JAGUAR JOURNAL
Ankeny Centennial High School - September 2021
Principal's Greeting
Hello, Jaguar Families!
Welcome to the 2021-22 school year! The positive energy throughout our building is met with the excitement of school activities, students engaged in collaborative learning experiences, and a staff inspired to create a safe, welcoming environment.
Our mission is to ensure every learner is prepared for a lifetime of personal success, and this means every student graduating with their informed “Plan A.” Our intent is for every student’s high school journey to include experiences that illuminate their passions, skills, and gifts, while aligning them with post-secondary opportunities unique to them. We need graduates to enter apprenticeships in skilled trades, we need graduates to serve our country, we need graduates to earn certifications at community colleges, and we need graduates to attend universities. We have a collective responsibility to match our students’ skills and interests with post-secondary plans that align with workforce trends in our local and global community. Anything is possible as I see our young adults charting their paths!
We look forward to celebrating with you and tackling challenges with you in the coming days, months, and years. We value your partnership and are grateful for this opportunity to work with your family.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jill Urich
Centennial High School Principal
Welcome New Staff at ACHS
Chris Amundsun - PE Teacher
Alma Baxter - Special Education Associate
Samuel Behrens - Social Studies Teacher
Darla Boffeli - Special Education Associate
Elizabeth Boyd - Attendance Secretary
Rebecca Bruce - Building Secretary
Rachel Brummel - Special Education Associate
Laura Chapman - Guidance Counselor
Rachel Dowhan - Special Education Teacher
Kade Fulton - Special Education Associate
Jill Grager - Special Education Teacher
Megan Heine - Math & Special Education Teacher
Mindy Jespersen - General Associate
Jacqueline Johnson - Special Education Teacher
Breanne Klemme - General Associate
Crystal Koehler - Science Teacher
Dillon McHughy - Language Arts Teacher
Jamie Prantner - Special Education Teacher
Elizabeth Rohloff - Special Education Associate
Katelyn Schany - Guidance Counselor
Nic Schroeder - Special Education Teacher
Rob Scott - Athletic Director
Ian Smith - Activities Supervisor
Kayla Stace - Special Education Associate
Sara Swank - Special Education Associate
Student Reminders
- Please remember to be prepared to show your school ID's at all times.
Ankeny Centennial High School Hours
Opportunity: Student Rep on School Board
We are excited to begin the process of selecting our first ever student representatives for the school board. For the 2021-22 school year, there will be 2 student representatives, one from Centennial High School and one from Ankeny High School. This is a great opportunity for our students to have a voice in educational programming for the district and support the changes that they would like to see in the district.
Qualifications for the Student School Board Representatives
- The student must currently attend Ankeny Centennial High School (or Ankeny High School) in Grades 10-12.
- The student must be in proper academic standing equivalent for participation in athletics or other student activities, and maintain proper academic standing throughout their term.
- The students will be expected to maintain personal standards of behavior appropriate to participation in student activities.
- The student must have the ability to gather information from a variety of student stakeholders to share celebrations and concerns with the school board.
Expectations for the Student School Board Representatives
- Attend school board meetings two times per month, currently scheduled for the first and third Tuesdays starting at 6:00 pm.
- Engage diverse student groups in learning about their needs related to the district’s educational programming.
- Collaborate with the building principal to support students and provide student voice at the building and district level.
Application Process
Students interested in serving as the school board representative for their high school need to submit an application through the Student School Board Representative Application for Ankeny Schools 2021-22 SY Google Form. The applications will be reviewed by a student committee who will select the representatives for their respective high school.
The timeline for applications is as follows …
- Applications Open - August 27, 2021
- Applications due - September 10, 2021 by 5:00 PM
- Student Selection Committee Meeting - September 22, 2021
- Student Representatives informed of selection - September 24, 2021
- First Board Meeting for Student Representatives - October 5, 2021
If you have any questions about the expectations for the student school board representative position or the application process, please contact Dr. Jill Urich, ACHS Principal, jill.urich@ankenyschools.org, or, Peter Apple, AHS Principal, peter.apple@ankenyschools.org.
Nurse's Notes
Illness Policy
As we start off this year, just a reminder of when your student should stay home:
Temperature greater than 100.4 in past 24 hours without medication to reduce
Vomiting/diarrhea
Physician directed
COVID-19
Our best protection against COVID-19 is vaccination. At this time, the school will be sending out notifications if your student is in a class in which someone has tested positive for COVID-19. Upon receiving these notifications, please monitor for symptoms and if having symptoms of COVID-19 (shortness of breath, runny nose, congestion, cough, loss of taste/smell, cough, fever, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting), the recommendation is to contact your health care provider and/or get tested for COVID-19. If your student or an individual in your home tests positive, please let the school nurse know immediately. If your student tests positive for COVID-19, they will need to isolate at home for 10 days from onset of symptoms or test.
If your student is experiencing any symptoms of illness, wearing a mask may help with infection control and infecting others.
As stated in our return to learn plan:
Ankeny Schools will follow the guidance of the Iowa Department of Public Health and the Iowa Department of Education as we respond to positive cases of Covid-19 for both students and staff.
The Iowa Department of Public Health is not currently issuing isolation and quarantine orders for COVID-19 positive or COVID-19 exposed individuals. However, they are advising COVID-19 positive persons be excluded from a school setting and can return to normal activities after the following criteria has been met:
- 10 days since symptoms first appeared and
- 24 hours with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and
- Other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving (Loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation)
All other sick students, teachers, or other staff members should stay home in accordance with existing school procedures, generally until 24 hours after their symptoms resolve.
The Iowa Department of Public Health has adjusted COVID-19 surveillance to follow the influenza model. As such, state case investigation and tracing efforts for COVID-19 now focus on outbreaks and vulnerable populations. Just like with other public health activities, these efforts will be continuously evaluated and adjusted as needed. However, they do recommend that in the event of a positive case, parents should be given information around exposure to COVID-19 in order to make their own informed decisions regarding risk. As such, Ankeny Schools will still notify families if their child(ren) were exposed to COVID-19.
Under Iowa law, school districts may not require anyone on district property to wear a mask. However, we welcome students, staff, and visitors to wear masks, and a supply of disposable masks will be available on all district property for those who need them.
As always, please contact me if you have any questions!
Krystal Stanford, RN, BSN
Media Center News
We are wrapping up our Chromebook swap for the sophomore class. If your child still has an older device, please have them bring their Chromebook and charger to school and we will swap them out during their study hall. As we move into the year, encountering a tech issue is common for many students. Please have them come to the library for assistance or email.
Chromebook issues? Click HERE for a link to common solutions to many of our Chromebook issues.
Fall Student Pictures
On the Prowl Information - 2021 Homecoming
Prom Information
The After Prom has traditionally been sponsored by volunteer parents. While the prom is sponsored and chaperoned by the school district, the After Prom is a completely separate event. Planning typically begins in August as there is much to do leading up to what has been a fun, engaging, safe event for our students. If you are a parent interested in taking an active role in After Prom, please email Dr. Urich at jill.urich@ankenyschools.org. She will provide you with the planning documents used by former volunteers. In short, the After Prom will only take place if parent volunteers make it happen.
ACHS Commencement Information
Commencement will be held at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, IA.
IGHSAU 5A State Championship Runner-Up!
Congratulations to our Jaguar Class 5A All-State Selections
CIML All-Conference - Softball
2nd Team
Sam Klug
Addi Starr
Payton Drefke
Lauren Gustafson
Honorable Mention
Mackenzie James
Anna Christiansen
Lizzy Klunder
Lauren Solis
CIML All-Conference - Baseball
1st Team
Kyle Miller
Jackson Powell
Upcoming Calendar of Events
09/01: Late Start - 9:25 am
09/06: No School - Labor Day
09/08: Late Start - 9:25 am
09/15: Late Start - 9:25 am
09/20: School Pictures
09/21: School Pictures
09/22: Late Start - 9:25 am
09/27: Homecoming Week Starts
09/29: Late Start - 9:25 am
09/30: OTP - 7:00-9:00 pm
October
10/02: Homecoming Dance - 8:00-11:00 pm
10/06: Late Start - 9:25 am
10:11: No School - Professional Development
10/13: Late Start - 9:25 am
10/20: Late Start - 9:25 am
10/27: Late Start - 9:25 am
Ankeny Centennial High School
Website: https://achs.ankenyschools.org/
Location: 2220 Northwest State Street, Ankeny, IA, USA
Phone: 515-965-9610