Upcoming Events
Tomorrow
- Basketball - Boys JV vs Southeast Polk2/14/2012
- Basketball - Boys Sophomore vs Ottumwa2/15/2012
- Late Start
Nutrition Connection: Fresh Tangerine Salsa
Good nutrition can make a positive impact on students and even help them to do better in school. That's why each month, nutrition and wellness coordinator Lynn Swinger will offer a new healthy and tasty snack or meal idea via the Nutrition Connection video blog.
This month's edition is Fresh Tangerine Salsa; a sweet, tasty garnish that goes well with chips, over chicken, or in a wrap. View this month's edition of Nutrition Connection here.
This month's edition is Fresh Tangerine Salsa; a sweet, tasty garnish that goes well with chips, over chicken, or in a wrap. View this month's edition of Nutrition Connection here.
ACSD Winter 2012 Parent Survey
As part of our efforts to improve every component of our school district, we are conducting a comprehensive survey of all parents across our district. An e-mail with a link to the survey was sent to all parents for whom we have primary e-mail addresses on record in Infinite Campus. However, we are also providing access to the link here, through our website. Parent involvement in the survey is very important to us. Read more and take the survey here.
Save the Date: Ankeny In Action 2012
The Ankeny Substance Abuse Project (ASAP), in partnership with Employee and Family Resources, and with the support of Ankeny Community Schools, invites you to mark Tuesday, April 10 on your calendar for Ankeny in Action: 2012; a seminar on understanding the world of alcohol, synthetics and prescriptions drugs and how it affects our youth. The event will be held at 7:00 PM in the Northview Auditorium (1302 N. Ankeny Blvd.). More information will be posted as the date nears. For more information, please contact Kelly Schuman at 515-471-2408 or kschuman@efr.org.
26 AHS Students Sign National Letters of Intent
On Wednesday, February 1, twenty-six Ankeny High School student-athletes were honored with a National Letter of Intent signing day ceremony. The students were joined by family, friends and coaches in the AHS auditorium as they were recognized for having been offered collegiate athletic scholarships or preferred walk-on status.
Read the full story and see photos here.
Read the full story and see photos here.
Collaborating to Improve Student Learning
Collaboration among teachers is becoming more prevalent in the culture of Ankeny Community Schools. Over the past several years, new structures, schedules and professional development time have been designed specifically to help teachers have time to work together. But why, and what results are being seen in the district? Teachers at Crocker Elementary are collaborating not only within their grade level teams but across grade levels as a means to improve classroom instruction. Read the full story here.
Using Student Performance Data to Improve Learning
Using data to guide teaching and learning is becoming an integral part of the professional culture and routine across schools in Ankeny. Teaching staff, along with instructional coaches and administration, are using frequent assessments of student performance data to increase the speed and success of student learning; but what does this look like in practice? Parkview Middle School teachers, through extensive study and work as Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), know that collecting student performance data before, during, and after instruction is essential to help them understand what students know, what they have not learned, and what to do in each instance. Read the complete story here.
Curriculum Review: It Goes Far Beyond the Textbook
It’s a common misconception: when people think of "curriculum," they often think of a textbook. But, what exactly constitutes a complete "curriculum," and what is involved in reviewing curriculum? A curriculum review is more than just buying the next set of support materials. In high-performing school districts, curriculum review is a continuous improvement process. Read how reviews are changing and curriculum is improving in ACSD.
AHS Seniors Attend Condition of the State Address
On January 10, Ankeny High School’s highest academically-ranked seniors joined school administrators as Governor Branstad’s guests at his annual Condition of the State Address. A key point of focus in the governor’s address was his proposed “Blueprint for Education,” outlining ten steps the governor believes should be taken in order to turn Iowa’s good schools into world-class schools. The governor invited students and administrators from Ankeny, Van Meter, and Capitol View Elementary to represent high performing Iowa schools at the address. Read the full story and see photos from the trip here.
Changes to 2012-2013 Calendar
On January 9, the School Board approved several adjustments to the 2012-2013 school calendar. The start of school was moved from August 13 to August 15, 2012. The scheduled last day of school moved from May 22 to May 23. Spring break was set for March 15-22, 2013. Dates for back-to-school nights and P/T conferences are not yet finalized and are will be updated on the calendar at a later date. Download the revised 2012-2013 At-A-Glance Calendar here.
Ankeny Show Choirs Take First in Midwest Cup Invitational
Ankeny Show Choirs swept the Midwest Cup Show Choir Invitational 2012 held at the University of Nebraska on January 14. Perpetual Motion took first place in the prep division. In varsity group, Visual Adrenaline won Best Choreography, Best Vocals and was awarded overall Grand Champion. The competition included a total of 22 choirs from four states, including Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Texas. Read the full story and view photos here.
Two State Champions in Debate
Ankeny crowned two state champions and placed 3rd overall at the Iowa High School Speech Association State Debate Tournament January 6th and 7th at the DMACC campus in Ankeny. Despite only competing in three of the four events, Ankeny debaters took top honors in two categories, with Grant Laverty (junior) as the State Champion in Lincoln-Douglas Debate and Tanner Westberg (senior)as the State Champion in Student Congress Debate. Read the full story and more debate results here.
52 Students Earn AP Scholar Awards
52 members of the Ankeny High School classes of 2011 and 2012 have earned 2011 College Board AP Scholar Awards in recognition of their exceptional achievement on AP Exams. This represents a four-year trend of increasing numbers of AP Scholar winners in Ankeny.
Only about 18 percent of the more than 1.9 million students worldwide who took AP Exams performed at a sufficiently high level to also earn an AP Scholar Award. Read more and view the list of 2011 Ankeny AP Scholars here.
Only about 18 percent of the more than 1.9 million students worldwide who took AP Exams performed at a sufficiently high level to also earn an AP Scholar Award. Read more and view the list of 2011 Ankeny AP Scholars here.
Dollars For Scholars Application Available; Donors Sought
The Ankeny Chapter of Dollars for Scholars announces that its scholarship application is now available on-line at the Ankeny High School Guidance Department website. To apply, print and fill out the application and submit it to the Ankeny High School Guidance Department for grade point average (GPA) validation no later than March 1, 2012. Many students will receive college scholarship funds from this community support network. Read more about eligibility, application and donation to Dollars for Scholars.
Ankeny High School Announcements
Drama Club February Can & Bottle Drive Cancelled
Due to the rescheduling of the IHSSA State Speech Contest, the AHS Drama February can and bottle drive unfortunately has to be cancelled. The next can and bottle drive will be on Saturday, March 3 from 8:00 am to noon. We apologize for any inconvenience.
