August 2, coinciding with the district’s Summer Academy Program.

The district will provide no-cost breakfast and lunch to any child 18 years old or under, with no enrollment necessary. No infant formula or infant food will be served. Meals will be served on site.

Summer Academy meal locations and times are as follows:

Audubon Elementary School
Prescott Elementary School
Table Mound Elementary School
Breakfast: 7:30-8 a.m.
Lunch: 11-11:30 a.m.

Meals will also be offered throughout the summer by community agencies at a variety of locations.

VIEW THE FLYER OF ALL COMMUNITY MEAL SITES, TIMES AND LOCATIONS

---

USDA Non-Discrimination Statement

Acceptance and participation requirements for the Program and all activities are the same for all regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination
Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at:

http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html

and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866)632 – 9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

1. Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410

2. Fax: (202)690-7442; OR
3. Email: program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Iowa Non-Discrimination Statement:

“It is the policy of this CNP provider not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or religion in its programs, activities, or employment practices as required by the Iowa Code section 216.6, 216.7, and 216.9. If you have questions or grievances related to compliance with this policy by this CNP Provider, please contact the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, Grimes State Office building, 400 E. 14th St. Des Moines, IA 50319-1004; phone number 515-281-4121, 800-457-4416; website: https://icrc.iowa.gov/.”

The Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council at the Iowa Department of Education is proud to announce Theressa Northouse, a technology coach at Marshall Elementary School, has been named as a recipient of the 2024 Iowa STEM Teacher Award, sponsored by Kemin Industries. The award is given to six educators each year who go above and beyond to inspire student interest in and awareness of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Now in its 10th year, the award is given annually to one full-time, licensed preK-12 teacher from each of the six STEM regions in Iowa. Each recipient is honored for their efforts to foster enthusiasm and inspire a passion for STEM that goes beyond the classroom and helps prepare students for future high-demand careers.

Northouse was recognized for her efforts in going above and beyond in providing STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) experiences at Marshall Elementary School. She has established several STEM clubs at her school, including a Coding Club, a Girls Who Code Club, and a Robot Club. Northouse’s work in the teaching of computer science is done with equity in mind, because she believes in the importance of students being able to see themselves in jobs that involve STEM.

Northouse has always collaborated with companies like John Deere and The National Inventors Hall of Fame to bring real-life, hands-on opportunities to the classroom. Her grant writing also produced Finch, Sphero, and DASH robots to ensure coding and robotics at all grade levels, while infusing creative challenges for the kids to keep them engaged. Northouse was described by her nominator for this award as “bringing tremendous energy to the classroom to keep kids engaged and wanting more STEAM.”

As a recipient of the 2024 Iowa STEM Teacher Award, Northouse will receive $1,500 to use for her classroom and $1,500 for personal use.

###

About the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council

Established in July 2011 via Governor’s Executive Order, the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council leverages public-private partnerships of educators, companies and Iowa students and families to ensure that every Iowa student has access to world-class STEM education opportunities. The Council’s work supports strong college and career pathways for students and growth for state and local economies. The 44-member STEM Council is co-chaired by Governor Kim Reynolds and Foundation Analytical Laboratory Owner and Director of Technical Services Diane Young. For more information, visit https://iowastem.org.

About Kemin Industries

Kemin Industries (www.kemin.com) is a global ingredient manufacturer that strives to sustainably transform the quality of life every day for 80 percent of the world with its products and services. The company supplies over 500 specialty ingredients for human and animal health and nutrition, pet food, aquaculture, nutraceutical, food technologies, crop technologies, textile, biofuel and animal vaccine industries.

For over half a century, Kemin has been dedicated to using applied science to address industry challenges and offer product solutions to customers in more than 120 countries. Kemin provides ingredients to feed a growing population with its commitment to the quality, safety and efficacy of food, feed and health-related products.

Established in 1961, Kemin is a privately held, family-owned-and-operated company with more than 3,000 global employees and operations in 90 countries, including manufacturing facilities in Belgium, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Italy, San Marino, Singapore, South Africa and the United States.

 

The Dubuque Community School District is pleased to announce the appointment of Renee Wagner as the new principal of Irving Elementary School for the 2024-2025 school year, pending approval by the Board of Education at its March meeting. Wagner, who currently serves as an instructional coach at Drexler Middle School in Farley, Iowa, replaces Susan Meehan, who was recently named administrator of the district’s new Seedlings Preschool Center.

As principal of Irving, Wagner will be responsible for the strategic and day-to-day operations of the school, which serves approximately 410 students and has over 85 professional and support staff.

Wagner assumes this role after serving as an instructional coach at Drexler Middle School since 2020. Prior to that, she was an instructional coach at Western Dubuque High School from 2014-2020. Prior to her role in instructional leadership, she served as a teacher at Drexler Middle and Intermediate School from 2010-2014 and was a Title I reading teacher at Cascade Elementary School.

“Renee brings a students-first philosophy that is guided by her strong track record of building positive relationships and her expertise in proven instructional practices,” said Superintendent of Schools Amy Hawkins. “That, combined with her positive attitude and excitement for learning make her the right fit to lead Irving into the future.”

Wagner holds a bachelor of arts degree in elementary and middle level education from the University of Northern Iowa, a K-8 reading endorsement from Clarke University, and a master’s degree in education (educational administration) from Loras College.

The Dubuque Community School District is pleased to announce the appointment of Rich Hatcher as the new principal of Kennedy Elementary School for the 2024-2025 school year, pending approval by the Board of Education at its March meeting. Hatcher, who currently serves as assistant principal at Western Dubuque High School, replaces Nick Hess, who was recently named principal of Marshall Elementary School in the district.

As principal of Kennedy, Hatcher will be responsible for the strategic and day-to-day operations of the school, which serves approximately 585 students and has over 81 professional and support staff.

Hatcher assumes this new role after serving as assistant principal of Western Dubuque High School since 2017. Prior to his time in the Western Dubuque Community School District, he was a student needs facilitator at Jefferson Middle School in Dubuque from 2014-2017 and was an instructional coach and talented/gifted facilitator at Jefferson from 2007-2014. Prior to that, he was a science and geography teacher at Williams Intermediate School and F.L. Smart Middle School, respectively, which are both in Davenport, Iowa.

“Rich is an energetic, relationship-driven administrator who thrives on building connections with families, student and staff,” said Superintendent of Schools Amy Hawkins. “We are thrilled to welcome him back to the Dubuque Community School District and we are excited for all he will bring to this role at Kennedy.”

Hatcher holds a bachelor of arts degree in elementary education from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, a master of educational leadership degree from Western Illinois University in Macomb, Ill.