Announcements

The Abdelkader Education Project (AEP) is pleased to announce the results from our annual Abdelkader Student Prize competition. This competition is presented by AEP in partnership with Iowa National History Day and is open to middle and high school students across the U.S.

Students were asked to do one of the following:

1. Write an essay discussing how Emir Abd el-Kader’s life and values influenced his actions and how those values apply to modern day challenges.
2. Create a graphic story (comic) based on one vignette from the Abdelkader Stage Project (middle school or high school).

Middle School Winner

Emmarie Becker
Northview Middle School, Ankeny, IA (Grade 8)
Essay

“From the start of Emir Abdelkader’s life, he was preparing how to be a great leader and how to overcome challenges. Learning about Abdelkader can show you how to meet your own challenges as well.”

HS Honorable Mentions

Kayla Clark
Northview Middle School, Ankeny, IA (Grade 9)
Art Book

View a panel from their work

The 2022-2023 competition will open this fall. Entry guidelines are subject to change. Please check back in the fall for updated requirements and prompts.

We want to send a big thank you to everyone who participated in our contest and helped make it a success! Special thanks to the following teachers: Kathy Cooper, Steph Schares, Maria LoBianco, and Alexa Long.

We are excited to launch the process of re-imagining our graduate profile! This document will work together with our strategic plan and equity framework to help chart a path for the district’s future. Please view this short survey to provide feedback on our graduate profile.

Several students from the Ankeny Community School District were recognized by the Scholastic Art and Writing contest during the month of January. Their work was blindly adjudicated by a panel of creative professionals and recognized as the most outstanding work submitted among their peers.

Scholastic Art and Writing is the nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in grades 7-12. Our students will be honored at an online celebration in March sponsored by Belin-Blank at the University of Iowa.

Our two students with Gold Key honors are automatically considered for national awards.

L to R: Vivian Powell, Celeste Rieder and Kalyani Bhat

L to R: Olivia Lammers, Brenna Coleman, Lillie Hamlin, Ella DeHaan.

Elizabeth Deng and Madison Carleton of Ankeny Centennial and Kalyani Bhat of Northview Middle School are finalists in The Iowa State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division “Know Your Constitution” Project. 76 finalists were selected from the more than 500 students across the State of Iowa who participated in the “Know Your Constitution” Project. These finalists will be honored at a Virtual Awards Program over Zoom on February 15, 2022.

From the finalists, five students and their teachers will be chosen by a random drawing to receive scholarship grants and honoraria in recognition of their efforts.

The “Know Your Constitution” Project is designed to enrich students’ understanding and appreciation of the Constitution. The students participating in the project were required to familiarize themselves with Constitution related issues. A quiz was completed by each participating student. An essay question accompanied the quiz. This year’s essay topic involved Constitutional questions concerning qualifications for Social Security payments and the restriction that recipients must not leave the United States for more than 30 days. The question is modelled after a current case before the United State Supreme Court. “Best Essay” finalists will be posted to the ISBA website, with an overall winner announced during the Zoom program.

The Know Your Constitution program is sponsored by The Iowa State Bar Association, with additional funding from the Iowa State Bar Foundation and IOLTA.

Holly Anderson, Activities Director at Northview Middle School, has been chosen as the 2022 Middle School Athletic Director of the Year by the Iowa High School Athletic Directors Association. Holly was chosen for her outstanding dedication and leadership of young student-athletes.

“We are excited that Holly is receiving this much deserved recognition,” said Dr. Erick Pruitt, Superintendent of Ankeny Schools. “She is great leader, to both her students and also to her fellow staff members.”

Holly has been with the Ankeny Community School District for 16 years. Her previous roles for the district include P.E. teacher and girl’s basketball coach before beginning her current role in administration in 2013.

Honorees chosen as Athletic Director of the Year must have a minimum of five years’ experience and show qualities of achievement, excellence and character. Holly will be recognized at the annual IHSADA State Convention in March.

VIEW ON THE IHSADA WEBSITE

Congratulations to the Ankeny Centennial Winterguard! On Friday, December 4th they competed in the ISDTA State Championships at Wells Fargo Arena where they were named the State Champion in Color Guard Class III. This is their third state championship in the last 8 years.

“I am so proud of this group’s hard work and dedication. It has been a lot of fun seeing them progress through the season and really own their performance. They performed their hearts out on Friday and it was incredible to see!”
– Janelle Hook, director

The Centennial Winterguard’s production is entitled “Alice”, featuring music by Danny Elfman from the movie “Alice in Wonderland”.

The Centennial Winterguard consists of 24 students in grades 9-12 and is directed by Janelle Hook and Olivia Klaas.

The Ankeny Community School District and Superintendent Dr. Erick Pruitt invite parents/guardians to attend the Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting on Thursday, December 9 from 6-7:30 p.m. at Northview Middle School in the Cafeteria. Please park on the west side of the building near the football stadium and enter through doors W22.

We will be sharing information about our new learning management system, Canvas, the resources available to teachers as outcomes of curriculum reviews, and reporting student progress with standards.

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.

Committee involvement is open to all parents of students enrolled in the Ankeny Community School District.

Left to Right: Kyle Melcher, Max Vernon, Carson Ferree, Abby Fickbohm, Maria West, Taylor Lehman, Brynna Whitney, Mason Wisecup, Jordyn Jumper, Eric Hou.

Fifteen Ankeny Centennial musicians have attained the highest individual honor available to Iowa high school musicians by being selected as members of the 2021 All State Band, Choir, and Orchestra.

On Saturday, November 20th the 2021 All State Festival celebrated its 75th anniversary with a concert in Hilton Coliseum at Iowa State University.  Auditions were held on Saturday, October 23rd across the state and out of all students auditioning, only 17% were chosen to participate. They truly represent the best of the best!

2021 All State Choir

Carson Ferree, Abby Fickbohm, Taylor Lehman, Rai San Martin (alternate), Kyle Melcher, Max Vernon, Marie West, and Mason Wisecup

2021 All-State Band

Teagan Boeckmann (alternate), Evan Gruenwald (alternate), Eric Hou, Jordyn Jumper, Nathan Neppl (alternate), and Brynna Whitney

2021 All-State Orchestra

Devon Tsia-Olson

Iowa Public Television coverage of the concert can be found at the following link- https://www.iowapbs.org/video/story/39616/2021-all-state-music-festival