Throughout the week of October 17, Urbandale High School students enjoyed tasting global foods, dressing in cultural garb, learning about the multiple cultures living in the Urbandale community, and coming together for the first annual Culture Fair. The UHS CORE x Culture Week brought learning to life by providing opportunities for students to learn more about various cultures and celebrate diversity and inclusion at UHS and throughout the entire Urbandale community. Learn More

During the October 24 School Board meeting, the Board of Directors approved the academic calendars for the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 academic years for Traditional, Extended (year-round) and Metro West Learning Academy. We would like to acknowledge all stakeholders who provided feedback which helped to inform priorities, and stakeholders who served on the calendar committee and the School Improvement Advisory Committee made up of parents, staff, and students for their feedback and suggestions throughout the process.

In addition to the calendars being approved, several adjustments were made to the elementary start and end times as well as student contact days (i.e. the number of days students are in school). These items include:

• Adjustments were made to the elementary start and end times to make them consistent across all elementary schools and balance the student contact time between elementary and secondary.

• Beginning in the fall of 2023, all elementary start and end times will be 8:50 a.m.–3:40 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 9:55 a.m.–3:40 p.m. on Late Start Mondays.

• The number of student contact days for PreK-12 will be reduced from 179 to 177. This decision was supported by the majority of respondents on the stakeholder and staff survey and will increase the likelihood of ending the school year by Memorial Day most years.

• Moving to 177 student contact days also better aligns with our neighboring school districts who have a similar number of student contact days.

Please make note of the following dates in November 2022 when school will not be in session.

District-Wide

• Wednesday, November 23 through Friday, November 25: No school due to Thanksgiving Holiday

• Register your Preschool–5th Grade student by 11:59 p.m. November 2 for the All-Day Adventuretime Program taking place on November 23

• Thursday, November 24 and Friday, November 25: District Administration Office closed due to Thanksgiving Holiday

Rolling Green Elementary (only)

• Monday, November 21 and Tuesday, November 22: No school due to Intersession

When UCSD needs to delay, dismiss early, or cancel school due to inclement weather or emergency situations, UCSD will notify families directly via email, phone, and text*, post an alert on the district website, district Facebook, district Twitter, and communicate with media outlets (WHO 13, KCCI 8, WOI 5). Please make note of the following two-hour delay, early dismissal and cancellation information. Be sure to keep your contact information updated with your school in order to stay aware, updated, and informed. *SMS (text): Parents/guardians can opt-in at any time to receive text messages by texting “Y” or “YES” to 67587. The “67587” number is the “short code” that connects to our notification provider, School Messenger.

The federal waiver for free school meals was not extended to the 2022-23 school year; thus, families will need to carry a positive balance in their children’s school meal accounts in order for children to access breakfast and lunch while at school. Funds can be loaded onto student accounts electronically through TITAN or by bringing cash/check to your student’s building (please place in an envelope and include your student’s first and last name so the money is credited to the correct account). Online payments are preferred because they happen instantaneously. You can also add payments through the Titan app available on the App Store (for iPhone) or Google Play Store (for Android). Learn More

Are you interested in making a positive difference in the lives of Urbandale students? Do you like building relationships and helping others reach their potential? Would you enjoy hours within a school-day schedule while being a member of IPERS (the state’s largest public retirement system)? If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, we’d like to hear from you! We’re currently seeking team members for a variety of positions. Our newly posted positions include: Administrative Assistant to the Director of Quality/Continual Improvement and Communications Manager Learn More