Announcements

Picture Retakes were originally scheduled for Monday, October 4th but have been moved to Friday, October 22nd.  If you would like to have your student’s picture retaken or have not had a school picture taken this year, please plan on October 22nd. Pictures will be taken in the morning.

While a student at Prairie Ridge, Kalyani Bhat, competed in the nation’s premier middle school science competition, the 3M Young Scientist Challenge. This competition features outstanding innovations from young scientists that utilize the power of STEM to improve the world. Over the summer of 2021 Kalyani was named the state merit winner for Iowa for her video communicating the science behind her solution to a ventilator alternative. Each state merit winner receives special recognition on the challenge website, along with a special technology prize pack. Kalyani is now a student at Northview Middle School.

View the 3M press release here.

The Ankeny Community School District and Superintendent Dr. Erick Pruitt invite Parents/Guardians to attend the Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting on Thursday, September 16 from 6:00pm-7:30pm at Northview Middle School Auditorium.

The Parent Advisory Committee gives parents an opportunity to provide input on topics and ideas that are relevant to the district’s goal of preparing every learner for success. The committee will also provide insight into projects and initiatives that can be implemented to help move the district forward. Parents (and guardians) will have the opportunity to collaborate with each other and work together as one entity to ensure success for our students and community.

Innovative ideas, thoughtful questions, and respectful discussion are welcome!

This meeting marks the first of what will be monthly meetings. The PAC will meet the third Thursday of every month during the school year. Committee involvement is open to all parents of students enrolled in the Ankeny Community School District.

Where: Northview Middle School Auditorium

When: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM (90 Minutes) starting September 16

Please find our updated COVID-19 dashboard and informational data here.

Ankeny Community School District is guided by state laws which prevent schools from mandating face masks and requires school districts in Iowa to provide on-site learning. However, students, staff, and others on district property are permitted to wear masks; disposable masks are available in our buildings for those who wish to wear them.

Per guidance from the Iowa Department of Public Health, Ankeny Community School District will treat COVID-19 similar to influenza and other common child illnesses. Students who believe they have been exposed to COVID-19 in or outside of school are not required to quarantine and should monitor for symptoms.

Due to health department changes in quarantine requirements, Ankeny Community School District will not contact trace to identify individuals as “close contacts” who may have been exposed to COVID-19 in the school setting. As necessary, all Ankeny school buildings are sending notifications to families to indicate potential exposure to positive case(s) of COVID-19.

A dashboard has been created to provide parents with “at-a-glance” positive case information, based on self-reported information. It is updated once a week and date stamped. An asterisk (*) denotes at least one but fewer than four (4) cases within a given reporting category and is provided in lieu of a specific number to protect privacy.

Transmission levels as of Friday, September 3, 2021 in Polk County are High. For more information please visit the CDC website. This website includes an integrated county view by state.

For more information on our health and mitigation practices please review our Return to Learn Addendum here.

Student pictures will be taken on schedule pick-up day at Southview on August 17, 8-1 and August 18 4-6:30.  Please see the link below for additional information.

Lifetouch Picture Information

“New to the District” Southview Family Night:  August 11th   6:30 pm

Schedule Pick Up:  August 17   8:00 – 1 or August 18  4:00 – 6:30

First Day of School:  August 23

Back to School Night:  August 30  6:00 – 8:00 pm

Picture Retakes: October 4

Beginning July 1, you may create or log into your existing rSchools account to update your student’s athletic registration and electronically sign participation documents for the 2021-22 school year.  This process needs to be completed annually in order to participate in sports, marching band and show choir.  Please wait until July 1 or after to complete this registration process; the site is not open for 2021-22 registrations until that time.

Hawks Athletic Registration Site

For detailed instructions, frequently asked questions and other helpful links, click here.

The Ankeny Community School District (ACSD) is committed to keeping our students, staff, and community safe while we continue to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. In order to respect current social distancing requirements and to protect the health and safety of our staff and community, the procedures communicated below may be different compared to past practices.

Ankeny Community Schools is accepting the annual textbook rental fees, purchases of CIML (Central Iowa Metro League) student activity tickets, K-8 activity passes, eight-punch pass activity tickets, parking passes, and meal account deposits for the 2021-2022 school year. Fees are accepted by:

• Credit/debit card online at TouchBase. This is the preferred method of payment.
• NEW/CHANGE – PLEASE READ CAREFULLY – Credit/debit card at a building.
  • School building: An appointment must be made by calling that building’s main office. Please know that office hours may be limited.
  • District Office building: An appointment must be made by calling 515-965-9600. Please know that office hours may be limited. Checking the website would be beneficial.
  • Credit/debit card numbers CANNOT be taken over the phone.
  • Mail check to 306 SW School Street, PO box 189, Ankeny 50021-0189 using this payment form.

For information on making online payments, please refer to the online fees and meal payments. You may view an instructional video on using TouchBase.

You can learn more about how to use TouchBase by reading this new user guide.

Important points regarding online payments:

• Meal account deposits may be made throughout the school year. Try the recurring purchases feature on TouchBase!
• NEW/CHANGE to staying online all school year: League student activity tickets (9-12 only) and the K-8 grade activity tickets may be purchased online until Sunday, August 8.
• Eight-punch activity tickets can be purchased online until Sunday, August 8. Beginning August 9, payments for the eight-punch activity tickets/passes may be purchased from your feeder system’s high school Activity Office or at a home event.
• TouchBase can be found under Online Payments, which is located in the Quick Links at the top right and bottom of the page. Please note, when accessing TouchBase, you will be leaving the Ankeny Schools website and entering a secured environment hosted by InTouch Receipting.

What is the annual Textbook Rental?

The Textbook Rental is an Iowa Department of Education state-wide term used that covers not only textbooks, but electronic textbooks and any supplementary instructional materials used that conveys information to the student or otherwise contributes to the learning process. This is referenced and authorized in Iowa Code 301.1.

If you have already paid the textbook rental fee for this year, you do not need to do so again.

Free/Reduced Priced Meals and Other Fees

To be eligible for free/reduced price meals and textbook rental fees, you must submit an application and the fee waiver form EACH SCHOOL YEAR. This can be done online late July on the nutrition services free and reduced meals webpage.

Please contact LeeAnna Vigor before completing an application, if:

• You are enrolling a kindergarten student and another student in your household was eligible for free or reduced meals the previous school year.
• You have a student who is transferring from another school in Iowa and was eligible for free or reduced meals at that school.  Eligibility does NOT automatically transfer – you need to notify LeeAnna Vigor.
• The state has placed a foster student in your care.

To be eligible for Free/Reduced Text book Rental, a free/reduced priced meal application and the fee waiver form must be completed and approved on October 4, 2021 or before. If not, unless a student is a new enrollee, full priced Textbook Rental Fees will be applicable for students in your household. PLEASE NOTE: if a fee waiver is applicable, it is only valid if completed and submitted within that eligible school year.

Contact Information:

• For questions about fee and/or fine balances, fee and/or fine payments, please email studentfees@ankenyschools.org
• For questions about meal balances and/or meal payments or School Cafe, please email leeanna.vigor@ankenyschools.org or scott.litchfield@ankenyschools.org.
• For questions about the Free and Reduced Meal Program, please email leeanna.vigor@ankenyschools.org.
• For questions about the Before and After School Program and/or about the payment structure, please email nikki.logsdon@ankenyschools.org.

Beginning July 1, you may create or log into your existing rSchools account to update your student’s athletic registration and electronically sign participation documents for the 2021-22 school year.  This process needs to be completed annually in order to participate in sports, marching band and show choir.  Please wait until July 1 or after to complete this registration process; the site is not open for 2021-22 registrations until that time.

HAWKS ATHLETIC REGISTRATION SITE

For detailed instructions, frequently asked questions and other helpful links, click here.

“New to the District” Family Night:  August 11th   6:30 pm

Schedule Pick Up:  August 17   8:00 – 1 and August 18  4:00 – 6:30

First Day of School:  August 23

Back to School Night:  August 30  6:00 – 8:00 pm