Announcements

• How to register for school
• Documents needed for registration
• Before and After School program
• Meet the Elementary School principals
• Important upcoming date

When: Monday, May 9th, 6-8pm

Where: Northview Middle School, 1302 North Ankeny Boulevard

What: Join us for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Family Night! This event will help ESOL families to learn more about the district and available community resources. Please bring your child’s Chromebook. Dinner will be provided.

All year long, our school librarians create activities to help their school and local community celebrate the essential role that strong school library programs play in a student’s educational career. April is School Library Month and we would like you to join us in celebrating the dedication of our library staff throughout the district!

Our students, teachers, and staff are so grateful for your knowledge and support. We encourage you to take a moment today to say a special thank you by visiting our digital Thank You page, add your message, and hit submit to deliver your appreciation to your building’s library staff!

Today we would like to say we appreciate our paraprofessionals! This day is celebrated the first Wednesday every April in order to raise awareness about the important work of paraprofessionals in our schools. This includes teaching associates, special education associates, media center associates, and classroom assistants. Thank you to our multi-tasking rockstars for working with our students and making a difference in their lives!

The Ankeny Community School District has broken ground on their newest elementary school building. The building is temporarily being referred to as the Elementary at the Grove, and will be the sixth elementary school in the north-feeder for the district. The new building will be located in the Grove development at NW 18th St and NW Abbie Dr and will be a part of the district’s north feeder system. The five-section building will serve kindergarten to fifth grade and have a capacity of up to 800 students and is slated to open in the fall of 2024.

“This is a day of excitement for our district, not only for our students and staff in our north-feeder elementary system but for our entire community who has worked together to build this district for our children,” said Dr. Erick Pruitt, Superintendent of Ankeny Schools. “The growth in our city is certainly notable. However, when we think about this growth as a district, what excites us is the number of students reaching their academic goals each year. This elementary school will serve as yet another launching point for our young people to achieve a lifetime of personal success.”

An additional school is needed to accommodate the district’s ongoing growth, as Ankeny remains one of the fastest-growing school districts in Iowa. This year enrollment increased by 364 students, making certified enrollment 12,512 students for the 2020-2021 school year, as reported in the Certified Enrollment Report. Enrollment growth has averaged 250 students annually for the past five years and is expected to grow by an average of 260 students per year over the next five years.

The Elementary at the Grove will be funded utilizing the S.A.V.E. state penny sales tax. The official name of the school will be forthcoming, with the naming committee convening within the next year to follow the process as laid out in board policy.

A prescribed (controlled) burn of the District’s prairie grasses will be executed this spring. The DNR recommends a burn every three years to maintain prairie grasses. District staff conducting burns have been trained and certified in prescribed burns.

Congratulations to Ms. Lupkes for receiving the STAR Award! Ms. Lupkes was the first recipient of the traveling trophy that celebrates any Ankeny Community School District staff who embody four characteristics of excellence: Selflessness, Tireless, Adaptive, Remarkable.

Congratulations to the first recipient of the STAR Award, Ms. Lupkes.

The March Westwood Newsletter is available to view. Click here to read the latest information.

March: In Like A Lamb, Out Like A …?

As we are enjoying this unseasonable balmy first day of March here are some important dates to remember.

• February 28 – March 3rd: Parent/Teacher Conferences
• March 11th: No School
• March 14-18: No School/Spring Break

View our parent calendar for more.

We are excited to launch the process of re-imagining our graduate profile! This document will work together with our strategic plan and equity framework to help chart a path for the district’s future. Please view this short survey to provide feedback on our graduate profile.