Skip to content
February 22, 2024

People of the Year Awards: Nominations are Open!

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. Nomination forms are open for the following awards:

Your nominations will help us recognize and celebrate the outstanding people that make our school district a great place to be! Please take a moment to consider individuals who have made a positive impact and submit your nominations by March 1, 2024.

February 22, 2024

Parent Resource: Tips to Prepare for Assessments

During this time of year, many of our students will be preparing to take assessments. Whether you’re helping an elementary or secondary student prepare for testing, listed below are a few resources to help:

February 14, 2024

Notice of School Property Prescribed Burns

The ACSD maintenance team will be conducting prescribed burns periodically in Ankeny as weather conditions allow, continuing until June 1, 2024. Weather conditions and safety considerations will determine the exact date and time of the fires.

Why do we perform prescribed burns?

Central Iowa’s landscape was once dominated by tall grass prairies. These ecosystems have an abundance of plants, insects, birds, mammals, and reptiles. The native grasses and forbs (flowers) also provide seed and nectar for insects, butterflies, birds, and small mammals. In nature, fire is essential to maintain the integrity of the native prairie plant species located in our parks. Fire is a natural occurrence that helps the plant and animal communities in a park and controlled burning offers a safer way to use fire in a helpful manner. The benefits of prescribed burns include the following:

  • Aid in reducing the undesirable plants from invading our native prairie areas
  • Help to maintain a rich diversity of wildflowers and grasses
  • Decreases the threat of wildfires by decreasing the accumulation of combustibles
  • Benefits water quality by aiding in the establishment of deep-rooted natives
  • Improves the natural beauty and enjoyment of our parks

Thank you for understanding.

February 12, 2024

Spring Lifetouch Pictures

Spring LIfetouch Picture Day will be Monday, March 4, 2024.

Picture Day envelopes will be sent home with students soon. If you would like to order online, visit mylifetouch.com and use Picture Day ID: EVTMRRHBP.

 

January 31, 2024

Transitional Kindergarten Program

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.

January 17, 2024

Winter Dance Kids Clinic

The 2024 AHSDT Winter Clinic will be held on Friday, February 9th from 6:00-7:30pm at Southview Middle School. Check in will be from 5:30-6:00pm on February 9th, and the clinic will start promptly at 6:00pm. At the clinic, dancers will be learning a short dance routine that they will then get to perform on the court with the AHSDT dancers at halftime of the February 12th varsity boys basketball game. The basketball game is scheduled to start at 7:45pm which would put halftime at about 8:15 or 8:30pm.

All students currently in kindergarten through 8th grade are welcome. The price for this year’s winter clinic will be $45 per dancer (this includes a t-shirt and free admission for the dancer into the varsity boys basketball game on February 12th).

Link to Register:

https://register.ryzer.com/camp.cfm?id=260722  

Note registration ends 1-31-24.

Please help spread the word to your friends and dance families! Thank you again for your support of AHSDT! We can’t wait to dance with you all again soon!

Please email Coach Courtney (courtney.dankert@ankenyschools.org) if you have any questions.

Dance Camp 2024

 

January 12, 2024

Let’s Talk About…Core Skills, Soft Skills, and Mental Health

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!

January 11, 2024

All buildings and district office closed Friday, January 12

Due to inclement weather, tomorrow Friday, January 12, school buildings & district office will be closed.

  • No Before and After School Program
  • Certified staff will work virtually
  • Paraprofessional and secretary professional development is canceled

All other employee groups will operate under closure guidance. Please connect with your supervisor if you have questions about your reporting requirements.