Announcements

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.

Today starts a 3-day weekend as there is no school for students on Monday, February 14th for professional development day. Other important dates to mark on the calendar would be February 28th – March 3rd. Between these dates we will hold the book fair as well as conferences!

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!

The state has released their annual online reporting tool called the Iowa School Performance Profiles, as required by a federal education law called the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). These profiles reflect how public schools performed on a set of accountability measures, such as results on the statewide assessment, graduation rates, and academic growth.

The tool displays a school’s score based on overall performance, as well as scores based on the performance of subgroups of students. Based on these scores, schools can be identified for additional funding, support, and improvement.

In order to put the information into perspective, below you will find links to the following charts. 

1. Comparisons between each of Ankeny’s schools to the state average
2. Comparison of Ankeny’s high schools to other area high schools

Ankeny High School Data (Commendable)
Ankeny Centennial High School Data (Commendable)
Southview Middle School Data (High Performing)
Northview Middle School Data (High Performing)
Parkview Middle School Data (Commendable)
Prairie Ridge Middle School Data (Commendable)
Ashland Ridge Elementary School Data (Exceptional)
Crocker Elementary School Data (High Performing)
East Elementary School Data (Acceptable)
Heritage Elementary School Data (Commendable)
Northeast Elementary School Data (High Performing)
Northwest Elementary School Data (Commendable)
Prairie Trail Elementary School Data (Exceptional)
Rock Creek Elementary School Data (High Performing)
Southeast Elementary School Data (Commendable)
Westwood Elementary School Data (High Performing)

To locate our school’s results, as well as more information about the Iowa School Performance Profiles and ESSA, visit the following website: www.iaschoolperformance.gov

Holly Anderson, Activities Director at Northview Middle School, has been chosen as the 2022 Middle School Athletic Director of the Year by the Iowa High School Athletic Directors Association. Holly was chosen for her outstanding dedication and leadership of young student-athletes.

“We are excited that Holly is receiving this much deserved recognition,” said Dr. Erick Pruitt, Superintendent of Ankeny Schools. “She is great leader, to both her students and also to her fellow staff members.”

Holly has been with the Ankeny Community School District for 16 years. Her previous roles for the district include P.E. teacher and girl’s basketball coach before beginning her current role in administration in 2013.

Honorees chosen as Athletic Director of the Year must have a minimum of five years’ experience and show qualities of achievement, excellence and character. Holly will be recognized at the annual IHSADA State Convention in March.

VIEW ON THE IHSADA WEBSITE

The Ankeny Board of Education voted to discontinue the September amendment to the Return to Learn Plan, which was originally scheduled to sunset on December 21, 2021. This effectively ends the mask requirement in Ankeny Schools beginning, Wednesday, December 8. Masks will still be required on buses in accordance with the Order issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC continues to recommend that all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to schools wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status, and we recommend those who are able continue to follow this guidance to support the health and safety of both our students and staff.

The Iowa Department of Public Health provided guidance to school districts in May 2021 that requires parental notification when students are exposed to COVID-19. With this change to the Return to Learn Plan, you may begin receiving an increase in these notifications. Please note that due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), neither the district, school building secretary, nor your school nurse will be able to provide exact exposure information.

Furthermore, it remains vitally important that any students who are feeling ill stay home. Federal and state public health agencies have information available to help you understand COVID-19 symptoms and appropriate next steps if you and/or your children are experiencing them.

We continue to await a decision from the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals regarding Iowa’s law prohibiting mask requirements in schools. If the court’s decision has any impact on our current mitigation procedures, we will notify our school community at that time.

Thank you,

Dr. Erick Pruitt
Superintendent of Schools