Holiday Music to my Ears

Dubuque Senior Musicians - Thank you for doing such a wonderful job at the Madrigal. It is one of my favorite holiday traditions. Thank you for sharing my joy this holiday season.
The Dubuque Senior Musicians will present their holiday concert on December 14 in the Lamb-Hedeman Auditorium at 7:00 pm.

Parent Advisory Meeting - October 21

Our next parent advisory meeting is Wednesday, October 21. If you are a Dubuque Senior parent, you are welcome to attend this one hour meeting, from 7-8 pm. So far on the agenda is teens and technology, and "parenting young adults - how to hold on, how to let go." Come and share your ideas. Enter the front door on Clarke Drive.

September 28 Bomb Threat

Today, a little after noon, a teacher called to say there was a message written in a stairway. The message was a bomb threat. Immediately, I called our SRO officers Jeremy Slight and Becky Stieber and assembled the custodians and assistant principals. We developed a plan.
In less than an hour, we knew who had written the message.
Events like this, which are all too common, leave me wondering. What is it that makes a sixteen year old want to threaten a school-full of students? What types of interventions could we implement to make our students more safe from threats without unreasonably limiting the freedoms of the other 1500 kids?

Congratulations School Board Members !!!

Congratulations to George Davis, Otto Krueger and Craig Beytein on your election to the Dubuque Community School Board. And thank you, truly, for it is a job with a lot of responsibility and very little reward. Except the reward you get for impacting the lives of 10,000 students. Pretty amazing. Thanks, kim

Parent Advisory Meeting - September 16

We are off to a great start to our school year. This year, in an attempt to increase communication with our students' parents, we are having monthly meeting which we are calling the Parent Advisory Group.
Parent Advisory Group meetings will occur on Early Release days, from 7:00-8:00 p.m. The first meeting will be Wednesday, September 16. We will share opinions and advise. Everyone is welcome.
Enter the front door of Dubuque Senior.

On your mark........

They're back!!!! Teenagers! Full of energy and insecurities and questions and dreams and attitudes and potential. It has been a great beginning. Our ninth grade class is BIG..... and well behaved, and motivated and (obviously) well-parented.
Thanks to all who contributed to our great freshman orientation. It's going to be a great year.

Rams on the River

Thanks to Jan Kremer and Rich Bean for organizing the boat ride on Friday night. Many Ram supporters had a great night as we cruised up and down the beautiful Mississippi and shared our excitement about the upcoming football season.
It was especially exciting to meet the parents of the incoming ninth graders and share their excitement as their students join us as a part of the Class of 2013 !!!!
Best of luck to Coach Wulfekuhle and his football coaching staff. Thanks for your hard work on behalf of Dubuque Senior High School.

Registration

Registration will be held on Tuesday, August 11 from Noon to 7 p.m. and on Wednesday, August 12 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. We look forward to welcoming New Rams to our school and welcoming back returning students.
As I have met students around town over the past week, they tell me that they are ready to return.
Thank you to the parents who attended our parent meeting on August 6. Any parent who did not attend, but who would like to volunteer at Dubuque Senior should email me at kswift@dubuque.k12.ia.us I check my email a ridiculous number of times each day (and night).

Parents Needed

We are in need of a group of parents to help us on several committees and with several organizations.
The Dubuque Senior High Educational Foundation
The Renaissance Committee
The Site Council/ Parent Advisory Group
Music Boosters
Ram Boosters

Each of these groups meets approximately one time per month for 1-2 hours. If you would like to join any of these groups, please email or call.
In addition, we will have an organizational/informational meeting to describe each group's focus and activity on August 6 at 7:00 p.m. All are welcome to attend.

Welcome to My Blog

This is my first-ever blog. So be really patient with me. I am starting this blog as a way to communicate better with the Dubuque Senior High Community. Which is you, if you are reading this.
I hope to share what's on my mind. And I hope to give you a chance to respond.
So, welcome me to the techno-age. It's an exciting, and somewhat scarey place.