Announcements

Purple Wave Auctions is currently featuring two items available for bidding. The bidding period will remain open until March 5th. If you’re interested in acquiring either a box truck or an enclosed cargo trailer, be sure to explore the auction. View the auction here.

Join us for an engaging community conversation on the impact of screen time on teenagers!

On February 22, from 6:00-8:00 pm, we invite you to a free, community-wide screening of the thought-provoking movie “Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age.” This award-winning film addresses the struggles of social media, video games, and offers concrete strategies for home to teach healthy relationships with screens. The filmmaker, Dr. Delaney Rusto, will be available to answer any questions after the film, so it’s an opportunity to speak with her in person and get real-time advice! A community resource fair will occur from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. before the film’s screening.

When:
Thursday, Feb. 22 at 6PM

Where:
Northview Middle School
1302 N Ankeny Blvd.
Use door 39N (North-end of building)

• The Ankeny Before and After School Program will provide free childcare during the event for potty-trained children 3 years and older.
• Interpretation services will also be provided.
• Please fill out this form if you would like to reserve an interpreter or indicate interest in childcare.

Students, parents, and community members are invited to participate in the nomination process for the ACSD People of the Year awards, an event that recognizes outstanding contributions to our educational community.

Ankeny Schools is excited to announce the opening of a transitional kindergarten (TK) program for the 2024-2025 school year. This new level is designed to provide students with the time needed to develop essential social and academic skills, acting as a bridge between preschool and kindergarten.

Registration for Transitional Kindergarten will be integrated into the general registration process, commencing on February 2, 2024 at 8:00 a.m. Similar to preschool, available space is limited, and acceptance is determined by the time and date of the submitted complete registration. Class sizes will be capped at 20 students per class, and the total number of classrooms will be finalized by the district later in the spring.

For more information please visit the Transitional Kindergarten website page within the Register section. Applicants can expect to receive an email confirmation of classroom placement or waitlist status by the end of March.

As the 90th legislative session convenes, one question I am often asked is how parents in Ankeny can support the school district. The Ankeny Board of Education has identified four main priorities that significantly impact the Ankeny Community School District’s resources. Understanding and advocating for these priorities can make a substantial difference in ensuring a robust educational environment for our children.

1. Early Literacy: Early literacy development is crucial for a child’s academic success, involving fundamental reading and writing skills. This foundation enhances communication, critical thinking, and overall cognitive development. Despite steady literacy achievement over the past decade, approximately 20% of Ankeny students do not meet reading benchmarks each year. Advocating for early literacy policies, including professional development for teachers and evidence-based resources, will equip our students with essential skills, paving the way for improved overall achievement.
2. Quality Preschool: Quality preschool programs provide the foundation for a child’s learning journey, impacting cognitive, social, and emotional skills. Research shows that attending quality preschool leads to higher academic success, graduation rates, and post-secondary preparedness. Advocating for policies ensuring access to quality preschool for all 4- and 5-year-olds, along with resources for full-day programming and support services, will benefit students throughout their educational careers.
3. Adequate And Timely State Supplemental Aid: Ensuring adequate and timely Supplemental State Aid (SSA) is essential for addressing inequities in education funding. Stable SSA percentages that keep pace with inflation are crucial for Ankeny. With enrollment decline, maintaining at least the rate of inflation prevents the need for budget guarantees, preserving tax rates and providing necessary funding.
4. Teacher Recruitment and Licensure: The quality of teachers significantly impacts student learning. As fewer students pursue careers in education, legislative action is needed to incentivize enrollment in licensure programs and promote diversity in the teaching workforce. Strategic legislative action can help Ankeny access a diverse pool of high-caliber teaching candidates and support the development of innovative programs. Flexibility in licensure approaches also allows the district to expand recruitment efforts and deepen partnerships for real-world career readiness learning.

We hope providing this information to our community will assist you in participating in informed conversations with our legislators. Ultimately, strong education legislation will further our goal of equipping every learner with the skills to flourish in and contribute to an ever-changing world.

Contact Your Legislators
You can call, write, or email your elected officials regarding the legislative priorities. Ankeny legislators can be reached in the following ways:

State Senator Mike Bousselot
(515) 281-3371
Email: mike.bousselot@legis.iowa.gov

State Representative Eddie Andrews
(515) 281-3221
Email: eddie.andrews@legis.iowa.gov

State Representative Molly Buck
(515) 281-3221
Email: molly.buck@legis.iowa.gov

State Representative Bill Gustoff
(515) 281-3221
Email: bill.gustoff@legis.iowa.gov

State Representative Heather Matson
(515) 281-3221
Email: heather.matson@legis.iowa.gov

We appreciate the work our legislators do on behalf of our students. They are our greatest advocates at the statehouse this upcoming legislative session.

In preparation for the 2024-25 academic year, Ankeny Schools wants to inform you of an update regarding potential building changes for elementary students within the school district.

There are multiple reasons your student may be transitioning to a new building next year, the opening of Abbie Grove Elementary, and students moving to their neighborhood school.

If your household will be impacted, next week an email notification will be sent to the primary contact’s email listed in Infinite Campus. If you don’t receive an email, it means your student’s school assignment remains unchanged for next year.

Our primary goal is to continue to foster a supportive and enriching educational environment for all students. For boundary and neighborhood building information, please use these resources:

• Maps of the current and new boundary lines
• Verify your neighborhood school using the Address Look-Up Tool
• Questions? Contact the main office for your building

The Ankeny Community School District places a strong emphasis on ensuring the safety of our students by implementing various security measures. One key aspect of our safety protocol is the practice of keeping both exterior and classroom doors locked throughout the school day. This proactive approach helps to control access to the building, preventing unauthorized individuals from entering. The district has also implemented the Raptor system, a sophisticated visitor management system that enhances the screening process for anyone entering the school. This system helps identify and track visitors, ensuring only approved and verified individuals can access the school facilities.

In addition to door security and the Raptor system, all ACSD buildings utilize airphones as an additional layer of safety. These communication devices are strategically placed at building entrances, allowing staff to interact with visitors before granting access. This provides an extra level of security by enabling school personnel to verify the purpose of the visit and ensure the safety of everyone within the premises. 

The district is committed to maintaining a secure environment, and this dedication is reflected in the presence of a devoted staff that actively works to keep students safe. Ankeny Schools has a strong partnership with the Ankeny Police Department. We use a combination of school resource officers, district safety and security personnel, and contracted security officers to serve all of our buildings and special events. 

As a parent in Ankeny schools, you may have heard the term post-secondary readiness and wondered what it’s all about. Post-secondary readiness, or PSR, encompasses the preparedness of students for life beyond high school and empowering students to make informed choices about their future pathways. In Ankeny schools, post-secondary readiness is a component of our Strategic Plan in Pillar One: Rigorous and Relevant Academics. We strive to ensure all students acquire the necessary skills, knowledge, and resources to succeed in whichever pathway they choose after high school, whether that is employment, enlistment, or enrollment in an educational institution or training program. 

Parents play a vital role in shaping a well-rounded and future-ready educational experience for Ankeny students. One way in which parents can contribute to post-secondary education efforts in our district is through volunteering time to share their careers and experiences at events for various grade levels. Upcoming opportunities to get involved include

• Heritage STEAM Night
• Parkview Career Day
• Junior Achievement Finance Park
• Career and College Showcase Exhibitor
• Orbis Project Provider

Another way parents can support their student in planning for post-secondary success is by simply having a conversation about it! Listed below are a few easy conversation starters that we suggest: 

For elementary students:

• What is something you enjoy learning about?  
• If you were a teacher for a day, what would you teach the students in your class?  
• If you woke up tomorrow and were an adult, what job would you have?

For middle school students:

• If you could learn about anything, what topic would you want to learn about and why? 
• If you could create a new class at our school, what would it be?

For high school students:

• What type of lifestyle do you want to live when you are older? What will you need to do in order to get the lifestyle you want?
• Imagine your life five years after you graduate from high school. What challenges do you want to solve? How does this relate to a career? 

Click here for a full list of conversation starters. 

The Ankeny Board of Education will hold a work session on the services received from Heartland Area Education Agency and its impact on the Ankeny Community School District as they seek to understand the impact House Study Bill 542 would have on the district. The work session will be held on Monday, January 22, from 5:00 to 6:00 pm. The board meeting will begin at 6:00 pm. This work session will be live-streamed on our YouTube.

Listen to these experts as they explore the creation of a culture of belonging. Discover our commitment to equipping educators with the tools to help students develop essential soft skills. Learn strategies for guiding students through the high school to college transition, emphasizing the importance of early connections and proactive support. They also mention how it is important to focus on student well-being, encouraging self-care practices during study sessions, including water breaks, physical movement, and brain breaks. Uncover how Ankeny fosters these skills from pre-kindergarten, aligning with Ankeny’s graduate profile.

Join Kayla Bell-Consolver, Director of the Counseling Center at Broadlawns Community Clinic at Drake University, Shawn Beirman, Social-Emotional Learning Specialist at Ankeny Schools, and Al Neppl, Director of Professional and Leadership Development at Ankeny Schools, in a conversation highlighting the significance of adaptability, empathy, and collaboration for students.

Click here to listen or find us on your favorite podcast app!