Announcements

We are thrilled to announce that Parkview has won the Iowa Wolves Read to Achieve contest!

Our students’ dedication to reading has paid off with a fantastic reward: a school-wide pizza party and an award assembly with none other than Alpha, the Wolves’ mascot! Huge thanks to the Iowa Wolves and Northern Lights Pizza for making this unforgettable experience possible! Let’s keep embracing the joy of reading and celebrating our achievements together!

Listen to these experts as they explore the creation of a culture of belonging. Discover our commitment to equipping educators with the tools to help students develop essential soft skills. Learn strategies for guiding students through the high school to college transition, emphasizing the importance of early connections and proactive support. They also mention how it is important to focus on student well-being, encouraging self-care practices during study sessions, including water breaks, physical movement, and brain breaks. Uncover how Ankeny fosters these skills from pre-kindergarten, aligning with Ankeny’s graduate profile.

Join Kayla Bell-Consolver, Director of the Counseling Center at Broadlawns Community Clinic at Drake University, Shawn Beirman, Social-Emotional Learning Specialist at Ankeny Schools, and Al Neppl, Director of Professional and Leadership Development at Ankeny Schools, in a conversation highlighting the significance of adaptability, empathy, and collaboration for students.

Click here to listen or find us on your favorite podcast app!

This year marked a historic milestone for OPUS, as it stands out as the most successful in our district’s history. This fall, a remarkable eighty-one students from Ankeny Community School District, spanning grades sixth through ninth, earned the privilege of participating in the esteemed 37th Annual Opus Honor Choir Festival hosted by the Iowa Choral Directors Association. This achievement not only surpassed the representation of any other school district in the state but also set a new record in Ankeny’s own history.

Out of a pool of over twenty-four hundred nominated students, spanning the specified grades, the diligent efforts of Ankeny students resulted in securing one hundred-eighty coveted positions across the four OPUS Honor Choirs. The selection process involved judges evaluating recorded auditions from each nominated student. The grand culmination of this achievement took place on Thursday, November 16, when the 2023 Opus Honor Choirs delivered a stellar performance at CY Stephens Auditorium in Ames.

Heartfelt congratulations are extended to the numerous Ankeny students who dedicated themselves to this endeavor, with special recognition to the exceptional talents of the following selected musicians and their directors: Emma Feldhans and David Sponder from Parkview; Emily Battani and Lisa Rehms from Prairie Ridge; Riley Anderson and Samantha Thomas from Northview; and Jill Bjorklund and Nick Oswald from Southview. Notably, Sebastian Rivera-Alvarez from Prairie Ridge, along with Evan Bahr, Will Heldt, and Ty Porter from Northview, and William Peterson, William Peverill, and Luke Vesperman from Southview, earned the distinguished honor of being selected as solo finalists for the festival, with Ty Porter additionally earning the prestigious distinction of being chosen as a soloist.

A resounding congratulations to all for this outstanding achievement!