Announcements

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!

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.

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.

The Spring Scholastic Book Fair will kick off on Saturday, February 26, from 8:00 AM-12:00 PM, and it will be accompanied by a newly named Breakfast and Books event. Families will be able to come and enjoy donuts and juice and get a first look at all the books that book fair has to offer. After the kickoff date the book fair will continue to be open to students and their families on the following dates:

• Monday, February 28th – 3:30 PM-7:00 PM
• Tuesday, March 1st – 3:30 PM-7:30 PM
• Wednesday, March 2nd – 3:30 PM-4:30 PM
• Thursday, March 3rd – 3:30 PM-4:30 PM

For more information on the book fair, how to sign up to be a volunteer and for online shopping, check this link out:

https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bookfairs/cptoolkit/homepage.do?method=homepage&url=wwbookfair

The Westwood February Newsletter is available to view. Click the link below.

https://www.smore.com/d28bs

World Read Aloud Day is Wednesday, February 2, 2022! For 13 years, World Read Aloud Day has called attention to the importance of sharing stories by challenging participants to grab a book, find an audience, and read-aloud! The global effort, created by the non-profit LitWorld and sponsored by Scholastic, is celebrated annually in over 173 countries and is all about bringing people together through the shared connection of reading aloud in all of our communities.

Several opportunities are happening all week long in our schools! View the Scholastic World Read Aloud Kit here, or go to https://www.litworld.org/worldreadaloudday for more!