Articles from December 2020

On Monday, Dec. 14, 2020, the Dubuque Community School District Board of Education approved the school calendars for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years.

VIEW THE APPROVED CALENDARS

The Dubuque Community School District has released draft calendars for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years.

The online feedback form for these draft calendars is now closed.

The district Board of Education will host a public hearing about the calendar on Monday, December 14, at 5:30 p.m. at the Forum, 2300 Chaney Road.

View the DRAFT 2021-2022 School Calendar

View the DRAFT 2022-2023 School Calendar

SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT: Prescott Elementary School to Receive $20,000 Donation from Dubuque Bank and Trust on World Teacher Day, Monday, Oct. 5

Prescott Elementary School staff was surprised with a $20,000 donation from Dubuque Bank and Trust, through its partnership with the national non-profit organization, AdoptAClassroom.org, at a special virtual staff meeting on Monday, Oct. 5.

The funds are intended for the school to purchase much-needed tools and materials, so they can successfully and safely continue to operate, whether students are learning in the classroom or remotely from their homes.

“Dubuque Bank and Trust is a long-time supporter of Prescott Elementary School and we are so grateful for this significant gift made through their partnership with AdoptAClassroom.org,” said Vicki Sullivan, principal of Prescott Elementary School. “We look forward to determining how to best use the funds to maximize the benefit to our students and school community.”

“These are such challenging days for our K-12 educators, wrestling with how best to stay safe while keeping their students connected and engaged in learning,” says Lynn “Tut” Fuller, President and CEO of Dubuque Bank and Trust. “K-12 schools are the cornerstone to a healthy and productive community. We want to play our part to help.”

About Dubuque Bank and Trust Company

Dubuque Bank and Trust Company (DB&T), a subsidiary of Heartland Financial USA, Inc., (NASDAQ: HTLF), is a state chartered bank with more than $1.8 billion in assets and serving customers in the Tri-State region of Dubuque County in northeast Iowa, portions of Grant County in southwest Wisconsin and Jo Daviess County in northwest Illinois. The bank operates six branch offices in Dubuque County. The bank specializes in business lending and deposit services, and provides a wide variety of personal credit and deposit services along with complete electronic banking programs. For more information visit www.dubuquebank.com or call 877.280.1851. DB&T is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and an Equal Housing Lender.

About Heartland Financial USA, Inc.

Heartland Financial USA, Inc. is a diversified financial services company with assets of $15 billion. The company provides banking, mortgage, private client, investment and insurance services to individuals and businesses. Heartland currently has 113 banking locations serving 82 communities in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Arizona, Montana, Colorado, Minnesota, Kansas, Missouri, Texas and California. Additional information about Heartland Financial USA, Inc. is available at www.htlf.com.

About AdoptAClassroom.org

We are a national, award-winning nonprofit that provides the most flexible and accountable funding for K-12 teachers and schools throughout the U.S. Our proprietary, easy-to-use education fundraising platform helps teachers, principals, and administrators give every child the tools they deserve to succeed in school. Since 1998, we have raised $39 million and supported 5.4 million students. As a 501(c)(3) organization, we hold a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and a platinum rating of transparency from GuideStar. For more information, or to make a donation, please visit www.adoptaclassroom.org.

2019-2020 Distinguished Dolphin Award Winners

Congratulation to our 2019-2020 Distinguished Dolphins. This award is given to 5th grade students who demonstrate the Prescott Promise, leadership and service.  Congratulations to Lajolie, Theodora, Kasena,Dawlah, Alivia, Charlotte, Ella, Charees, Mackenzie, London, Charlie, Kethlyn, Aakiyah and Amir.  

Here are the latest updates from the Dubuque Community School District:

WEEK 10 ELEMENTARY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES NOW POSTED
Week 10 of educational materials developed by the district’s Educational Support Team are now available on our EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES WEBPAGE. This week’s resources again include Suggested Learning Resources + Activities, a Social Emotional Learning Guide, and a variety of Student Handouts and Worksheets.

As a reminder, the district’s team has worked to be sure these resources meet the needs of learners across grade levels and of all abilities. Activities not marked with a specific grade level can be used by a wide range of students – look in the accommodations section of the resources for tips on making the learning accessible to your student!

This will be the final elementary educational resources packet for the school year. Printed copies of these packets will be available at meal delivery sites on Friday, May 29.

MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADING
At the conclusion of the scheduled school year, middle school students and families will receive report cards that include grades for trimesters one and two. Because learning occurring after the school closure was ungraded, third trimester courses will show a grade of “Ex” to indicate that the class was excused due to the closure.

Families with additional questions can reach out to their school directly.

Here are the latest updates from the Dubuque Community School District:

NO MEAL SERVICE ON MEMORIAL DAY (MONDAY, MAY 25)
Due to the Memorial Day holiday, there will be NO MEALS SERVED at district and community meal sites on Monday, May 25. This includes ALL community meal sites operating by the Dubuque Community School District, Boys & Girls Club, DREAM Center and Project Rooted.

Meal service will resume on Tuesday, May 26, at the normally scheduled times.

RETRIEVING ITEMS FROM SCHOOLS
Next week, between May 26 and 29, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS will coordinate pickup of any student items left at school. Schools will communicate directly with families to share specific times and logistical information for this retrieval of items.

At this time, students will return district-issued laptops, hotspots, textbooks and library books. Please refer to communication from your school for other items that may need to be returned, including heart rate monitors, instruments, etc.)

Students will also have an opportunity to clean out their locker.

Please remember to engage in appropriate social distancing during these pick-up times.

Families with ELEMENTARY SCHOOL students who were unable to pickup item during their school’s scheduled pick-up time can contact the school directly to make arrangements to do so.

WEEK 9 ELEMENTARY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES NOW POSTED
Week 9 of educational materials developed by the district’s Educational Support Team are now available on our EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES WEBPAGE. This week’s resources again include Suggested Learning Resources + Activities, a Social Emotional Learning Guide, and a variety of Student Handouts and Worksheets.

As a reminder, the district’s team has worked to be sure these resources meet the needs of learners across grade levels and of all abilities. Activities not marked with a specific grade level can be used by a wide range of students – look in the accommodations section of the resources for tips on making the learning accessible to your student!

If you are having difficulty with the resources or have questions about how to accommodate the activities for your child, please reach out to your child’s teacher(s) by email or Seesaw for assistance.

Printed copies of these packets will be available at meal delivery sites on Friday, May 22.

Here are the latest updates from the Dubuque Community School District:

HEMPSTEAD MEAL SITE LOCATION CHANGE
Beginning on Monday, May 18, meals will no longer be served at Hempstead High School due to renovation of the school’s kitchen. The meal site will move to Roosevelt Middle School, where meals will be served during the normal 11 a.m.-1 p.m. timeframe.

ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE SCHOOL INFINITE CAMPUS GRADE INFORMATION
As we move through the completion of the school year with student learning, elementary and middle school grading information will not be accessible in Infinite Campus, as the current learning for students remains ungraded at this time.

Elementary and middle school students/families will receive end-of-the-year grading information at the scheduled conclusion of the school year.

WEEK 8 ELEMENTARY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES NOW POSTED
Week 8 of educational materials developed by the district’s Educational Support Team are now available on our EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES WEBPAGE. This week’s resources again include Suggested Learning Resources + Activities, a Social Emotional Learning Guide, and a variety of Student Handouts and Worksheets.

As a reminder, the district’s team has worked to be sure these resources meet the needs of learners across grade levels and of all abilities. Activities not marked with a specific grade level can be used by a wide range of students – look in the accommodations section of the resources for tips on making the learning accessible to your student!

If you are having difficulty with the resources or have questions about how to accommodate the activities for your child, please reach out to your child’s teacher(s) by email or Seesaw for assistance.

Printed copies of these packets will be available at meal delivery sites on Friday, May 15.

Hello Prescott Families,

I hope you and your loved ones are well. The entire staff sends its best to you. Today’s message is about our plan for families to pick up supplies left at school. We will be providing curbside pick in our White St. parking lot on these dates and times:

· Thursday, May 14 7:30am-10:30am

· Thursday, May 14, 2pm-6pm

· Friday, May 15, 7:30am-10:30am

· Friday, May 15, 2pm-6pm

To ensure the safety of everyone involved, I ask that you call one us listed below to schedule a 15-minute time slot for you to pick up your materials. Please call on Friday May 8 or Monday May 11.

· Preschool and Kindergarten Parents/Guardians – call Michele Steines at 563-284-2351

· Grade 1 parents – call Mike Timm at 563-495-2100

· Grade 2 parents – call Kristie Thein at 563-265-3255

· Grade 3 parents – call Vicki Sullivan at 563-543-6962

· Grade 4 and 5 parents – call Angela Watkins at 773-507-3930

Parents/Guardians:

· If you have multiple children at Prescott, you only need to call one of us.

· If families/friends want to send one person to pick up for multiple families, that is great. When you call, just let us know.

· Be ready to give the first and last names of all the students you are picking up supplies for.

· You will drive up to front porch area in our White St. parking lot just as we do during dismissal. Staff members will be outside to get the names of students from you. Staff members inside will run the supplies out to you.

· Students’ supplies will be in bags labels with students’ names.

· If you are walking, please wait at the playground gate in our White St. parking lot. A staff member will be there with a two-way radio to notify runners to bring your materials to you. You may want to consider a wagon or stroller to put materials in if you have several students.

· Families must stay in their vehicles and walkers must maintain social distancing.

· Staff members will be wearing gloves and masks.

· Now is a good time to return rented instruments if you have a fifth grader with one.

· Now is a good time to return books that belong to the school: classroom books, library books, Keystone books.

With appreciation,

Vicki Sullivan, Principal

Here are the latest updates from the Dubuque Community School District:

RETRIEVING ITEMS FROM BUILDINGS
Next week, pending any change in conditions, ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS will be coordinating pickup of any student items left at school. These items will be pre-packaged for families to pick-up outside the building.

• Schools will communicate scheduling and logistics details directly with families of elementary school students.
• All schools will have social distancing measures in place and families will not be allowed inside the building.
• Items will be pre-packaged for families to pick-up outside the building.
• If students have items from school they wish to return (district-owned instruments, library books, textbooks, etc.), they can be dropped off at this time as well. Please note that there will be no penalties for items that remain with families until the beginning of next school year.

MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS will be scheduling pickup of student items for late May/early June to coincide with textbook, computer and hotspot returns. Schools will reach out to families with details as plans are finalized.

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT/NO-CREDIT GRADING OPTION
As shared previously, high school students have the option of taking second semester courses with a Credit (P)/No Credit (N) grading option. The deadline is May 15 for seniors to choose this option and June 1 for students in grades 9-11. Credit/No Credit courses are not included in a student’s grade-point-average, but they will receive credit for the class if a grade of 60% or higher is earned.

The request form for each school follows (students will be asked to login to their district Office365 account to complete the form):

Hempstead Credit/No-Credit Request Form

Dubuque Senior Credit/No-Credit Request Form

IMPORTANT NOTE: Students planning to move on to post-secondary education should consult the institution they plan to attend to determine which grading option will be best for their individual circumstances. Students planning to play intercollegiate athletics may also wish to review guidance from the NCAA Clearninghouse or the NAIA Eligibility Center.

YARD SIGN PICK-UP FOR SENIORS
Dubuque Senior High School and Hempstead High School will hold pickup for yard signs celebrating seniors on Tuesday, May 12. Pick-ups will be held at each school in a drive-up format with social distancing measures in place. Schools will communicate pick-up times and details directly with seniors and their families.

DON’T FORGET TO #ThankATeacher
Our teachers rock! This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, and we hope you’ll take a few moments to #ThankATeacher for the amazing work they do to support our students and families. Be sure to share your pictures and posts on our district Facebook and Twitter pages. And, don’t forget to use #ThankATeacher and #DbqSchoolsProud.

WEEK 7 ELEMENTARY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES NOW POSTED
Week 7 of educational materials developed by the district’s Educational Support Team are now available on our EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES WEBPAGE. This week’s resources again include Suggested Learning Resources + Activities, a Social Emotional Learning Guide, and a variety of Student Handouts and Worksheets.

As a reminder, the district’s team has worked to be sure these resources meet the needs of learners across grade levels and of all abilities. Activities not marked with a specific grade level can be used by a wide range of students – look in the accommodations section of the resources for tips on making the learning accessible to your student!

If you are having difficulty with the resources or have questions about how to accommodate the activities for your child, please reach out to your child’s teacher(s) by email or Seesaw for assistance.

Printed copies of these packets will be available at meal delivery sites on Friday, May 8.

In order to assist in providing support for students and families needing internet connectivity, the Dubuque Community School District has purchased and installed outdoor wireless access points to provide free Wi-Fi access in parking lots at all 19 school buildings in the district. The district will be adding signage to these locations in the future.

These access points provide free internet access between 6:30 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. District-owned devices issued to staff and students will connect automatically to the district network as they do normally. Users with non-district devices can select the “DCSD-Public” Wif-Fi network. Those utilizing a Wi-Fi zone will be able to do so from their vehicle in order to reinforce appropriate physical distancing efforts.

Locations are as follows:

• Alta Vista Campus: Bus Lane
• Audubon Elementary School: Staff Parking Lot
• Bryant Elementary School: Staff Parking Lot
• Carver Elementary School: Bus Lane
• Eisenhower Elementary School: Upper Staff Parking Lot
• Fulton Elementary School: Staff Parking Lot
• Hempstead High School: Bus Lane and Main Entrance (Flagpole) Parking Lot
• Hoover Elementary School: Staff Parking Lot
• Irving Elementary School: Main Parking Lot
• Jefferson Middle School: Rear Parking Lot
• Kennedy Elementary School: Bus Lane
• Lincoln Elementary School: Bus Lane
• Marshall Elementary School: Staff Parking Lot
• Prescott Elementary School: Bus Lane
• Roosevelt Middle School: Front Drop Off by Library and Rear Bus Lane
• Sageville Elementary School: Bus Lane
• Senior High School: Bus Lane and Main Parking Lot Near Dalzell Field Ticket Booth
• Table Mound Elementary School: Main Parking Lot Near Entrance
• Washington Middle School: Parking Lot Near Smokestack