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.

Last week’s Try-It Thursday… Sugar Snap Peas!

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.

Save the Date for the Parent Informational Meeting!

This year, the kindergarten parent informational meeting will be conducted virtually. This meeting will be held on April 22 at 6:30 p.m. Join our elementary principal team for a brief presentation.

Meeting Information:
Join Meeting
Event number: 120 216 4140
Event password: acsdkindergarten

Nutrition Services has started “Try-It Thursdays” –  where students can sample new or less common fruits and vegetables at lunch. Students have the opportunity to explore how and where these foods are grown and the health benefits they provide. They may even find a new favorite to introduce to their families!

Stay tuned for Try-It Thursday on April, 22 with Sugar Snap Peas.

Check out last weeks featured fruit: Kumquats

Kindergarten registration for the 2021-2022 school year begins Friday, February 5. To enroll, your child must be five years old on or before September 15, 2021.

Online Registration

Beginning Friday, February 5 at 8:00 a.m., parents will be able to enroll their incoming kindergartener via online registration. More detailed information is available on the Enroll/Registration page.

Per Board Policy 501.15, applications will be considered late if they are received after June 1. Late registrations will not be considered until all other placements have been made.

What is Needed for Registration?

Please follow the kindergarten registration checklist, as a guide detailing the required documents. Most of the documents can be uploaded into your online application. However, if you do not have the capability to upload documents or if you need copies made, please submit documents starting February 5 to your neighborhood elementary or the registrar at the district office, 306 SW School St. The required documents are:

• Home Language Survey
• Proof of Residency
• Proof of Child’s Birth Date

Medical documentation will be collected at a later date.

Informational Meeting – Updates to Come

This year, the kindergarten parent informational meeting will be conducted virtually. This meeting will be held on April 22 at 6:30 p.m. More information regarding how to join will be shared at a later date.

Due to increased elementary enrollment and limited space, parents are encouraged to enroll their upcoming kindergartener based on the process set forth by the district.

Important Dates to Remember

Visit this document to review important dates for kindergarten families for the 2021-2022 school year.

PRESCHOOL Registration opens on Monday, January 25, 2021.

KINDERGARTEN Registration opens on Friday, February 5, 2021.

2020-21 Before & After School Program Registration opens April 8 to incoming Kindergarteners.  Click here to learn more!

Ankeny,

We.Need.You.

It will take our whole community pulling together to slow the spread and help keep our students in school. We’ve been hearing it for months, but now is the time to go back to mitigation basics.

1. Wear Your Mask
2. When Sick, Stay Home
3. Wash Your Hands
4. Watch Your Distance

This week, we’re launching a #MaskupforAnkeny campaign alongside the @CityofAnkeny. Partner with us by downloading an email signature and social media graphic at the link below and answer the question “What do you mask up for?” #MaskUpforAnkeny #MaskUpforAnkenySchools #SlowtheSpread

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19Dic2GIwS5PD5Q5-go4_mUJFdd8xwaxS?usp=sharing