Announcements

Mark your calendar!  Project Fresh Start and Ankeny Community Engagement are once again providing school supplies for students in need.  Students enrolled in Ankeny Community Schools or Ankeny Christian Academy are eligible to receive new backpacks and school supplies at no cost.

The giveaway will take place on Saturday, August 7 from 10:00am-12:00pm and Sunday, August 8 from 1:00pm-3:00pm at Prairie Ridge Middle School, located at 1010 NW Prairie Ridge Drive. Attendees should enter through the East entrance: door E16.

The school supply giveaway is a collaboration between the Ankeny Community School District, Ankeny Service Center, Wal-Mart, area churches, local businesses, and generous individual/group donations.

For more information, contact the Ankeny Community Engagement office at (515) 289-3960 or email project coordinator Dave Kissinger.

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 all school year.
• 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.

As we approach the last day of school, we’d like to remind our families that the last day falls on Wednesday, June 2. This means that it will be a late start and early dismissal day. Please see below for your building arrival and dismissal times. *Reminder to Preschool parents their last day is this Friday, May 28th. 

Elementary (K-5)
Start time: 8:55 a.m.
Dismissal: 12:55 p.m.

Middle School (6-7)
Start time: 9:30 a.m.
Dismissal: 1:45 p.m.

Middle School (8-9)
Start time: 9:20 a.m.
Dismissal: 1:35 p.m.

High School (10-12)
Start time: 9:25 a.m.
Dismissal: 1:40 p.m.

Students from ACSD competed in the Polk County Bar Association’s Law Day contest and garnered several awards in each category. Students in grades K through 12 were invited to compete in the visual arts, music, essay, and poetry categories.

This year’s theme was Advancing the Rule of Law Now. The Rule of Law is the bedrock of our democracy because the same laws apply to everyone, and no one is above the law. The Rule of Law is a system of laws, rules, policies, and principles that apply to everyone to ensure a fair and just society where everyone is treated equally under the law. This includes having a fair and independent judiciary and making sure human rights are guaranteed for all.

Law day has been celebrated since 1958 when President Dwight Eisenhower signed the proclamation declaring it a day to celebrate and strengthen the American heritage of liberty, justice, and equality under the law.

This year’s celebration was held virtually. Guests from the legal profession spoke to students, emphasizing the importance of the Rule of Law, and entertained questions from the students. A visual presentation was shared that showcased student work.

Anna Rowling – Prairie Trail

Vivian Zhang – Rock Creek

5th grade:
Anna Rowling (Prairie Trail) – 1st Place in Poster
Vivian Zhang (Rock Creek) – 2nd Place in Essay
Zena Jorgensen and Ingrid Weber (Ashland Ridge) – 1st Place in Visual Arts

Zena Jorgensen and Ingrid Weber – Ashland Ridge

Alanna Bredice – Prairie Ridge

Kalyani Bhat-Prairie Ridge

Emmarie Becker-Prairie Ridge

Rosie Howieson-Prairie Ridge

Maia Bredice-Prairie Ridge

Lauren Boka-Prairie Ridge

7th Grade:
Alanna Bredice (Prairie Ridge) – 1st Place in Technology
Kalyani Bhat (Prairie Ridge) – 1st Place in Music & Performing Arts
Emmarie Becker (Prairie Ridge) – 3rd Place in Poetry
Rosie Howieson (Prairie Ridge) – 2nd Place in Poetry
Maia Bredice & Lauren Boka (Prairie Ridge) – 3rd Place in Visual Arts

Finn Stukerjurgen and Avery Bacon from Southview Middle School

8th grade:
Avery Bacon (Southview) – 2nd place in Middle School Visual Arts
Josie Bishop (Northview) – 3rd place in Middle School Essay
Olivia Madison (Northview) – 1st place in Middle School Poetry
Finn Stukerjurgen (Southview) – 1st place in Middle School Essay
Meghan Wolf (Northview) – 1st place in Middle School Visual Arts; 2nd Place in Middle School Essay

9th graders from Northview at Law Day

9th grade:
Lio Aguirre (Northview) – 3rd place in High School Essay
Lio Aguirre, Caeden deBruin, Mary Faidley and Addison Pollock (Northview) – 1st place in High School Visual Arts
Kylie Kinzie (Northview) – 2nd place in High School Visual Arts

Julia Yount – ACHS

10th grade:
Julia Yount (ACHS) – 2nd place in High School Poetry

Allison Su

12th grade:
Allison Su (ACHS) – 3rd place in High School Visual Arts

*Grades Kindergarten through fourth grade will return their Chromebooks to school on Friday, May 28. They are to return their Chromebook along with their charger. Once the Chromebooks are back at school we will check them in and look them over for damage. Fines will be assessed for the following issues: broken screen, missing charger, or broken hinges. All fines are $25. You will be notified about it and can pay the fine through TouchBase on the District Website. If you have any questions or concerns, please let Mrs. Bosma know.

*K-4 Online learners will return their Chromebooks by Wednesday, June 2.

*Fifth graders keep their Chromebooks over the summer as they transition to Parkview. If you plan on moving or leaving the district, please let your teacher know so that you can turn in your Chromebook and charger on the last day of school.

If you have any questions or concerns, please let me Mrs. Bosma know. Kari.bosma@ankenyschools.org

The recording from the April 22 virtual Kindergarten Informational Meeting is now available!

You can watch the meeting here, or by going to our Ankeny Schools YouTube channel.

As the weather gets nicer, please note that the Prairie Trail playground will  remain closed to the public after school until 6:00 p.m. The playground will be used by the Before & After School Program until 6:00p.m. This is necessary to continue COVID mitigation procedures.  Thank you for your help in keeping our students safe and healthy.