The following message was shared with families and staff on June 4, 2021 — the last day of the 2020-2021 school year…
Dear Dubuque Schools Family,
In August, we began this school year amidst great uncertainty.
Today, we join together as students, families, staff and many community partners to celebrate the end of this school year.
We made it — and we made it together.
Thank you for consistently exhibiting amazing flexibility, patience, strength and positivity through what have been some of the most challenging times in recent history.
As we conclude the school year, prepare for summer learning opportunities, and look ahead to next year, I hope you take a moment to recognize the many bright spots in this challenging year.
- Students received high-quality learning with consistency and continuity.
- Students participated in extracurricular activities and strengthened connections with their schools and community.
- Together, we mitigated COVID-19 and maintained low case counts in schools.
- Students received access to food and nutrition services to keep them healthy.
This year hasn’t been perfect. The path forward wasn’t always clear or easy, and yet collectively, we persevered.
Most importantly, we always put what’s best for students and staff at the forefront of our decision making.
Our students and community have been impacted by this pandemic and we will continue to focus our efforts on supporting students’ unfinished learning and social emotional needs as we move forward.
As COVID-19 numbers in our community continue to decrease, we look forward to a much more normal school year next year.
For today, though, let’s take a step back and recognize how much we’ve accomplished this year.
We wish you all the best this summer and we thank you for entrusting your students to us. We look forward to welcoming them back in August.
Sincerely,
Stan Rheingans
Superintendent of Schools