February Important Dates for Rock Creek
February 3rd – Family Game Night @ 6pm
February 7th – PTO Meeting at 6:00PM in the Rock Creek Media Center
February 9th – PTO Restaurant Night at Panda Express 4-9pm
Febrary 10th – Friendship Parties
Febraury 18th – End of 2nd Trimester
Febrary 20th – No School Professional Learning Day for Teachers
Febrary 21st – 4th grade Music Concert @ 6:30 5th Grade Music Concert @ 7:30
February 23rd – Family Literacy Night 6-7:30
February 24th – Report cards sent home
February 27-March 3 Spring Parent Teacher Conferences
Kindergarten Parents: Save the Date!
Onsite Kindergarten Parent Meeting • Thursday, January 26 at 6:30 p.m.
Purpose: Visit your child’s home building before registration opens. Learn about the kindergarten experience within Ankeny Community School District, turn in the Kindergarten Information Form, learn more about Jumpstart, utilize the Address Look-Up Tool and ask questions.
Prescribed Burns
A prescribed (controlled) burn of the District’s prairie grasses have a start window of Dec. 1, 2022 through June 1, 2023. The burns will be conducted when the weather is within our parameters. The burns will be at:
The DNR recommends a burn every three years to maintain prairie grasses. District staff conducting burns have been trained and certified in prescribed burns.
Accepting donations of warm winter gear
Winter Clothing Drive/Donations
When: November 7th through November 10th
What: Gently used coats, snow pants, thick gloves/mittens and hats/scarves for adults and children. No boots, please.
How: Parents and/or students may place the items in the box in the front office during school hours.
THANK YOU!
New Volunteer Process
With fall parties this Friday, October 7th now is the time to get your volunteer paper work done. There is a new layer to our volunteer process this year. Please follow the instructions found here and we look forwards to welcoming you into Rock Creek very soon!
Flu Clinic
We will be offering the Flu Clinic in collaboration with Polk County Health Department again this year. Please see below for next date and registration.
No paper consents this year – all registrations are online!
Thursday, Oct 20
4:00 p.m. – 8 p.m. @ Northview Middle School
Visitors enter through W22 Door on the stadium side of the building
Flu Clinic is held in the Commons/Lunchroom.
CHOOSE YOUR TIME SLOT FOR OCT. 20
New Elementary School Groundbreaking
The Ankeny Community School District has broken ground on their newest elementary school building. The building is temporarily being referred to as the Elementary at the Grove, and will be the sixth elementary school in the north-feeder for the district. The new building will be located in the Grove development at NW 18th St and NW Abbie Dr and will be a part of the district’s north feeder system. The five-section building will serve kindergarten to fifth grade and have a capacity of up to 800 students and is slated to open in the fall of 2024.
“This is a day of excitement for our district, not only for our students and staff in our north-feeder elementary system but for our entire community who has worked together to build this district for our children,” said Dr. Erick Pruitt, Superintendent of Ankeny Schools. “The growth in our city is certainly notable. However, when we think about this growth as a district, what excites us is the number of students reaching their academic goals each year. This elementary school will serve as yet another launching point for our young people to achieve a lifetime of personal success.”
An additional school is needed to accommodate the district’s ongoing growth, as Ankeny remains one of the fastest-growing school districts in Iowa. This year enrollment increased by 364 students, making certified enrollment 12,512 students for the 2020-2021 school year, as reported in the Certified Enrollment Report. Enrollment growth has averaged 250 students annually for the past five years and is expected to grow by an average of 260 students per year over the next five years.
The Elementary at the Grove will be funded utilizing the S.A.V.E. state penny sales tax. The official name of the school will be forthcoming, with the naming committee convening within the next year to follow the process as laid out in board policy.
Profile of a Graduate
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.
Holly Anderson Named 2022 Middle School Iowa Athletic Director of the Year
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.
Parent Advisory Committee Meeting – Thursday, Dec. 9
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.