REQUEST FOR BIDS FOR STUDENT TRANSPORTATION SERVICES The Waterloo Community School District, located in Waterloo Iowa, is accepting bids for student transportation services for the period beginning August 2026 through July 2029. Bids must be submitted by 2:00 pm on November 26, 2025. Each … (read more) about REQUEST FOR BIDS FOR STUDENT TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
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DISTRICT REGISTRATION INFORMATION FOR THE 2025-26 SCHOOL YEAR:
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PRESCHOOL REGISTRATION FOR 2025-26: NOW CLOSED
NEW STUDENTS FOR THE 2025-26 SCHOOL YEAR:
Students entering K-12 for 2025-26: Any student that did not end the 2024-25 school year with the Waterloo Schools. Click here to start registration: 2025-26 Registration
FUTURE FRESHMAN:
Missed the 8th grade Future Freshman meeting or want a quick refresher? No Worries! You can find all of the information from the meeting HERE.
With over 10,000 students across 19 campuses, Waterloo Schools remains one of the largest districts in the state of Iowa. We pride ourselves with having a strong focus on creating individual pathways to success for all students through student enrichment programs such as Life Labs, the Waterloo Career Center, Success Street, and more. Our goal is to provide students with the support they need to work toward their dreams. Whether they’re looking to continue their education or find a fulfilling career after graduation, our goal with every student is to provide them with a diploma and a plan.
The Waterloo Career Center (WCC) provides Career Technical Education (CTE) for not only Waterloo Schools high school students, but students in surrounding districts. One of the only facilities like it in the state of Iowa, the WCC offers over 18 career paths and counting. Students who participate in the career center experience real world training with industry experts, giving students hands-on opportunities to learn in labs that are built with professional-grade equipment to simulate real workplace environments. The center exposes students to a variety of career paths offering internships, apprenticeships, free college credit, and more.
Whether you would like to take one course or spend your entire day at the Waterloo Career Center, we invite you to learn more about the wide variety of career offerings. Can you see yourself here? We can! With us, the future is now! Explore your future with the Waterloo Career Center.
STAY CONNECTED WITH OUR LATEST UPDATES, EVENTS, AND ACHIEVEMENTS. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR A FRONT-ROW SEAT TO THE EXCITING JOURNEY OF EDUCATION.
Flipped the Script: Virtual Math Teacher Emily Borcherding Meets Students Where They Are 📐💻
Meet Emily Borcherding, the Grades 6-12 Virtual Mathematics teacher for the Waterloo Virtual Academy, hosted through the Expo Alternative Learning Center!
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A third-generation teacher—following in the footsteps of her grandmother (who taught country school in 1944) and her mother—Emily feels education has always been at the heart of her life. She loves learning and is committed to paying it forward to the next generation.
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Emily believes her work is inherently Flipping the Script. Virtual learning has sometimes faced the misperception of being "not valuable" or "not real learning," but the Waterloo Virtual Academy is changing that narrative.
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“We quite literally meet students where they are and help them find their path to success through virtual programming and support. It is very individualized.”
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For many students, this path is highly successful due to life circumstances or personal needs. Emily's goals include helping her students persist toward graduation while strengthening their self-confidence.
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Some of her favorite teaching memories involve students who start with a strong negative opinion of math, believing they can't do it. Through personalized work, she sees their confidence grow, and that newfound self-belief often spills over into other areas of their lives.
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Teaching high school and middle schoolers is rewarding for Emily because they are starting to clearly think about their future plans and goals. She enjoys helping them "be better people and stoke the fire in them" for whatever they plan to do.
Emily describes herself with #ChooseJoy. She believes it is critical to "be where your feet are," supporting students in the moment with a positive perspective, no matter the circumstance.
#ExpoALC #VirtualLearning #FlipTheScript #MathSuccess #ChooseJoy
📷of Emily receiving the University of Northern Iowa Dr. Robert E. and Phyllis M. Yager Exemplary Teaching Recognition Award. ... See MoreSee Less
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Ready for Idea #10: Family Skit & Talent Show! 📝
Challenge the kids (or the whole crew!) to write a short play, practice a song, or perfect a magic trick. It's an afternoon of creative chaos that ends in a memorable performance!
We had so much fun being writers, directors, and stars today. Time to take a bow! 👏
#TalentShow #DIYTheater #FamilyFunTime #KidsActivities ... See MoreSee Less
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Winter Break Idea #9: Winter Nature Scavenger Hunt! 🔍
Bundle up and head outside! A simple walk can turn into an adventure when you look for signs of winter: pinecones, animal tracks, bare tree branches, evergreen needles, or specific types of ice. Take photos of your finds!
We found pinecones, bird tracks, and even a tiny, frozen waterfall today! It’s amazing what you discover when you look closely. ❄️
Share with us: What’s something beautiful you can only see in winter where you live? Tell us below! 👇
#WinterBreakIdeas #NatureKids #WinterHike #ScavengerHunt #ExploreLocal #WinterWonderland #NatureDiscovery ... See MoreSee Less
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Happy New Year to our amazing Waterloo Schools community! 🥳
As we step into a brand new year, we are excited for the journey ahead. May 2026 be filled with joy, personal growth, and incredible opportunities for every student and staff member. Here’s to a year of continued success and lifelong learning! 🌟
#WaterlooProud #HappyNewYear #NewBeginnings #WCSDSuccess ... See MoreSee Less
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Spain. 4 genres. 120 incline 5x10? etc? happy new year! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Time for Idea #8: The Great Gingerbread House Challenge! 🏡
Today was all about friendly competition. We set out to see who could build the most inventive gingerbread house (and who could keep the walls from collapsing first!).
Grab your family, grab some kits, and challenge yourselves! Share your photos below—we want to see your holiday creations!
#GingerbreadWars #WinterActivities #HolidayCompetition #FamilyTime ... See MoreSee Less
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🎉 Huge Congratulations to our hardworking Carver, Hoover and Bunger Middle School students and staff for achieving incredible gains with IXL Learning! 🎉
IXL is a powerful personalized learning platform that offers thousands of resources, analytics, and assessments to support student growth in math and ELA. Waterloo Schools introduced IXL for all 6th–11th grade students to help bridge learning gaps and provide enrichment based on each student's individual starting points. Through IXL, students have a “digital tutor” that reinforces core instruction and empowers them to reach new heights. With access available both at school and from home, they’re ready to learn and grow anytime!
This year, our middle schools have been engaging in a friendly IXL competition to recognize grade-level growth, and the results are in! The district-wide contest will run throughout the school year with winners recognized quarterly. We’re thrilled to announce that Hoover and Bunger earned the highest growth this quarter and celebrated their accomplishments with traveling trophies and balloons!
📚 Here’s the impressive growth from each winning school:
🏆 Hoover 6th graders had the most growth in their IXL scores in Math and ELA.
🏆Hoover 7th graders had the most growth in their IXL scores in Math and ELA.
🏆Bunger 8th graders had the most growth in their IXL scores in ELA.
🏆Carver 8th graders had the most growth in their IXL scores in Math.
This is just the beginning, and we can’t wait to see the continued progress! Keep up the outstanding work, Carver, Hoover and Bunger! 👏 #WaterlooProud #OneWaterloo #InfinitePossibilities #IXLGrowth #FlipTheScript #WaterlooProud ... See MoreSee Less
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Congratulations 🎈! You did it!!!
Congrats!🎉
Winter Break Idea #7: Become a Director with DIY Stop-Motion Animation! 🌟
Got LEGOs, action figures, or even a willing pet? You've got everything you need to make a stop-motion movie! 🎥 We spent the afternoon becoming movie directors, and our debut feature is an epic tale about a grumpy snowman who learns to love summer! 😅
It's amazing what you can create with a free app and a little imagination. Who's ready for their close-up?
Tell us: What title would YOU give our snowman's movie? Or, what would your first stop-motion movie be about? Share your ideas below! 👇
#WinterBreakIdeas #StopMotion #DIYMovies #FutureFilmmakers #LEGOlife #CreativeKids #AnimationFun ... See MoreSee Less
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🍎 Teacher Feature: Carter Greenfield, Highland Elementary PE Teacher
Carter Greenfield is in his second year as the Physical Education Teacher at Highland Elementary. He chose Waterloo Schools after a positive student teaching experience and jumped at the opportunity to work at Highland, where he feels the community truly lives out the "Waterloo Proud" spirit. Greenfield was influenced by the amazing teachers and coaches he had growing up, and was driven by a lifelong passion for working with children to become an elementary educator.
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To ensure students are engaged and excited about physical activity, Greenfield focuses on creating inclusive, fun, and student-centered activities. He boosts engagement by incorporating student interests into lessons, sometimes even creating warm-up activities based on a specific student's favorite theme. "This not only helps student engagement and participation but makes the students feel seen, heard, and included into what we are doing in the gym at Highland elementary," Greenfield says. He also utilizes creative lessons, such as a "Winter Olympics" unit, and frequently uses students to help demonstrate skills, giving them a sense of responsibility.
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His favorite part of the job is the students. He loves building relationships with his "Highland kids" and sharing his passion for physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices. He encourages new teachers to apply to Waterloo Schools for the opportunity to teach a diverse student population and to be part of an incredible, close-knit community of educators who share the goal of helping students succeed.
Hashtags That Define Carter Greenfield
#Passionate: Driven by a passion for teaching kids about staying active and living a healthy lifestyle.
#Energetic: Ensures a high-energy, enthusiastic presence to set a positive tone for every PE lesson.
#TeacherFeature #FliptheScript #WaterlooProud #HighlandPride Highland Elementary ... See MoreSee Less
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Way to go Carter! Love having you at Highland!
Carter is amazing at what he does!!!! Glad to have him part of the Waterloo PE team!
Carter is fantastic!! Such an asset to our PE team!!
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Winter Break Idea #6: Kindness Chalk Art Campaign! 🖍️
Even when it's chilly, you can spread warmth! Grab your sidewalk chalk on a dry day and leave positive, kind, or encouraging messages for your neighbors. We had so much fun spreading a little sunshine and cheer today! ☀️
Question for you: What's the kindest thing someone has done for you this week? Share it in the comments! 👇
#WinterBreakIdeas #KindnessMatters #ChalkArt #PayItForward #CommunityLove #HolidayKindness ... See MoreSee Less
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