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Articles from December 2024

DSHS Educational Foundation Hall of Fame

The DSHS Educational Foundation is now accepting nominations for its inaugural 2025 Hall of Fame class!

Full eligibility criteria and nomination instructions are available at https://www.dshsfoundation.org/halloffame. The online nomination form is open through January 5, 2025.

Please share with DSHS Alumni and Supporters! We are excited to honor the far-reaching legacy of the DSHS Community.

Dcsd multilingual family event HEADER

Multilingual Family Night, Dec. 5

The Dubuque Community School District will host a Multilingual Family Night as part of the district’s family and community engagement series on Thursday, Dec. 5, from 4:30-7 p.m. at Dubuque Senior High School. Admission to the event is free.

We are READY. TO SUPPORT YOU.

Multilingual families with students in grades 8-12 are invited to join other multilingual families for a wonderful night connecting with the Dubuque Community School District and the many resources available to support you and your student. Interpreters and childcare will be provided.

  • Share a FREE meal together
  • Meet our caring staff committed to your student’s success
  • Learn about the path to graduation and various careers
  • Learn how to use the district’s communication tools like Infinite Campus and ParentSquare
  • Get access to helpful community resources

This event is a VERTEX Initiative awareness opportunity made possible in partnership with Dubuque Area Labor-Management Council and the DRA.


View this information in your language! At the top of the page, click the arrow next to Select Language for a listing of available languages.

إلى هذه المعلومات باللغة العربية عبر زيارة

Pristupite ovim informacijama na bosanskom jeziku!

获取中文信息!

I-access ang impormasyong ito sa Filipino!

Lale melele kein ilo kajin Marshallese!

دا معلومات په پښتو ژبه ترلاسه کړئ!

¡Acceda a esta información en español!

اردو میں اس معلومات تک رسائی حاصل کریں!

Truy cập thông tin này bằng tiếng Việt!

47th Annual Dubuque Senior Madrigal

Dubuque Senior Madrigal continues with its traditional dinner and, new this year, tea with the King and the Queen!

  • Enjoy dinner with the King and Queen and the whole musical court on Saturday, December 14! Doors open at 5 pm with a Renaissance Faire; Seating starts at 6 pm! Tickets are $50
  • Enjoy tea with the King and Queen on Sunday, December 15! Doors open at 2:30 pm with seating at 3 pm! Tickets are $30
  • Seating is limited. Get your tickets online through SeatYourself.

New Partnership to Create New High School Esports Team

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.

Dubuque Senior High School to Host Open House of Updated Facilities, Oct. 5

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.