Each month, Dyersville Elementary celebrates students with a VIP birthday lunch! Students who have birthdays that month invite a special guest to join them.

It’s a wonderful way to build connections and make birthdays extra special. 🎉🍽️
6 months ago, WDCSD
A student and an adult sit side by side at a red lunch table in a school cafeteria, smiling at the camera while eating lunch with other students seated around them.
A young student grins widely next to an adult wearing a red shirt as they eat lunch together at a cafeteria table.
A young child and an adult sit close together at a lunch table, smiling while eating.
An adult wearing a yellow shirt sits at a cafeteria table eating with a group of students, all smiling and talking during lunchtime.
A cafeteria full of students and adults sits at long red lunch tables, enjoying their meals together during a family lunch event.
A group of students and two adults sit together at a cafeteria table with lunch trays, smiling at the camera with student artwork displayed on the wall behind them.
Learning is fun—and so is sharing experiences like eating lunch together in the classroom at Cascade Elementary! 🍽️

It’s a simple but meaningful way to build a strong classroom community and make memories. 😊 #wdbqschools
6 months ago, WDCSD
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We’re proud to recognize National School Bus Safety Week! 🚌

Drivers, please be sure to follow these rules when traveling near school buses:

✅Do not pass buses with flashing lights
✅Keep your distance, as buses make frequent stops
✅Yield to buses and allow them to merge
✅Respect school zone speeds
✅Avoid distractions near buses and school zones

Thank you for your help in keeping our students safe! 🚸
6 months ago, WDCSD
A yellow school bus with the number 5080 is shown on the right side of a red gradient background. Bold text reads “Celebrating National School Bus Safety Week.” The Western Dubuque Schools logo with the motto “Better Every Day” appears in the top left corner.
Preschool teachers at Dyersville Elementary hosted Popping on the Playground—a fun event for students and families to connect!

Families enjoyed popcorn and great conversation while kids had a blast playing together on the playground. 🍿😊
6 months ago, WDCSD
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A heartfelt thank you to our Peosta Elementary families and community for your incredible generosity during our Tackle Hunger Food Drive in conjunction with Service Day! 🥫

Because of your kindness, we were able to support both our Peosta Elementary food shelves and the Epworth Food Pantry at Epworth Methodist Church. This amazing organization provides weekly food bags to families in our community—and your donations will make a real difference for those in need!
6 months ago, WDCSD
food drive2 - Kimberly and Andy Reinert
IMG_3794 - Kimberly and Andy Reinert
Epworth Elementary students have been building their skills in adding and subtracting two-digit numbers. This week, they measured the lengths of different beans using unifix cubes, then worked together to add the measurements. 📏

It was a great opportunity to practice problem-solving and explore strategies for adding larger numbers!
6 months ago, WDCSD
A group of elementary students stand around a classroom table, using colorful plastic cubes to measure a long paper strip marked with a wavy line pattern.
Several students sit and kneel on a classroom rug with alphabet letters, using plastic cubes and paper strips with wavy lines as they work on a math activity together.
Four students sit and kneel on a light-colored classroom rug near a bookshelf, aligning colorful cubes along a long paper strip while writing on worksheets.
Three students sit on the floor of a classroom alphabet rug, placing blocks along a paper strip with a yellow wavy line pattern as part of a group math activity.
Our 6th grade science students at Drexler Middle School put their creativity and critical thinking to the test as they designed and launched water bottle rockets! This hands-on lab was a fun way to explore physics in action and strengthen collaboration skills. 🚀🔬
6 months ago, WDCSD
Two boys smile while holding a handmade water bottle rocket. The text beside them reads, "6th graders design Water Bottle Rockets!"
Our Cascade Elementary 4th graders are sharpening their multi-digit multiplication skills by practicing quick sketches of arrays—right on their desks! ✅

Using dry-erase markers added a fun, hands-on twist that kept math engaging and creative.
6 months ago, WDCSD
Two boys in a classroom draw geometric shapes on desks with markers.
Classroom scene with students seated at desks drawing with thin blue sticks and markers.
Four children sit at desks in a classroom, using whiteboard markers to write on desk surfaces.
Cascade Jr/Sr High School—home of the Cougars—proudly anchors the Cascade community in Western Dubuque County. 🐾

In the 2024-25 Iowa School Performance Profiles, Cascade Jr/Sr High continues to stand out—recognized as “Commendable” for overall academic performance.

With high proficiency in math and reading, strong student growth, and a favorable student-to-teacher ratio, Cascade delivers results while nurturing students for life beyond graduation.

We’re proud of our students, staff, and community for making the school a place of excellence. We look forward to continuing that tradition of success each year! 📈

6 months ago, WDCSD
Cascade school spotlight
Last year, our Epworth Elementary K-5 students explored Number Corner as part of our adoption of Bridges Math. This year, our preschool learners are joining the journey by building number sense, developing math confidence, and growing as young mathematicians. 📐✨
6 months ago, WDCSD
Children sit on the floor in a classroom, attentively watching a teacher in red, holding up numbers.
Our Dyersville Elementary 4th grade scientists explored how positive and negative charges work together to light a bulb!

Hands-on learning like this helps students build a deeper understanding of electricity and circuits. 💡🔋 #wdbqschools
6 months ago, WDCSD
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Epworth Elementary 2nd and 4th graders took full advantage of the beautiful fall weather by heading outside for singing games!

Laughter, movement, and music made for a joyful afternoon of learning and fun. 🍂🎵
6 months ago, WDCSD
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At this week’s school board meeting, Cascade Elementary shared how the Cougar Families initiative is building a stronger school culture. Principal Dan Wendler, along with Rachel Brindle and Amber Gravel, highlighted how this program brings students and staff together across grade levels to focus on leadership, connection, and shared expectations.

Older students mentor younger peers, while staff use dedicated Cougar Time to reteach expectations and celebrate positive behavior. The result is a more engaged student body, stronger staff connections, and a building full of Cougar Pride. 🐾 #wdbqschools
6 months ago, WDCSD
Board meeting photos
Our 5th grade students take on important leadership roles at Farley Elementary. They help lead assemblies, support our youngest learners, and play a big part in welcoming new students to our building!

We’re proud of the way they model kindness, responsibility, and school spirit. 🌟👏
6 months ago, WDCSD
Five children gather around a table, excitedly filling jars with colorful pom-poms.
Three children stand in a classroom, wearing sports jerseys with numbers.
Three children walking down a hallway wearing sports jerseys with numbers 8, 8, and 1.
Two young girls stand at the front of a classroom, speaking to seated children.
A group of students presents in front of peers seated on a gym floor. A large screen shows English and Spanish affirmations: "I am special."
Teamwork in action at Cascade Elementary! 🤝

Our 2nd and 3rd grade students enjoyed working and playing together at recess, building friendships and learning how to collaborate through play.
6 months ago, WDCSD
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During Emotional Intelligence Awareness Month, we encourage families to have open conversations about emotions at home.

Discussing feelings, validating experiences, and modeling healthy emotional responses helps children develop the skills they need to thrive. Together, we can support our students' emotional growth! 🌟
6 months ago, WDCSD
Celebrating Emotional Intelligence Awareness Month with colorful emojis showing various emotions against a starry purple background, featuring the Western Dubuque Schools logo
Over the past few weeks, Dyersville Elementary students have had a wonderful time welcoming grandparents to their school and celebrating homecoming! ✨
6 months ago, WDCSD
Three students standing in front of their grandparents.
A student sitting at a table playing a game with three adults.
Student engaging in a cut and glue project with her grandparent sitting beside her.
Students sitting in front of the school preparing to watch the homecoming parade
Students sitting in on the sidewalk preparing to watch the homecoming parade.
We are recognizing Down Syndrome Awareness Month and the individuals who bring joy, creativity, and unique perspectives to our classrooms. We're proud to support all learners in our schools! 💙💛
6 months ago, WDCSD
A blue and yellow ribbon next to text reading "October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month" with the Western Dubuque Schools logo above.
Our 2nd graders couldn’t wait to explore the new library at Cascade Elementary! 📚

They loved choosing books and getting excited about reading in this inviting new space. #wdbqschools
7 months ago, WDCSD
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Western Dubuque High School Spanish I students brought language learning to life with a fast-paced team challenge!

In small groups, runners memorized Spanish phrases outside the room, then helped teammates piece them together to form a complete story. A fun mix of movement, collaboration, and competition! 💬
7 months ago, WDCSD
A group of middle school students walks down a school hallway toward an open classroom door. One student is walking ahead while others enter the room together, passing stacked athletic hurdles on carts.
Students sit grouped at classroom desks working on a small activity. One student writes on a paper strip with a pencil while others lean in to discuss.
Three students stand around a cluster of desks working on an assignment. One student writes on a paper strip while the others watch and discuss.
Two students sit at a desk while another stands nearby, leaning in to look at their work. One student writes on a paper strip as the others watch and talk through the activity.