Announcements

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.

Parkview’s music department is selling t-shirts. The shirts are $12 and can only be ordered online.  Deadline to order is September 24th. To order, please  click 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

Lifetouch will be coming to Parkview to take our student’s pictures on Friday, Sept. 17th.  If you are interested in purchasing school photos, payment must be made online at mylifetouch.com or payment given to photographer before picture is taken.

Pricing and ordering information if found online.  Use your child’s student ID number or Picture Day ID EVTFC47FG at mylifetouch.com

Please find our updated COVID-19 dashboard and informational data here.

Ankeny Community School District is guided by state laws which prevent schools from mandating face masks and requires school districts in Iowa to provide on-site learning. However, students, staff, and others on district property are permitted to wear masks; disposable masks are available in our buildings for those who wish to wear them.

Per guidance from the Iowa Department of Public Health, Ankeny Community School District will treat COVID-19 similar to influenza and other common child illnesses. Students who believe they have been exposed to COVID-19 in or outside of school are not required to quarantine and should monitor for symptoms.

Due to health department changes in quarantine requirements, Ankeny Community School District will not contact trace to identify individuals as “close contacts” who may have been exposed to COVID-19 in the school setting. As necessary, all Ankeny school buildings are sending notifications to families to indicate potential exposure to positive case(s) of COVID-19.

A dashboard has been created to provide parents with “at-a-glance” positive case information, based on self-reported information. It is updated once a week and date stamped. An asterisk (*) denotes at least one but fewer than four (4) cases within a given reporting category and is provided in lieu of a specific number to protect privacy.

Transmission levels as of Friday, September 3, 2021 in Polk County are High. For more information please visit the CDC website. This website includes an integrated county view by state.

For more information on our health and mitigation practices please review our Return to Learn Addendum here.

Many of our 11-13 year old students are just beginning to experience the power of social media using their smart phones.  While great for parents and kids to stay connected before and after school, nights, weekends, and during activities outside of school; these really powerful devices provide kids with choices, opportunities, and risks with which even the most savvy adults sometimes struggle.

Mr. Schumacher has produced this video to empower you to help keep your child safe when using his/her smart device in the social media environment they are navigating.

Here’s the attachment referenced in the video that shares a bit more. The bottom of this doc includes links specific to setting up monitoring apps on your smartphone to stay informed as to the conversations/videos/pictures flowing through the cell phone you provide your child.

Here is a summary of helpful information for the first day of school:
Bus Drop-Off–Busses will drop off on the north side of the building (near the designated student entrances).

Entering the Building–Students will enter the building by teams (Gold, Maroon, or Platinum).

Schedule–For the first two days of school, students will report to homeroom by 8:30. They will then follow a modified schedule where they get to attend each class. Doors open at 7:45 am, and students are dismissed between 3:42 and 3:48.

Help Navigating Classes–For the first several days, there will be adults at every intersection in the halls to assist students in finding their way. Please encourage your children to seek out an adult if they need help finding their next class.

Supply Kits–For those who pre-ordered supply kits, they will be delivered to your child’s homeroom class on Monday.

Lockers–Each student is issued a locker to house materials that will not be needed throughout the day. Students can carry their class materials in their backpacks. The lockers do not have locks, so we strongly discourage keeping valuable items in lockers.

PE Uniforms–Our PE locker rooms will be under construction until October, so we will not be dressing out for PE. Please be sure students have proper footwear on days they have PE.

Bonus Topics:
Bus Passes/Student IDs–Student IDs and bus passes will also be distributed on the first day of school. (Students riding the bus on day one will be allowed to board without their pass.)

Lunch–6th graders on the Platinum/Maroon team will eat lunch after 3rd period. 6th graders and 7th graders on the Gold team will eat lunch after 4th period. 7th graders on the Platinum/Maroon team will eat lunch after 5th period. Teachers will walk their students to lunch on the first day to help with the lunch routine.

We are excited to get back on track with our Open House scheduled for tonight (8/17).  Doors will be open and ready for you at 4:00 pm to 7:30 pm.  PARKING is important and we want to make sure we fully utilize parking that is closer and available.  So, we have parking in the north parking lot and west parking lot adjacent to Parkview.  Additionally, we have parking at City Hall,  the Lakeside Center and at the AMP. Please come in the entrances labeled Gold, Maroon, or Platinum.

This Thursday (8/19) is open for Meet-The-Teacher Night.  Parents of 6th grade students are welcome between 5:00 pm and 6:30 pm.  Use the same parking options as we have for open house.  Parents of 7th grade students are welcome between 7:00 pm and 8:30 pm.

The purposes of Meet the Teacher Night are to:

1. Tour the building and practice schedules
2. Check out your locker
3. Practice entering and exiting Parkview
4. Make a brief connection with your child’s teachers in their classrooms.

We are getting close to the first day of school.  We are excited and we know you and you children are as well.  While we may still have some construction materials and dust in a few hallway corners this week, staring the first day of school we will be on target for high quality teaching and learning!

I completed construction walkthroughs this past weekend and again this morning with our construction leaders.  It is clear to me that we cannot have our open house tonight.  I will conduct another walkthrough tonight and again tomorrow morning to assess whether it is feasible to keep our open house scheduled for Tuesday 4:00-7:30pm.  I will send you all a communication mid-morning tomorrow to keep you informed of the status of Tuesday evening’s open house.

Note:  If we cannot have our open house on Tuesday night, I will work to move it to Wednesday and keep our Meet the Teacher Night as regularly scheduled Thursday.

My priority is still to have all classroom spaces open and ready for school Monday, August 23rd which, as I sit here today is looking very good.  Right now, there is way too much construction material, debris, and open ceilings with electrical components exposed to safely open Parkview to the public tonight.  Stay tuned….and thank you for your patience!