News Releases

Students in the Dubuque Community School District who worked with reading tutors from the AmeriCorps Partners in Learning program built relationships and worked hard to improve their reading proficiency. Looking back on their work over the last school year, the results show a positive impact on reading proficiency.

According to results of the DIBELS assessment, 67 percent of students who worked with an AmeriCorps member 30 times or more over the course of the 2014-2015 school year increased their composite reading score. Attendance was also positively impacted through the AmeriCorps mentoring, with 96 percent of the same students attending school at a 90 percent or greater attendance rate.

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The Dubuque Community School District was recently recognized for its communication efforts at both the national and state level.

At the national level, the district was recognized by the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) with an Award of Merit for an episode of the District-Wide Update produced by the district. The award was part of NSPRA’s Publications and Electronic Media Awards, which recognize outstanding education communication materials.

The district also received three national awards in the 2015 Hometown Media Awards including the award for Overall Excellence in Educational Programming (for budgets under $300,000). The district also received the award for Best Web-Based Program for the Roosevelt Middle School Orientation video and an honorable mention in the Magazine Show category for the District-Wide Update. This national awards program for cable access programming is sponsored by the Alliance for Community Media, an organization committed to promoting civic engagement through community media.

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Across the district, we have seen great benefit in the weekly Friday morning professional learning opportunities for our teaching staff.

Because this time is so valuable to the education we deliver, and given recent changes in the Y-Care fee structure for Friday-morning-only usage, all elementary schools in the Dubuque Community School District will offer an early drop-off option for families needing accommodations for the one-hour Friday late arrivals.

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Kelly Molony

The Dubuque Community School District is pleased to announce the appointment of Kelly Molony as the new principal of Jefferson Middle School, approved by the Board of Education at its June 8 meeting. An experienced educational administrator, Molony just completed her tenth year as assistant principal of Roosevelt Middle School.

As principal of Jefferson, Molony will be responsible for the strategic and day-to-day operations of the school, which serves approximately 600 students and has over 100 professional and support staff.

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Tim Hitzler, a social studies teacher at the Alternative Learning Center on the Alta Vista Campus, was recently awarded the Iowa Association for Alternative Education Newcomer of the Year Award.

The award is presented annually to an alternative educator who has less than five years of alternative education experience. It honors a person who is enthusiastic about alternative education, promotes a positive atmosphere in the school setting, and is an advocate for students.

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Dubuque Senior High School added a little silver to its school colors when U.S. News released its 2015 Best High Schools list.

Senior was awarded Silver Medal status in the listing, was ranked nationally and was ranked 11th among Iowa high schools in the listing.

“Our staff at Dubuque Senior High School is committed to helping all of our students be successful,” said Dan Johnson, principal at the school. “Our Ram Family, both staff and students, does a great job of working together to make our school a great place to get an education. Our goal is to always get better.”

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The Eisenhower Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) announced the winners of its annual Five-Star Awards at a school assembly today. This award is given annually to one teacher and one support staff member at the school.

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The Dubuque Community School District Teacher of the Year was named at the annual Educators’ Recognition Dinner on May 5, hosted by the school district and the Dubuque Education Association.

Amy Haverland, a science teacher at Jefferson Middle School, was selected for the honor. Haverland has taught at Jefferson since 2005. She is also in a teacher leadership role at Jefferson, serving as one of the school’s 21st-century initiative leaders. “Amy is an educational innovator,” said one of her nominators. “[Her] enthusiasm is contagious and spreads to all those she encounters. Students leave her classroom with a feeling of confidence and a genuine love of science.”

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Hoover Elementary School will add a preschool classroom for the 2015-16 school year, providing a new preschool option in the Dubuque Community School District.

Parents and guardians may register students at Hoover beginning Monday, May 4, at the school. Proof-of-age, preferably a birth certificate, is required to register a student. A passport or signed immunization record will be accepted if necessary.

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Fourth and fifth grade students at Lincoln Elementary School will experience a collection of musical masterpieces on Wednesday, April 29, during the finals of the school’s Great Music Listening Festival.

The program, designed by Lincoln music teacher Linda Niemann, is focused on giving students the chance to learn about great music from the past. Students have been studying 10 masterworks for the past two months.

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