Announcements

Dearest HAWK seniors and families,

As we wrap up the year and prepare for the 2023 HAWKS to leave the nest, here is some information for how you can support and celebrate your student for their accomplishments. We are so thankful for your partnership in preparing these students for a lifetime of personal success. Go HAWKS!

REMINDERS PRIOR TO OUR SENIORS’ LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

• All student coursework must be completed and submitted by 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 23rd.  Commencement exercises include only those students who complete all coursework needed for graduation by that date, the end of their last day of school. 
• Seniors will return Chromebooks and chargers during English class on their last day, Tuesday, May 23, 2023. If a student does not return their Chromebook charger or their Chromebook has physical damage like a cracked screen or missing keys, a $25 fine will be assessed. 
• All library books, textbooks, calculators, cameras, etc are due back to the media center by the end of the day on May 23. Anything not returned by the end of the day will be marked lost and replacement fines charged. If an item is returned later, the fine will be deleted. All student accounts must be at a $0 balance or have a payment plan set up with the Business Office to be in good standing for graduation. Emails will be sent on May 24 with new fines for unreturned or damaged items.
• All fees and fines must be paid in full or have a payment plan set up with the Business Office  no later than Friday, May 26th in order for your student to be in good standing and participate in commencement exercises.  If you have questions about your student’s account, please contact Nick Nelson or Ashly Schryver at 965-9630.
• Google accounts will be deactivated at the time of graduation. Students may transfer their data to a personal account. For directions on how to transfer data, refer to the AHS Media Center web page, under Chromebook & Tech Help. At the bottom of the page you will find a video tutorial about transferring data and the links you need to transfer content. Any questions about library materials may be addressed to Jenny Wirtz, AHS Teacher Librarian, jenny.wirtz@ankenyschools.org. 

SENIOR BREAKFAST AND MANDATORY COMMENCEMENT PRACTICE 

Students will be celebrating the AHS Class of 2023 with a senior breakfast and slideshow, hosted by the AHS Student Council, on Thursday, June 1st, at 8:30 am in the AHS Commons. The Mandatory Commencement rehearsal will follow starting at 9:15 am at AHS in the Main Gym.

AHS COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY

Commencement exercises for the Class of 2023 will be held at Hilton Coliseum in Ames on Saturday, June 3rd, at 1:00pm. As you begin to plan your student’s commencement day and make arrangements with extended family, we want to share a few details with you that may help you prepare. Tickets are not required to attend the ceremony – all are welcome to attend. 

PRIOR TO THE CEREMONY

• Tim McConnell Fine Photography will be our photographer during the ceremony. Ankeny Community Schools does not share parent contact information with outside vendors. In order to receive email notifications of your proofs, please fill out the photo form by using this link: http://regis.viewyour.photos/direct/2882/27187172  

PARKING

• We recommend that you park in one of the large parking lots south of Hilton and enter through the south entrance. If you need handicap accessibility, please plan to park in Lot B-2 or in a handicap accessible spot surrounding Hilton, and then enter through the lower west doors. C Lots (C2, C3, C4, C5 and C6) are available for parking.

ENTERING

• Please plan to enter through the south entrance, unless a family member needs ADA access, as our students, faculty, and board members will be utilizing other entrances. If you need ADA access, please enter through the west side of the building.

SEATING

• Seating for the ceremony will be on the south side. 
• Students will process onto the floor from the west side to the east side. Sign language interpreters will be located in front of the west side seating area (left side as you face the stage). Please let an usher know if you need to be seated near a sign language interpreter, and they will take you to this section. 
• Students will walk across the stage to receive diplomas from right to left as you face the stage. 

VIEWING THE CEREMONY

• Everyone who attends our ceremony does so wanting to hear the name of their loved one as they cross the stage.  For this reason, we ask that you not shout, clap, or use noisemakers when your student’s name is announced.  Doing so limits the ability of the next student’s name to be heard by their family.  Thank you in advance for helping us to honor every student who is graduating.   
• Student caps and gowns are not to be adorned with any tape, pins, or other items. Soaring Hawk medals, senior academic medals, Silver cords, and National Honor Society cords are encouraged to be worn. 
• Hilton does not permit balloons, silly string, air horns for students or their families. Items of this nature will be confiscated by Hilton ushers. 

FOLLOWING THE CEREMONY

• Students will recess out the same entrance they come in through on the west side. They will pick up their final packet which contains their diploma, transcript, and immunization card, and exit through the west ticket box doors. Their gowns and caps were purchased by you, not rented, so they do not need to be returned. Therefore, student departure should occur fairly rapidly. 
• This year, the ceremony will be live streamed at www.YouTube.com/AnkenySchools, where the video will also be available immediately following the commencement ceremony for those who are unable to attend in-person.  
• Tim McConnell Fine Photography will be our photographer during the ceremony.  Each graduate will have a photo taken as they receive their diploma and of them holding their diploma in front of a professional background.  After the photographs are taken, you will receive an email link directly from McConnell Fine Photography, where you can view and order pictures. You must complete the registration here http://regis.viewyour.photos/direct/2882/27187172 to receive your proof email. All orders will be mailed directly to your home. Email any questions to tim@timmcconnell.com.

Please park in the C Lots (C2, C3, C4, C5 and C6) that are highlighted below. D Lots are under construction.

 Parking – Hilton Coliseum in Ames

There will be no school on Friday, April 21st.

Tickets are now on sale for the Drama Department’s spring musical, The Wizard of Oz! Our students have been hard at work bringing this iconic show to life, and they’d love to see you in the audience!

Visit ankenydrama.ludus.com to purchase tickets, shoutouts, or donate to our program.

The Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) will be administered the week of April 3-7 for all AHS 10th and 11th graders. There is no testing on Wednesday, April 5; we will follow the regular Wednesday schedule.

All Sophomores and Juniors will be expected to attend at the regular time, 8:25 AM. There will be NO early bird classes the entire week of testing. Students will test in their Seminar classroom unless otherwise communicated. Students will be assessed on Math, Reading, and Language/Writing. Additionally, sophomores will be assessed on Science. Students will not be able to use their own graphing calculators. Instead, there is a DESMOS scientific calculator provided on the testing program for all students. 

Seniors do NOT participate in ISASP Testing. 1st Period will begin at 10:25 AM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (April 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th). 

If you must reach your child during testing, please call our building’s office (515-965-9630) to have a message delivered. 

You can support your student at home by reminding them of the following:

• Arrive on time and be in your assigned testing room by 8:25 AM.
• Ensure the Chromebook is charged each evening before test day.
• Bring a Chromebook charger, a pencil, and a free reading book to your testing room.
• Get a good night’s sleep and eat a healthy breakfast.
• Cell phones, smart watches, and any electronic devices (other than your school-issued Chromebook) are not permitted for use in the testing room.  
• Corded headphones are permitted only for students with an approved testing accommodation for text-to-speech. Extra headphones are available in the media center. Wireless earbuds are NOT permitted.

Please view the testing schedule below. Please note any student who has off-campus courses at Central Campus or DMACC Career Academy should attend those classes as scheduled. Our testing coordinator will work with those students individually on making up ISASP tests.

• Monday, Tuesday, Thursday – 10th and 11th graders will report to their Seminar (or other designated classroom) by 8:25 AM .
  • 12th graders report by 10:25 on Friday when 1st period begins.
• Friday – 10th graders ONLY will report to their Seminar (or other designated classroom) by 8:25 AM.
  • 11th and 12th graders report by 10:25 on Friday when 1st period begins.

ISASP Schedule 2023 – April 3, 4, 6, 7

Row 1: Grant Winkelmann, Lincoln Geest, Connor Kamish, Noah Neal, Gabe Vesperman Row 2: Nick Guyette, RJ Warner, Michael Kennedy, Laila Evans, Jayden Brady, Jakayla Campbell

Students from Ankeny High School and Southview Middle School competed at the 2023 State Robotics Championship on March 4. The team advanced through two qualifiers to be one of only 48 teams in the state to compete. Congratulations to team #5126 and Coach Jen Poole!

There will be no school permit processing during Spring Break. You will need to get paperwork in by Thursday, March 9th if you want it mailed over the break or you will need to wait until Monday, March 20th for it to be processed.