Uplifting Urbandale
UCSD Newsletter 4.08.22 #upliftingU
Urbandale Middle School 7th Grade Career Day
On April 1, UMS 7th grade students were given the opportunity to learn more about various careers during an all-star line up of parents and community members who shared their expertise in their chosen profession. UMS planned a fantastic afternoon where students selected the top four sessions they were interested in attending and then rotated through each session every 30 minutes. During a session, students listened to a presenter, participated in engagement activities, and asked questions.
Sessions included: Civil Engineer, City of Des Moines; Director of Marketing, Principal Financial Group; Cardiac Sonographer, MercyOne; English teacher/shop owner, West Des Moines Schools/Iowa Council of Teachers of English; Physician Assistant, Iowa Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center; Executive Director of Operations/Registered Nurse, Primary Health Care Inc. and Broadlawns; Home Editor, Dotdash Meredith/Better Homes & Gardens magazine; Director of Client Partnerships, TRACOM Group; Property Claims Manager, Auto-Owners Insurance; Software Engineering QA Manager, Igor Inc.; District Sales Leader, Corteva/Pioneer; Team Leader, CP/Unite; Physician Sports Medicine, UnityPoint Sports Medicine Center Urbandale; Development Engineering Manager, Snyder & Associates; Owner/Art Educator, Creative Geniuses Art Program; Deputy, Polk County Sheriff’s Office; Crime Scene Investigation, Urbandale Police Department
What an outstanding afternoon for 7th grade students as they learned about a broad range of careers, discovered new interests, and imagined themselves working in those professions. Thank you to all of the presenters for sharing their time, insight, and expertise. Thank you to UMS educators for the many hours it took to plan and implement the event, and a special thank you to UMS 7th Grade Counselor Ashley Danner-Dove whose leadership not only made the 7th Grade Career Day a reality, but a truly memorable experience for all. Incredibly well-done! #UMSpride
Share Your Appreciation During National Library Week April 3–9
Join us in celebrating the expertise, innovation, and leadership of UCSD Teacher Librarians and Media Associates during National Library Week taking place April 3 – April 9, 2022. Please take a moment during National Library Week to reflect on all of the countless projects, initiatives, tasks, and classes Teacher Librarians and Media Associates in all of our schools lead for students and staff.
We are thankful for the leadership of our UCSD Library Team! Happy National Library Week 2022! #weappreciateU
Gina Cain - Media Associate at Karen Acres
Barb Blakesley – Media Associate at Rolling Green
Alaina Small - Media Associate at Valerius
Melissa Marwedel – Teacher Librarian at Karen Acres, Rolling Green, and Valerius
Chrissy Cochran – Media Associate at Olmsted
Debbie Sandon – Media Associate at Webster
Allyson Reister – Teacher Librarian at Olmsted and Webster
Jackie Chow – Media Associate at UMS
Tricia Fleagle – Teacher Librarian at UMS
Jennifer Huber – Media Associate at UHS
Christine Watson – Teacher Librarian at UHS
UCSD Elementary School Boundary Committee
Urbandale Community School District is seeking committee members to serve on an elementary boundary committee. Members of this committee will be a sounding board for RSP & Associates (an organization that specializes in school district planning services) as new boundary options are created and feedback from the public is considered. The outcome of this committee will be a recommendation to the Urbandale School Board for new elementary boundaries to be implemented for the 2023-2024 school year. The decision regarding boundaries will be determined by school board vote.
If you would like to participate as a member of the Urbandale CSD Elementary School Boundary Committee please complete and submit this short form (see below) by 5:00 p.m. on April 29, 2022. Our aim is to have the Elementary School Boundary Committee include a diverse representation of community stakeholders. There will be approximately 25 members composed of parents, administrators, teachers, community members, a board member, and RSP & Associates representatives. Representation of all current elementary buildings and student programming is desired and will drive the selection process. Everyone who expresses interest will be notified the week of May 9 as to who was selected to be on the committee.
All community stakeholders will have the opportunity to provide feedback to this workgroup. There will be a survey open to everyone to help identify the priorities this group should focus on. Additionally, there will be public feedback meetings in late July to provide input on options being considered.
If you have questions about this work, please contact Dr. Keri Schlueter. 515-457-5004 or schlueterk@urbandaleschools.com
Granična komisija za osnovne škole: Obrazac zahtjeva za učešće (Bosnian)
မူလတန်းကျောင်းနယ်နိမိတ်အသစ်ရွေးချယ်မှုကော်မတီ- ပါဝင်မှုတောင်းဆိုမှုပုံစံ (Burmese)
Elementary Sianginn Boundary Sertu Committee: Telve ding in sawnnak fom (Hakha Chin)
Comité de límites de la escuela primaria: formulario de solicitud de participación (Spanish)
Kamati ya mipaka ya shule ya Msingi: Fomu ya ombi la kushiriki (Swahili)
UCSD Certificate of Recognition: Jessy Sadler
During the March 28 School Board meeting, the Board and Administration awarded UCSD Director of Nutrition Services Jessy Sadler with a Certificate of Recognition for being recognized as a 2021 Silver Medal Winner of the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service Turnip the Beet Awards for the Summer of 2021. This award recognizes sponsors within the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option (SSO) that go above and beyond program requirements to serve high-quality meals to children during the summer months. Congrats, Ms. Sadler! #UCSDpride Pictured: UCSD Director of Human Resources and Operations Loren DeKruyf, Jessy Sadler, and Board President Katherine Howsare.
Celebrating Our Associate Principals And Deans During #APWeek, April 4-8
Join us in celebrating our outstanding Associate Principals and Deans of Students during National Assistant Principals Week April 4-8! We’re fortunate to work alongside these exceptional leaders as they empower students, support families, and inspire educators:
Joe Blazevich – Dean of Students & Activities Administrator at Urbandale Middle School
Jolee Donnelly – Dean of Students at Urbandale High School
Casey Goodhue – Associate Principal at Urbandale High School
Kara Paulson – Dean of Students at Olmsted Elementary
Jennifer Silvay – Associate Principal at Urbandale Middle School
Malorie Todd – Dean of Students at Webster Elementary
Derek Wilkins – Dean of Students at Urbandale High School
We’re thankful for their leadership, expertise, and compassion. Our school district is most definitely better #becauseofU! #APWeek22 #UCSDpride
Reminder: ‘No School’ Dates In April 2022
Please make note of the following dates in April 2022 when school will not be in session:
District-Wide
District-wide In-Service/Professional Development Day: Friday, April 29 (no school and no Adventuretime)
Metro West Academy (only)
Metro West Professional Development: Friday, April 8 (no AM session; PM session will take place as scheduled)
UCSD Certificate of Recognition: Tim Carver
Celebrating National School Breakfast Week & Read Across America
UCSD Nutrition Services celebrated National School Breakfast Week and Read Across America February 28 – March 4. Students who ate school breakfast were entered into a raffle with every meal counting as a ticket! Each elementary school was given three prize bundles for students to win. One of the prizes was a cookbook based on the story of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Congratulations to these lucky winners; we hope they’ll have a blast creating these fun recipes!
Our weeklong celebration didn’t end there! On March 1 and March 3, we hosted special book-themed lunches. First, we featured Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and served baked noodles and meatballs. Students and staff from Adventuretime created amazing artwork to transform the cafeterias into cloudy food storms! Two days later, Adventuretime students and staff created wonderful artwork full of dragons and tacos for our Dragons Love Tacos themed menu! To celebrate, students were served hard shell tacos, just like those enjoyed by the dragons from the book.
Lastly, to wrap up our huge celebration of both food and books, the Nutrition Department donated a copy of I Can Eat A Rainbow by Olena Rose to every elementary school library.
UEF Alumni Golf Tournament: June 27 at Hyperion
The Urbandale Education Foundation and Urbandale Alumni Association are excited to announce that this year’s UEF Alumni Golf Tournament is slated for Monday, June 27, 2022, at Hyperion Field Club.
This event is an annual fundraiser that raises money to support student scholarships and classroom grants throughout the Urbandale Community School District, providing funds for projects and initiatives not supported within existing school budgets. Last year’s golf tournament raised over $24,000 thanks to generous donations by participants and community members and through sponsorships from businesses and professionals. UEF awarded $16,000 for classroom grants in 2021 to Urbandale educators and $26,000 for scholarships to Urbandale students.
“The UEF Alumni Golf Tournament is one of our biggest fundraising events, and it is one I look forward to every year,” said Marty Trepp, board member of the Urbandale Education Foundation and director of the UEF and Alumni Golf Tournament. “This tournament is a great opportunity for our community to come together and make a difference in the lives of Urbandale students, teachers and staff and experience so much fun in the process.”
As the UEF Alumni Golf Tournament draws closer, please check UrbandaleEducationFoundation.com and UrbandaleAlumni.com often for the latest updates and information regarding this year’s event. RSVP on Facebook!
Reminder: ‘No School’ Dates In May 2022
Please make note of the following dates in May 2022 when school will not be in session:
District-Wide
Memorial Day: Monday, May 30 (no school; no Adventuretime; District Administration Office closed)
School resumes for all UCSD students except Rolling Green: Tuesday, May 31
Last day of school for all UCSD students except Rolling Green: Wednesday, June 1, 2022
Rolling Green Elementary (only)
Intersession: Monday, May 2 – Friday, May 6 (no school)
May Break: Thursday, May 26 – Tuesday, May 31 (no school)
School resumes for Rolling Green students: Wednesday, June 1
Last day of school for Rolling Green students: Friday, June 17, 2022
Metro West Academy (only)
Metro West Professional Development: Friday, May 13 (no PM session; AM session will take place as scheduled)
Last Day Of School: 2021-22 School Year
As of today, April 8, UCSD does not have any weather-related ‘make-up’ days.
The last day of school for all students (except Rolling Green) remains Wednesday, June 1, 2022.
The last day of school for Rolling Green remains Friday, June 17, 2022.
Please note: any additional weather-related delays or cancellations would require making up that time which would take place at the end of the school year. Review calendars here.
Register Today! Student Registration For The 2022-23 School Year
We know this is a busy time of year for students and families. Thank you in advance for taking time to register your student(s) for the 2022-23 school year.
Student Registration:
Returning Students—if your student(s) is registered in UCSD this school year (2021–2022), click here for specific information about registering your returning student.
Preschool Students—if your child will be 3 years old or 4 years old by September 15, 2022, click here for specific information about registering your preschool student.
Kindergarten Students—if your child will be 5 years old by September 15, 2022, click here for specific information about registering your kindergarten student.
New Students—if your student(s) is new to UCSD, click here for specific information about registering your new student.
Urbandale Community Invited To Attend U-Fest On August 5
The Urbandale Education Foundation and Urbandale Alumni Association are excited to announce that the third annual U-Fest is set for Friday, August 5, 2022 at the Walker Johnston Softball Diamonds. The event will start at 4:30 p.m. and end at 9:30 p.m.
U-Fest is a fun, family-friendly event featuring food trucks, beverages, live music performed by Faculty Lounge and bounce houses among other activities. Proceeds from the event will support student scholarships and classroom grants throughout the Urbandale Community School District, providing funds for projects and initiatives not supported within existing school budgets. At last year’s U-Fest, roughly $5,000 was raised as part of the $16,000 awarded for classroom grants for Urbandale educators and $26,000 for scholarships for Urbandale students.
“We are looking forward to hosting another festive U-Fest event in support of our mission to enhance educational opportunities for Urbandale Community School District students, teachers and staff,” said Meribeth Haynes, president of the Urbandale Education Foundation and co-chair of Urbandale Alumni Association. “U-Fest is a great opportunity for the community to enjoy a casual social environment together and alumni to reconnect.”
Admission to U-Fest is $10 for adults 18 and over and $3 for individuals age 13-18. Children 12 and younger will receive free entrance. Admission may be purchased at the event’s gates with cash or card. Entrance fees also include one free drink ticket. Parking will be available off of Douglas Avenue at Walker Johnston Softball Diamonds, and attendees are welcome to bring portable chairs or a blanket to relax and enjoy all of the festivities.
As U-Fest draws closer, please check UrbandaleEducationFoundation.com and UrbandaleAlumni.com often for the latest updates and information regarding this year’s event. RSVP on Facebook!
Adventuretime Associate Positions Still Available For This School Year
Register Today! Urbandale Community Education Summer Camp Series
The Urbandale Community Education Summer Camp Series is now open for registration.
Choose one of three convenient ways to register:
Online at UrbandaleCommunityEd.com (click on “Register” located in the top navigation on the UCE website)
In person at Urbandale High School (East entrance near stadium)
Mail to Urbandale Community Ed, 7111 Aurora Ave, Urbandale, IA 50322
Be sure to register in a timely manner as classes do have capacity limits. We’re looking forward to a great summer!
Urbandale Lions, Dollars for Scholars Pancake Breakfast April 9
2022-2023 School Year Calendars & First Day of School Dates
Please make note of the following dates for the 2022-23 school year:
Rolling Green (year-round calendar)
The first day of school for Rolling Green K-5 students is Thursday, July 28, 2022
The first day of school for Rolling Green preschool students is Monday, August 1, 2022
UCSD (except Rolling Green)
The first day of school for UCSD K-12 students (except Rolling Green) is Tuesday, August 23, 2022 (Note: UHS “early out” days will be replaced with a “late start” every Monday beginning in the 2022-23 school year. All UCSD schools, preschool–12th grades, will have a late start every Monday.)
The first day of school for Olmsted and Webster preschool students is Thursday, August 25, 2022
Gift Giving
Register Today! Adventuretime Summer Program
Rolling Green Kindergarten Registration Still Available – Register Now!
One of the many things that makes Urbandale unique is the year-round elementary school found right in the heart of the Urbandale Community School District. Rolling Green Elementary is a school of choice which means families choose to attend Rolling Green school no matter where they live in the district. This is in contrast to other schools where students are assigned a school based on the proximity of their home to their neighborhood school.
“Year-round” means that Rolling Green is able to provide even more learning opportunities throughout the year, but it does not mean that students go to school every day of the year. Rolling Green is in session the same number of days as elementary schools on the traditional year calendar. Rolling Green’s summer break is a full six weeks long and the schedule provides more frequent breaks throughout the year which gives everyone the chance to reset and refresh! On most breaks, Rolling Green offers optional, theme-based programming for a small fee. This provides families additional childcare and gives kids fun, hands-on learning experiences that include fantastic field trips.
Rolling Green welcomes families to register for preschool and/or kindergarten for the 2022-23 school year:
Register your kindergarten student for the 2022-23 school year.
Register your preschool student (4-year-old) for the 2022-23 school.
Open Enrollment is available for kindergarten students who live outside the District.
We would love the opportunity to share more about Rolling Green with you and all our school has to offer your child and family. Please reach out to Principal Dania Wilson to learn more. We hope to welcome your family to our preschool and/or kindergarten program this fall!
Join Our Team! We’re hiring for various positions and we’d like to hear from you!
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 which include the following:
Part-Time:
Early Childhood Special Education Associates
Adventuretime Before & After School Childcare Associates
Adventuretime Childcare Associates for Summer 2022
Various High School and Middle School Coaching positions
Nutrition Services
Special Education Associates
Substitute Associates, Substitute Custodians, Substitute Nutrition Services and Substitute Teachers
Full-Time with Benefits:
Various Certified Teacher positions open for the 2022-23 school year
Nutrition Services
Special Education Associates
Custodians
Learn more about available positions. For questions or additional information, please contact UCSD HR Manager Kate Johnson johnsonk@urbandaleschools.com We look forward to hearing from you!
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#upliftingU
This UpliftingU message is for all our school crossing guards who stand outside in the elements with a smile and a wave to keep our children safe as they travel to and from school. Thank you for your dedication to the students of Urbandale and for brightening the day of many of the adults driving by as well. Words cannot adequately express just how much you are appreciated.
- UCSD Parent
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Contact Us
Email: communications@urbandaleschools.com
Website: www.urbandaleschools.com
Location: 11152 Aurora Avenue, Urbandale, IA, USA
Phone: 515-457-5000
Facebook: facebook.com/UrbandaleCSD/
Twitter: @UrbandaleCSD