Announcements

Mark Your Calendars: PreK & K Registration

The Rock Creek Reporter Newsletter

Return to Learn Update

The district will remain in the hybrid learning model through the end of the first semester. Our plan at this time is for all students to transition to a traditional on-site model for the second semester on January 19, 2021. As always, this decision will be predicated on local public health data. There may be additional discussion of this plan at the Ankeny Board of Education meeting on January 4, 2021.

There are a number of factors that have led to this recommendation and our desire to share it with you in advance of Winter Break including:

• Providing our community with a plan for the weeks following Winter Break, so everyone can truly unplug and enjoy their time at home.
• The Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Fauci, and the American Academy of Pediatrics continue to recommend that, if it can be done safely, schools should prioritize in-person learning.
• We did not see the anticipated spike following the Thanksgiving Break and hope for a similar pattern following Winter Break.
• If we do see a concerning spike after the break, we will have time to reconsider the plan.
• The second semester provides a natural breakpoint to keep schedules aligned.

Our hope for 2021 is truly that we are able to return to a traditional on-site model and stay in it for the remainder of the year. Please do everything that you can to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by following the recommended mitigation efforts of wearing a mask, social distancing, and washing your hands. One of the reasons our schools are seeing success in mitigating COVID-19 is that we are able to insist our staff and students follow these recommendations. If our community will support us in choosing to do the same outside of school, our efforts for in-person schooling will be much more successful.

Rock Creek Elementary Yearbooks On Sale Now!

Don’t miss out on the memories.  Order your 2020-2021 yearbook today!

The order deadline is March 12, 2020.

HOW TO ORDER:

Mask Up for Ankeny Schools

Ankeny,

We.Need.You.

It will take our whole community pulling together to slow the spread and help keep our students in school. We’ve been hearing it for months, but now is the time to go back to mitigation basics.

1. Wear Your Mask
2. When Sick, Stay Home
3. Wash Your Hands
4. Watch Your Distance

This week, we’re launching a #MaskupforAnkeny campaign alongside the @CityofAnkeny. Partner with us by downloading an email signature and social media graphic at the link below and answer the question “What do you mask up for?” #MaskUpforAnkeny #MaskUpforAnkenySchools #SlowtheSpread

Helpful info for elementary parents as students come back full-time

All of Ankeny Community School District’s PK-5th grade students returned to learn in person, full time on October 19th. In order to keep our Ankeny students, staff and families safe and healthy, we will be continuing to redefine what a “normal” school day looks like.

We realize families may need to make difficult decisions between sending students to school vs. keeping them home/parent missing work. In order to keep our students and staff as healthy as possible, we ask that you consider these things before sending your child to school.

• If your child complains of any 1 of the following symptoms, please keep them home and contact your health care provider: new cough, shortness of breath, fever of 100.4 or higher, new loss of taste or smell.
• If your child complains of 2 or more of the following symptoms, please keep them home from school: fever, headache, muscle/body aches, fatigue, sore throat, runny nose, congestion, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. Due to the wide range of signs and symptoms of Covid-19, and for the safety of all, students will need to be sent home if they display these symptoms.
• If your child exhibits these symptoms at school, your child will be taken to a room that has been established for students/staff that are exhibiting Covid-19 related symptoms. This is to ensure safety from other students who would use the nurse’s office for non-Covid related reasons.
• If you are notified by health office staff that your student is ill at school, please plan to pick up your student as soon as possible. We would ask that you also have a back-up plan so that ill students can be picked up as quickly as possible if you are not available.
• We ask that you contact your Primary Health Care provider for more guidance on how to proceed with your student’s health needs prior to returning if your student is sent home. We will provide instructions per Polk County Health Department for proper home isolation and quarantine, if warranted. Students sent home ill will need to be out of school the following day (does not apply if sent home on a Friday) to be monitored. Students may return to school once the presenting symptoms have subsided for 24 hours, if they have an alternate diagnosis from a doctor, or a negative Covid test.

As said many times, this is a fluid and flexible situation that can change at any point. We will continue to work closely with the Polk County Health Department.

If you have questions, please contact your building’s nurse to discuss.

Stay safe and be well!

Welcome Interim Superintendent Dr. Azinger

School Hours

Hybrid Learning Model

The final Hybrid Learning model schedule for the 2020-2021 school year has been selected. See the attached schedule, which is the Set 2-Day Schedule with Alternating Wednesdays.
The survey results were:

Model 1 (Alternating Days): 35.15%
Model 2 (Set 2-Day Schedule with Alternating Wednesdays): 64.85%

2020-2021 Kindergarten Handbook is Available On Line