Senior Prinicipal Notes

Parent Advisory Meeting

2010-09-08T18:38:00.000-07:00

All interested parents and staff are invited to our parent advisory meetings. The meetings are held on Early Release Wednesdays, at 7:00 pm in A217. The meeting ends at precisely 8:00 so that I can get home and walk my dog. Poor puppy, having me for a mama.
The format is very casual: a conversation about your kids and their school. Any questions, about this or any other topic, call me at 552-5503.
Hope to see you on September 15 at 7 pm.

THEY'RE BACK!

2010-08-11T17:48:00.000-07:00

It was great to see you all at registration. What a HOT DAY!!!! I am hoping we get this heat out of the way before school starts.
Freshman (and their parents), stop worrying. We will take good care of them.

A Night at the Museum - Showcase of the Stars

2010-03-05T16:23:00.000-08:00

Please join us on March 19 at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium for Showcase of the Stars 2010. It will be a fun night of food, friends and art amidst fish, snakes and turtles. By now, you have probably received your invitation in the mail. Send the RSVP back to us. The entire aquarium is reserved for our enjoyment. If you didn't receive and invitation (or threw yours into the recycle bin without recognizing its value) call us at 552-5503.

I Wanna Be a RAM

2010-02-02T15:33:00.000-08:00

The Class of 2014 looked BIG. And excited about becoming RAMS. It was great to host our Open House last night and welcome the Class of 2014 to THE CASTLE. Any parents or students with unanswered questions, please call me at 552-5500.

Pink is my Favorite Color

2010-02-02T15:28:00.000-08:00

If you weren't there, you missed a cultural phenomenon. If you were there, I know you are happy you were. Hats off to the Dubuque Senior student body and their Mustang friends who showed what spirit is all about. Friday night's tribute to April and Wendell (coach) Eimers showed our true colors. Friday night that color was PINK.

Second Semester Resolution

2010-01-24T18:01:00.000-08:00

So, I 'm not good at blogging. I want to be good at it, but I'm not. You know the routine: I don't make regular entries, so no one reads it, so I don't make regular entries, so no one reads it, so ......
But that is about to change. It is a new year, full of resolutions.
Resolution #1 - Regular entries into this blog.
First, remember that this Wednesday at 7 pm is our Parent Advisory Meeting. We meet each Early Release Wednesday from 7pm-8pm in A 217. This week we are discussing Talent and Gifted Programming and the Time magazine article on over-parenting.
Second, Monday February 1 is our open house for incoming 9th graders. The program will be from 7-9 pm. We will begin in the Nora Gym.

Second semester is upon us. FINALLY. It was a rough, icy, prolonged end to 1st semester. We are all ready to move along. Here we go - a new year, a new semester, full of resolutions and the promise of spring. Bring it on.

Holiday Music to my Ears

2009-12-14T11:44:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-15T18:34:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-29T18:47:00.000-07:00

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 !!!

2009-09-09T14:27:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-08T08:51:00.000-07:00

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........

2009-08-25T15:03:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-16T11:24:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-09T18:33:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-06T07:27:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-13T09:51:00.000-07:00

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.