We are pleased to present the Fall/Winter 2024 K-12 Virtual Student Art Gallery, highlighting the amazing artwork of our students.
The exhibit features the ability to virtually walk through a curated gallery of work — and we hope you’ll enjoy immersing yourself in the exhibit as the vision of these talented student artists comes to life.
We are excited to welcome 8th-grade students and their families to our HIGH SCHOOL OPEN HOUSES at Dubuque Senior High School and Hempstead High School on Monday, January 27.
Each open house begins with a short program at 7 p.m. in the school’s gymnasium.
Not sure what your home high school is? Find your school based on your home address.
Following a short program, students and families will have the opportunity to:
All incoming students and families are encouraged to attend. This event is a chance to learn about the experiences and opportunities available over the next four years.
Ready to join our A+ Team?
Learn about all of the amazing career opportunities available in the district at our Dubuque Community School District JOB FAIR on Thursday, Jan. 16, from 1-3 p.m. at the district’s main offices at 2300 Chaney Road!
Representatives from departments across the district will be on hand, including:
Interviews will be conducted ON SITE during the fair!
PLUS, many position coordinate with the school calendar so you can be aligned with your child’s schedule!
Looking for a more flexible as-needed role? Learn about becoming a substitute teacher or paraprofessional at the fair!
CAN’T WAIT AND READY TO APPLY? Start your application today!
Enrollment for FREE four-year-old preschool in the Dubuque Community School District for the 2025-2026 school year will begin on Monday, Dec. 9.
This includes all 12 Dubuque public elementary schools as well as the district’s Seedlings Preschool Center on Chavenelle Road offering preschool through the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program. (Note: Seedlings Preschool Center has optional, fee-based wraparound care available at the adjacent Dubuque Community Y Childcare.)
Parents and guardians may enroll students ONLINE beginning at NOON on Monday, December 9, at www.dbqschools.org/preschool.
All district elementary schools and the district’s main office will have computers and staff assistance available beginning December 9 for families needing internet access to complete preschool enrollment.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
Free four-year-old preschool is open to students residing in Iowa who are four by September 15. Proof of age (preferably a birth certificate) and proof of residency are required to enroll a student and may be uploaded during the enrollment application process or provided in hard copy to the district enrollment office at 2300 Chaney Road.
Your student’s enrollment application will not be considered complete until these documents have been received.
For the enrollment process, families should have the student’s main household and health information readily available.
PRESCHOOL SITE OPTIONS
Space may be limited in some facilities and enrollment applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Enrollment for preschool is not based on geography and all sites are open to Iowa residents. Applications will be time-stamped and families will be able to select up to three locations and time slots in order of preference.
Applications completed by January 10 (including submission of proof of age and proof of residency) will be considered in the first round of placement notifications beginning on January 15.
In addition to spots in Dubuque’s public schools, a variety of community preschool partners also offer free four-year-old preschool.
QUESTIONS?
For additional enrollment questions, individuals should contact the district enrollment office at enrollment@dbqschools.org.
For questions about preschool programming, contact the district early childhood office at earlychildhood@dbqschools.org.
The Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program for Four-Year-Old Children is funded by the State of Iowa and facilitated locally by the Dubuque Community School District.
On Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, best-selling author and award-winning journalist Catherine Price shared her expertise on the impact of our screen-based world, and in particular of phones and social media. She also helped audience members discover how they can break up with their phone and have more authentic fun in life.
WATCH THE FULL EVENT NOW
Available until December 3, 2024 using password ScrollLessDBQ2024
During her presentation, Catherine shared a variety of resources to learn more:
VIEW ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FROM CATHERINE
ORIGINAL POST:
The Dubuque Community School District is pleased to announce that award-winning journalist and best-selling author Catherine Price will be the featured speaker in the district’s family and community engagement series when she presents “Scroll Less. Live More. Have Fun.” on Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 6:30 p.m. in the Dubuque Senior High School Cafeteria. Doors will open at 6 p.m.
Admission to the event is free, and families, students and community members are encouraged to attend. The event is made possible through a generous grant from the DRA.
“As a district, we are committed to engaging our families and students – especially when it comes to educating about current topics facing today’s young people,” said Rebecca Fellenzer, the district’s director of student services. “There is probably no more notable issue facing today’s students and adults alike than navigating a world reliant on screen-based technology at our disposal instantaneously at all times. We look forward to learning from Catherine as she shares her expertise with us on how to disconnect from our screens and add more authentic fun into our lives.”
Hailed by The New York Times as the “Marie Kondo of brains,” Price has authored numerous books, including her bestsellers How to Break Up With Your Phone and The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again. Her popular Substack newsletter How to Feel Alive (and its companion podcast) features conversations, inspiration, ideas, and evidence-backed advice for how to fill life with more fun, adventure, joy, connection, and delight.
As the creator and founder of Screen/Life Balance, Price and her work have been featured in outlets including The Best American Science Writing, NPR, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Popular Science, The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, TIME Magazine, Wired, VOX, Refinery29, BBC World News Service, CNN, Good Morning America, The Today Show, CBS This Morning, and Rachael Ray, among many others.
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.
As part of its homecoming festivities, Dubuque Senior High School will host a community open house on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 10 a.m. to noon to showcase the school’s recently completed renovation.
The district recently completed a $34 million second-phase renovation of Dubuque Senior, which included a newly renovated Lamb-Hedeman Auditorium and Nora Gymnasium, as well as new performance physical education space, a wrestling room, a restructured music wing and classroom updates.
This most recent renovation also added two additional elevators to the school and completed full climate control of the building so all spaces are now air conditioned. The project, which was completed on time and on budget, was funded through the district’s portion of the statewide SAVE (Secure an Advanced Vision for Education) sales tax fund.
The first phase of renovations at the school, which were completed in 2018, included a new secure entrance and office area, commons areas, a new cafeteria and library, and an additional gym. Together, the two phases fully renovated the school updates designed as a 50-plus year solution to ensuring up-to-date high school facilities for decades to come.
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.
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:
Join us at one of the following times:
Saturday, Aug. 3, 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!
Tuesday, Aug. 6, 3-5 p.m.
Hempstead High School
Wednesday, Aug. 7, from 1-3 p.m.
Washington Middle School
Thursday, Aug. 8, from 1-3 p.m.
Roosevelt Middle School
Saturday, Aug. 10, from 7 a.m.-Noon
Dubuque Farmers Market
Tuesday, Aug. 13, from 1-3 p.m.
Irving Elementary School
We look forward to seeing you!
Don’t miss this year’s Back-to-School Bash: Impacting Our Community!
Saturday, Aug. 3
11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Audubon Elementary School
605 Lincoln Ave.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL BASH FEATURES:
NEED A RIDE? WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED!
Hop on or off a school bus shuttle at one of the following locations/times:
| LOCATION | PICK-UP / DROP-OFF TIMES | |||
| Penn Place Apartments (West entrance) |
10 a.m. |
11:15 a.m. |
12:30 p.m. |
1:45 p.m. |
| Irving Elementary School (crosswalk) |
10:05 a.m. |
11:20 a.m. |
12:35 p.m. |
1:50 p.m. |
| Lincoln Elementary School (bus lane) |
10:10 a.m. |
11:25 a.m. |
12:40 p.m. |
1:55 p.m. |
| Prescott Elementary School (White Street side) |
10:15 a.m. |
11:30 a.m. |
12:45 p.m. |
2 p.m. |
| BACK-TO-SCHOOL BASH! (Audubon Elementary School) |
10:20 a.m. |
11:35 a.m. |
12:50 p.m. |
2:05 p.m. |
| Marshall Elementary School (crosswalk) |
10:30 a.m. |
11:45 a.m. |
1 p.m. |
2:15 p.m. |
| Casey’s Peru Road – Terrace Heights (Peru Road) |
10:40 a.m. |
11:55 a.m. |
1:10 p.m. |
2:25 p.m. |
| Alpine Park (Tanzenite Street East entrance) |
10:45 a.m. |
Noon | 1:15 p.m. |
2:30 p.m. |
| Fulton Elementary School (White Street side) |
10:50 a.m. |
12:05 p.m. |
1:20 p.m. |
2:35 p.m. |
| BACK-TO-SCHOOL BASH! (Audubon Elementary School) |
11 a.m. |
12:15 p.m. |
1:30 p.m. |
2:45 p.m. |
Thank you to the AMAZING community organizations that make the Back-to-School Bash possible:
QUESTIONS?
Contact Anderson Sainci!
563/589-6054 or
asainci@cityofdubuque.org