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August 22, 2024

First Day of School – Tomorrow!

Hello Abbie Grove Families

Tomorrow is the first day of school and we are so excited to see you! Please review the information below for important updates and reminders. 

8-22-2024

Abbie Grove Information

PTO CHALK THE WALK – TONIGHT! 

Please meet out front of Abbie Grove TONIGHT at 6pm to decorate our sidewalks with encouraging messages and drawings for all of the students, staff and families!! Please bring your own chalk and help make our sidewalks beautiful!! Kids and adults are welcome!

Friday, August 23rd – First Day of School

As a district we recognize that starting a new school year is an exciting time and parents are eager to capture the first day memories. As a continuation of district expectations from last year focusing on supports to ensure a safely managed environment, parents/visitors will not be allowed inside the school on the first day to walk students to the classroom. We ask that your first day of school pictures be taken at home or outside of the building.

  •  School hours are 7:55AM – 2:55 PM every day.  The doors open and supervision begins at 7:30AM.  Students who will be eating breakfast at school will go to the cafeteria and all others will go to the gym in the morning. Gym students will be released to their classrooms starting at 7:45. Breakfast is served from 7:30AM to 7:45AM.

Arrival Procedures

  • All students will enter the main entrance (N1).
  • If you plan to walk your students to the main entrance or if you need to provide support getting your child out of the vehicle please park your car in the West parking lot off Spruce Drive (i.e. do not get out of your car in the drop-off lane).

Dismissal Procedures

*please note we will continue to monitor procedures and will adjust as needed

  • Bus riders, day care and before and after school day care students will be escorted to the appropriate bus by staff members.
  • Reminder – the North parking lot off of 18th Street is for buses and daycare vehicles only.  
  • Classroom teachers will escort their car riders and walkers to the pick-up zone near the parking lot off of Spruce Drive by 2:55pm M-F.  
  • Orange Cones will indicate where each grade will be gathered.  We ask vehicles to pull up, allowing many cars to be loaded at once.  Staff members will bring your student to your vehicle.  
  • If you are picking your child up by car, please do not park and get out of your car while in the pick-up lane to meet your child.
  • Should your dismissal plans change, please inform your child’s teacher and the main office prior to 2:00 PM.

*Student safety is our priority. Thank you, in advance, for your patience during the first several weeks of school.

Crossing Guards

  • Currently, there will not be any crossing guards assigned to AG. The district is providing bus transportation for areas identified as “hazard zones.” To see if a family qualifies for this, you should consult the address lookup tool on our website. The district will continually evaluate the need for crossing guards as more houses and streets are added within the AG boundaries.

* As with any school year, adjustments to plans and procedures will evolve as we monitor activities and structures. Feel free to refer to Abbie Grove’s school website for other helpful information.

Student & Parent Handbook – ACTION REQUIRED 

The Ankeny Community School District requires that, annually a parent/guardian of each currently enrolled student acknowledges review and receipt of the District’s current student handbook.  Each student and parent/guardian is accountable for knowing the handbook’s content and adhering to the expectations that apply to them. 

The handbook outlines parent and student responsibilities, procedures, and student life in Ankeny Community School District and is supplemental to the school board’s approved policies and procedures. The handbook can be found on the district website under the Parents tab.  

Students and/or parents with questions or concerns may contact their school’s main office for information about the current policies, rules, regulations, and/or handbook. Please review the 2024-2025 Student & Parent Handbook, log into the Infinite Campus Parent Portal and complete the parent/student handbook form.  

Parent Volunteer Information

If you are interested in volunteering at any Ankeny School, please complete the following 3 steps to be approved. We would encourage you to complete these steps as soon as possible, so that you are able to volunteer when the opportunities become available.

Visit the ACSD Volunteer Portal and complete ALL 3 steps:

Step 1: Better Impact Application
Select your school from the list at the left to find the application at the bottom of the page. Click the gray “Fill in an Application” box. Upon approval of your application, you can view available volunteer activities under the “Opportunities” tab when logged into your Better Impact account.

Step 2: Volunteer Manual
The Volunteer Manual must be reviewed each year. The Volunteer Manual includes volunteer information, volunteer objectives, certification of compliance, and a statement of confidentiality.

You can find the Volunteer Manual on your Better Impact account under MY PROFILE and TRAINING.

Step 3: Background Check
A background check for volunteering within the Ankeny Community School District is required every 5 years. This document must be completed online. Please allow up to 2 weeks for processing background checks.

If you are unsure of the date of your last background check for volunteering, you will need to contact the district office at 515-965-9604 x54363.

Click here to apply for a background check.

Nutrition Services:  

Families can find additional information about meal prices and weekly menus by visiting the Nutrition Services website.  

Free and Reduced Meal Eligibility:  Applications for the 2024-2025 school year are now available. A new free/reduced meal eligibility application must be completed and submitted each year. For questions about the Free and Reduced Meal Program, please email leeanna.vigor@ankenyschools.org.

 As with any school year, adjustments to plans and procedures will evolve as we monitor activities and structures. Feel free to refer to Abbie Grove’s website for other helpful information. If you have questions, please feel free to contact the office at 515-965-4815 or by emailing ag.office@ankenyschools.org

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow,

~Abbie Grove Elementary