Today is National School Backpack Awareness Day! It’s an opportunity to remind students and families about important safety precautions:

✅ Keep backpack weight to 10-15% of body weight
✅ Use both shoulder straps for even distribution
✅ Adjust straps so pack sits close to your back
✅ Place heavier items closest to your spine

Remember: Proper backpack habits help prevent injury and keep students comfortable all year long! 🎒
6 months ago, WDCSD
National School Backpack Awareness Day graphic with a red backpack and Western Dubuque Schools logo.

Peosta Elementary students had a special celebration for the third day of third grade! The last photo shows how their school year began on the very first day. 🎉

6 months ago, WDCSD
pic 2 - Michelle Fisch
pic 3 - Michelle Fisch
pic 4 - Michelle Fisch
pic 5 - Michelle Fisch
pic 1 - Michelle Fisch
Cascade Junior/Senior High School student-athletes are kicking off the year with updated and renovated locker rooms. 🙌

Thank you to our maintenance team for all their hard work in making this possible.
6 months ago, WDCSD
Row of new blue metal lockers against a gray wall in a brightly lit hallway with polished gray speckled flooring.
Narrow hallway view showing two rows of blue metal lockers facing each other under ceiling lights.
Restroom with a single stall divider and wall-mounted sink beneath bright ceiling lights.
Locker room with a long row of blue mesh-front lockers containing athletic gear. Sports bags and orange water jugs are stacked near the window.
Restroom area with two white sinks set in a black countertop, mirrors above, and a soap dispenser on the wall.

Cascade High School students showed their school spirit during holiday dress-up day as part of homecoming week! Students participated in fun games and activities, making lasting memories with friends. 🎄

It was a festive day filled with laughter and smiles!

6 months ago, WDCSD
Students playing games in the gym
Students dressed up for homecoming
Student dressed as an easter basket
Students dressed up
Students playing games in the gym
Students playing games in the gym
Students dressed as gingerbread men
Students dressed in Christmas apparel

The Cascade Dance Team welcomed future Cougars to their youth camp! 🌟

Young dancers learned a special routine that they will proudly perform during homecoming. We can’t wait to see it!

6 months ago, WDCSD
Youth dance camp group photo
Congratulations to the Cascade High School tacky tourist homecoming dress-up day winners! 😎

Thank you to all of the students who participated.
6 months ago, WDCSD
IMG_9299 - Ryan Fritz
IMG_9304 - Ryan Fritz
IMG_9298 - Ryan Fritz
In our Farley Elementary 5th grade classrooms, students are piloting a new literacy curriculum and building important routines during the launch unit.

Buddy reading allows them to engage with texts alongside a partner, while the book tasting routine helps them explore and enjoy their independent books. 📚✨
6 months ago, WDCSD
eacher works with two students at desks while a small group of students read and write together on the floor nearby.
Students sit at tables with bins of books and supplies, writing in notebooks and working independently.
Teacher stands at the front of the classroom holding a paper while projecting a lesson slide titled “Modeling a Response using Prompts.” Students at desks follow along.
Group of students gathered around a table looking at spiral-bound booklets. Each holds or examines a reading packet together.
Students at a rectangular table reading books quietly. Classroom shelves and supplies are visible in the background.
Student sits on a red stool reading a book while others nearby read at desks and on the carpet.
Teacher sits with two students at a small table, listening while a student reads aloud from a paper.
WDHS 9th grade chemistry students investigated how an implosion happens. After watching a train car implode on video, they were challenged to recreate the phenomenon in the classroom. 🔬

Through experiments and refining their approach, every group succeeded by the final round. It was a great day of science in action!
6 months ago, WDCSD
Student in goggles preparing a Dr. Pepper can science experiment in the lab
Student in goggles watching a Dr. Pepper can reaction on a hot plate.
Smiling student in goggles conducting a Dr. Pepper can lab experiment.
Congratulations to Luke Boyle of Western Dubuque for being named a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist! 🎉

Luke is one of just over 16,000 students nationwide to earn this recognition based on outstanding performance on the PSAT. He now advances in the competition for finalist standing and the opportunity to earn one of more than 6,900 National Merit Scholarships to be awarded in 2026.

We are proud to celebrate Luke’s hard work and academic excellence—another example of being “Better Every Day” at WDHS!
6 months ago, WDCSD
National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist
Varsity volleyball girls made a special trip to Drexler Middle School to cheer on future Bobcats at one of their matches, just hours before their rivalry match with Beckman. 🏐

Thanks for your support!
6 months ago, WDCSD
Western Dubuque volleyball players smiling and posing together in the bleachers with a 'Supporting Future Bobcats!' message.
Happy International IT Professionals Day! We’d like to express our gratitude to our technology team, which works to maintain our digital learning environment. Their expertise ensures students and teachers have reliable access to technology tools essential for modern education.

Thank you for supporting 21st century learning in our schools! 💫
6 months ago, WDCSD
IT Professionals Day, September 16, 2025, from Western Dubuque Schools. The top features a red banner with bold text reading 'IT Professionals Day' alongside the Western Dubuque Schools logo. Below, a collage of photos shows students working with computers and computer parts: a group seated at desks with laptops, a student assembling hardware, another smiling with a circuit board, and small groups collaborating to repair desktop towers."
Each Wednesday, Western Dubuque teachers get together for an hour of professional learning and an hour of professional collaboration to improve student outcomes at school! 💡
6 months ago, WDCSD
Three adults seated at a round wooden table in a library, writing in notebooks. They are focused on their work, with bookshelves and other small groups visible in the background.
A group of adults seated around rectangular tables in a library, working with notebooks and laptops. Some participants are writing while others are looking at screens
A library setting where multiple groups of adults sit at round tables. A projector screen at the front shows a slide titled “Whole Group Discussion,” while participants take notes and discuss in small groups.
Adults standing and conversing in small groups in a library during a workshop session
It was an unplanned twin day at Cascade Junior/Senior High! Mr. Stewart and Mr. Brindle unknowingly dressed up the same for Tacky Tourist Day today for homecoming!
6 months ago, WDCSD
Two staff members smile in a cafeteria while wearing wide-brimmed hats and matching bright blue shirts with the phrase “Don’t Hassle Me I’m Local” in large yellow letters. The graphic text reads “Tacky Tourist Day!” with the Western Dubuque Schools logo in the corner.
National Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15 to October 15! This celebration honors the independence of several Latin American countries.

This month, we recognize the rich cultural heritage and contributions of Hispanic and Latino families in our school community and beyond! 🌎
6 months ago, WDCSD
Hispanic heritage
Congratulations to Epworth Elementary students Lauren, Ben, Grayson, and Cole for being named National Math Star Nominees!

This recognition is awarded to Iowa 3rd grade students who score in the top 2% on the ISASP math assessment. We are so proud of your dedication and achievement! 🌟
6 months ago, WDCSD
Math stars
The Drexler Middle School Bobcats are getting “Better Every Day” in physical education during strength and conditioning class! 💪
6 months ago, WDCSD
Better every day
Homecoming spirit is building for Cascade schools! 🎉

Today, students in Cougar Time classes began decorating the school to get ready for next week’s celebrations. #wdbqschools
6 months ago, WDCCSD
Cascade Homecoming
Each month, members of the WDCCSD Board of Education visit one of our eight schools to learn more about ongoing initiatives, focus areas, and progress. Today, board members visited Cascade Elementary, where they met with the building leadership team to discuss the self-assessment of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) implementation and school improvement efforts. 📚

We are grateful for the continued partnership and commitment to student success! #wdbqschools

6 months ago, WDCCSD
School Board Visit CES
September is College Savings Month, which gives us an opportunity to think about the future! Starting early with a college savings plan can make a big difference in your child's educational journey. 🎓

By saving gradually over time, you're investing in their dreams and helping to open doors to opportunities that will last a lifetime.

A good place to start is by exploring a 529 College Savings Plan: https://www.collegesavingsiowa.com/
6 months ago, WDCSD
College savings month
Every Friday morning, the Cascade High School football team visits Cascade Elementary for “High 5 Friday.” 🙌

Players welcome students to school in their jerseys, creating excitement and setting a positive tone for the day. Our elementary students look forward to it each week! #wdbqschools
6 months ago, WDCCSD
High Five Friday