Announcements

Congratulations to the Ankeny Centennial High School Marching Band! On Saturday, September 25th, they took top honors at the Pella Marching Dutch Invitational. With 19 bands in competition, Centennial was awarded 1st Place and Best Colorguard. Additionally, Nathan Neppl was named Best Soloist in Class 4A.

Centennial’s show this year is entitled “Through the Looking Glass”.  It features music from “Alice in Wonderland” by Danny Elfman, “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson, and “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane. Centennial’s band director, Scott Hook says “The students have done a tremendous job putting together an extremely challenging show this year.  It is so much fun to see them succeed at such a high level!”

The Centennial High School Marching Band consists of 185 students in grades 9-12 and is directed by Scott Hook, Nick Rueckert, Janelle Hook, Mary Harris and Jake Thieben. They are assisted by Dr. Chad Lensch, Jerrod Lister, Zach McVey, and Olivia Klaas.

The band’s next competition will be at Valleyfest in West Des Moines, on October 9th. They will be performing at 11:00am and 9:30pm.

Schedule for the Week of Homecoming

Monday, September 27: Dress-up Day: Pajama/Cozy Day
Tuesday, September 28: Dress-up Day: Tacky Tourist Day
Wednesday, September 29: Dress-up Day: Country vs. Country Club
Thursday, September 30: Dress-up Day: Shirt/Hat Day

• Pick up pre-purchased wristbands for the Homecoming dance at lunch.
• On The Prowl (OTP): Gates open at 7:00 PM; Meet your teams and teacher sponsors outside the CHS athletic complex at 6:45. Parents are welcome to observe the night from the bleachers.

Friday, October 1: Dress-up Day: Jag Spirit Wear

• Pick up pre-purchased wristbands for the Homecoming dance at lunch. (Last chance)
•  Pep Assembly and King/Queen Coronation will occur during the school day.

Homecoming Football Game; Homecoming Court and King/Queen Presentation before the game.

Saturday, October 2: Homecoming Dance 8-11 PM. You must have a pre-purchased wristband and ID to get into the dance.

We look forward to a fun-filled week of Jaguar pride!  Go Jags!

Congratulations to our ACHS 2021 Homecoming Court!

Front Row:  Tessa Woerdehoff, Autumn Graybill, Maddy Adams, Rachell Abbott, Olivia Anderson

Back Row:  Carter Cahill, Owen Gates, Keegan Andriano, Logan Hoff, Clayson Cox

The updated Return to Learn Plan that was approved on Tuesday, September 21, 2021, was neither an endorsement nor an admonishment of masks. The approved plan enables the district to follow the federal order and to avoid violating federal civil rights and disability laws.

Changes in the approved Return to Learn Plan are highlighted below:

• The approved changes will take effect September 23, 2021, and will remain in effect through December 21, 2021, unless there are changes to the current law or further action by the board.

• A new plan will be presented for the beginning of the 2022 calendar year.

• Masks will be required for individuals age 2 and older, indoors on ACSD property during the compulsory school day. This includes students, teachers, staff, visitors, and volunteers.

• Masks will not be required when outdoors on ACSD property.

• Exemptions from last year will carry forward, and new exemption requests can be made by filling out the exemption form. Please note: The statement on the form, “A person granted a medical or religious exemption may be excluded from in-person school and school activities during a COVID-19 infection outbreak” means that having a mask exemption does not prevent a student from being told to stay home from school if they test positive for COVID. More information can be found on Iowa Department of Public Health’s website.

• We will work collaboratively with families to make sure we are balancing the health, safety, and educational needs of all students in a classroom.

• Our tracking and notification of potential COVID-19 exposure will be updated to meet the new plan. Communication about what to expect will be sent in the next couple of days from your student’s home school building.

• By Wednesday, September 29, lunch seating for grades 6-12, will implement a process so communication-related to potential exposure can be more precise.

Find the full plan with more detailed information on the Return to Learn section of the district website.

Homecoming week is beginning Monday, September 27.  Get your tickets now to the Homecoming Dance being held Saturday, October 2, from 8:00-11:00 p.m. at Ankeny Centennial High School.  You can purchase a ticket using the TouchBase system.  Once logged in,  go to Items at Student’s School – Incl One Time Meal Payment.  Choose Student Activities then the option to purchase a homecoming ticket.  Tickets will be available online September 20 – Tuesday, September 28, at midnight.  Students can pick up their ticket wristbands Thursday and Friday during the lunch shifts.  Please have ID to pick up your wristbands and your ID will be required as well to attend the dance on Saturday.  If you are unable to purchase a ticket through TouchBase system, we will sell tickets in the Activities Office only during lunch shifts on Friday, October 1.

If the student is bringing a guest that does not attend Ankeny Centennial, a Dance guest form will be required.  Please return the completed form to the front office by 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 29. The guest must also bring a form of ID to be admitted to the dance as well.

While a student at Prairie Ridge, Kalyani Bhat, competed in the nation’s premier middle school science competition, the 3M Young Scientist Challenge. This competition features outstanding innovations from young scientists that utilize the power of STEM to improve the world. Over the summer of 2021 Kalyani was named the state merit winner for Iowa for her video communicating the science behind her solution to a ventilator alternative. Each state merit winner receives special recognition on the challenge website, along with a special technology prize pack. Kalyani is now a student at Northview Middle School.

View the 3M press release here.

The Ankeny Community School District and Superintendent Dr. Erick Pruitt invite Parents/Guardians to attend the Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting on Thursday, September 16 from 6:00pm-7:30pm at Northview Middle School Auditorium.

The Parent Advisory Committee gives parents an opportunity to provide input on topics and ideas that are relevant to the district’s goal of preparing every learner for success. The committee will also provide insight into projects and initiatives that can be implemented to help move the district forward. Parents (and guardians) will have the opportunity to collaborate with each other and work together as one entity to ensure success for our students and community.

Innovative ideas, thoughtful questions, and respectful discussion are welcome!

This meeting marks the first of what will be monthly meetings. The PAC will meet the third Thursday of every month during the school year. Committee involvement is open to all parents of students enrolled in the Ankeny Community School District.

Where: Northview Middle School Auditorium

When: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM (90 Minutes) starting September 16

The new edition of the Jaguar Journal, the Ankeny Centennial High School electronic newsletter for parents and students, is now available online.  The Jaguar Journal can help you keep up to date on important news and information, event dates, and opportunities at your student’s school.

Click here to view the Jaguar Journal Newsletter.

Jaguar Students and Families,

We are excited to begin the process of selecting our first ever student representatives for the school board.  For the 2021-22 school year, there will be 2 student representatives, one from Centennial High School and one from Ankeny High School.  This is a great opportunity for our students to have a voice in educational programming for the district and support the changes that they would like to see in the district.

Qualifications for the Student School Board Representatives

• The student must currently attend Ankeny Centennial High School (or Ankeny High School) in Grades 10-12.
• The student must be in proper academic standing equivalent for participation in athletics or other student activities, and maintain proper academic standing throughout their term.
• The students will be expected to maintain personal standards of behavior appropriate to participation in student activities.
• The student must have the ability to gather information from a variety of student stakeholders to share celebrations and concerns with the school board.

Expectations for the Student School Board Representatives

• Attend school board meetings two times per month, currently scheduled for the first and third Tuesdays starting at 6:00 pm.
• Engage diverse student groups in learning about their needs related to the district’s educational programming.
• Collaborate with the building principal to support students and provide student voice at the building and district level.

Application Process

Students interested in serving as the school board representative for their high school need to submit an application through the Student School Board Representative Application for Ankeny Schools 2021-22 SY Google Form. The applications will be reviewed by a student committee who will select the representatives for their respective high school.

The timeline for applications is as follows …

• Applications Open – August 27, 2021
• Applications due – September 10, 2021 by 5:00 PM
• Student Selection Committee Meeting – September 22, 2021
• Student Representatives informed of selection – September 24, 2021
• First Board Meeting for Student Representatives – October 5, 2021

If you have any questions about the expectations for the student school board representative position or the application process, please contact Dr. Jill Urich, ACHS Principal, jill.urich@ankenyschools.org,  or, Peter Apple, AHS Principal, peter.apple@ankenyschools.org