Announcements

Have a question that didn’t get addressed at the Back to School event on Tuesday, August 9? Submit your question here and a district or building representative will respond to you.

Come join us in our hiring event from the comfort of your own home!

Want to make a big difference in the lives of students? Teachers On Call® is hiring great people to substitute in your local schools, for both teaching and non-teaching positions. Try a new morning routine with a meaningful job that gives you the flexibility to create your own work schedule. Earn income. Enjoy real work-life balance. And know the work you do every day is making a profound impact on moving education forward.

Details:
Tuesday, August 9th, 2022
@ 1:00 PM

Register here

The 18th Annual Backpack and School Supply Giveaway will be on Saturday, August 6 and Sunday, August 7, at Prairie Ridge Middle School.

ANKENY, Iowa (June 24, 2022) – Dustin Roland has been named as the head girls wrestling coach for the new girls wrestling program at Ankeny High School and Centennial High School. Dustin previously served as the head wrestling coach at Lincoln High School in the Des Moines Community School District.

Coach Roland has a rich background in wrestling and coaching. In addition to wrestling, he has served as an assistant coach for many sports in the Des Moines, Southeast Polk, and Bondurant-Farrar school districts. Additionally, Dustin is the 16U USA-Iowa Wrestling Division Director and has experience working within several levels of the USA-Iowa Wrestling Program.

Selection committee members were able to ask questions and give feedback on finalists. Committee members noted that Coach Roland’s wealth of background knowledge in how to lead a program makes him an excellent fit for starting a new program. They also indicated that he showed commitment to building a state-contending team and to increasing the interest in girls wrestling in Ankeny and across the state of Iowa. 

Southview Middle School activities director Mike Bakker and Northview Middle School activities director Holly Anderson collaborated to lead the interview and selection process since both high schools are transitioning to new activities directors that will start on July 1.

“Dustin Roland was selected from a pool of highly qualified candidates to lead the process of starting the Ankeny Girls Wrestling program,” said Mike Bakker, Activities Director at Southview Middle School. “His experience as a head wrestling coach at DM Lincoln, his role with the USA Iowa Wrestling program, and his background in coaching multiple girls’ sports in his coaching career make him a natural fit. Dustin is highly respected in the wrestling community by his peers and will work closely with the boys’ programs and coaches at Centennial & Ankeny High Schools.”

The Iowa High School Girls Athletic Union sanctioned girls’ wrestling for the 2022-23 school year, and there is much excitement surrounding the program. Ankeny High School and Centennial High School are partnering together through a co-op agreement to pioneer the Ankeny girls wrestling program.  More information about the program will be available soon.

Ankeny Community School District and the Des Moines Home Builders Association are excited to invite you to our 1st Annual Skilled Trades Camp! ACSD 9-12th graders are invited to join us for the week as we explore careers and future opportunities in the areas of architecture and engineering, plumbing, electrical, masonry and carpentry.

The camp runs from 8:30 am – 4:00 pm each day and will include:

Business and Industry Tours
Site visits to Apprenticeship Training Facilities
Demonstrations
Hands-on Activities
Conversations with Industry Experts

The camp is FREE to attend and lunch and transportation to the locations are provided. Capacity is limited to 25 students. Click here to register!

Contact Amy Steenhoek, Postsecondary Success Specialist, with questions.

Iowa high school students (grades 9-12) are coming together for 5 action-packed days this summer, July 17-21 at Central College in Pella. Students will team up alongside Iowa professionals to create a solution to a real-world problem. From there, teams work toward exciting competitions, hear from dynamic speakers, take part in valuable workshops, attend business visits and so much more. Fun “after hours” activities add to the opportunities to meet great new friends from across the state!

The program will assist students in recognizing how their strengths and skills can support a team, now and in the future. Participants gain confidence in themselves and their next steps, college experience, future-ready skills and more. (Bonus: they can also earn college credit!)

Don’t wait, learn more and register at www.BusinessHorizonsIowa.com.

From L to R: Elliot Sutton, Josh Dahlheimer, Jason Dennis, Lauren Rolling, and Aiden Orth

The Ankeny High School JV team placed second at the 40th annual Academic Championship. Over 60 teams from across the country competed at regional sites to qualify for the playoffs. To participate at regionals teams must win a state competition or place second or higher at a large competition. This team placed third at the Chicago regional and qualified for the playoffs as a wild card team with wins over teams from Illinois, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Ohio.

During the playoffs they defeated Allentown, PA on the last question of the match. Following that competition the team beat the number one team from Somers, New York and in the semifinals defeated Jenks, OK in overtime. During the championship the team lost to Ft. Smith Southside, Arkansas.

Coach Coombes said “I’m so proud of these students they never gave up and beat some of the best teams in the country. The amount of knowledge and information they learn in and out of the classroom is amazing.”

The Centennial Girls Jaguar Soccer team brought home the 3A State title against Council Bluffs Lincoln in the championship match Saturday, June 4, 2022 . Congratulations to this outstanding team and entire coaching staff!

Ankeny Community School District is pleased to announce Kevin Biggs as the principal of Southview Middle School.

Mr. Biggs is currently the Coordinator of K-5 Virtual Learning for Des Moines Public Schools. Kevin previously served as the principal of Theodore Roosevelt high school for eight years. Prior to moving to DMPS, Kevin was the District Director of Athletics and Activities in the Ankeny Community School District, where he served for two years.

During the selection process, parents, students, staff, and administrators on the selection committee were able to ask questions and give feedback on finalists. Committee members noted Mr. Biggs’ impressive communication skills and appreciated his experience in a large school system. They also commended Kevin for his focus on school culture and a positive learning environment for all.

Kevin received a Bachelor of Arts in Music Business Management from the University of The Pacific in Stockton, California as well as a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from California State University in Fullerton, California. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D in Education from Drake University.

Kevin will officially begin his role as principal on July 1, 2022.

Pending Board approval, the Ankeny Community School District is pleased to announce Ms. Kristin Barber as the new principal for Northeast Elementary School. Kristin is currently the principal at Northwood Preschool Center in the Ames Community School District, where she has served since 2017.

Ms. Barber has more than twenty years of experience in education. She began her career as a classroom teacher at North Polk West Elementary, where she taught for ten years before transitioning to the role of Master Teacher/Instructional Coach. She served in this role for three years before becoming principal.

“Kristin has an impressive record of partnering with students, parents and colleagues,” said Dr. Erick Pruitt, Superintendent of schools. “Her breadth of leadership experience and commitment to continuous learning and improvement makes her a great choice to lead Northeast Elementary.”
A graduate of Ankeny High School, Kristin earned a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education and Special Education from the University of Northern Iowa. She received a Master of Arts in Education from Viterbo University, as well as a Master of Education in K-12 Educational Leadership and Administration from Iowa State University.

Ms. Barber will begin on July 1, but will be working with Northeast administrators prior to beginning in order to ensure a seamless transition.