Uplifting Urbandale

We invite you to read the UCSD bi-weekly newsletter, “Uplifting Urbandale." Newsletters are archived on the Newsletter section of the District website. Please make note of the accessibility options which can be used to enlarge the text and/or translate this email. Mah hi Hakha holh in don na duh ahcun, Zaangfahnak tein Dar Lian ah peh tlai te.

In celebration of Educator Appreciation Week, May 6 – 10, 2024, we’d like to invite UCSD students, parents, guardians, staff, alumni, and community members to share your thoughts about a current UCSD educator(s) who has made a positive difference in your life and/or your child’s life. Statements will be shared online (district website, newsletter, social media) during Educator Appreciation Week. (Note: Statements will be reviewed and anything deemed inappropriate will render the statement unusable in its entirety.)

If you'd like to participate, please complete this brief form by April 12, 2024. Thank you for sharing a statement as a wonderful way to remind educators how much they are appreciated and valued!

The Urbandale Middle School PTO is hosting the second annual “Urbandale Color Run” on Saturday, May 4, 2024. Participants can choose to walk or run a 3.5K or 5K route around Urbandale. The run will start and end at the Urbandale Middle School parking lot located at 7701 Aurora Avenue, Urbandale. Check-in begins at 9:00 a.m. with the race beginning at 10:00 a.m. Registration is $30 per person ($35 day of race) and includes a race kit (t-shirt, sunglasses and other goodies). Participants must register by April 12 in order to receive a race kit. After April 12, you can still sign up for the race but race kits may no longer be available. Proceeds will support students and teachers at Urbandale Middle School. All are welcome to participate. Come out and join the fun during the 2nd Annual Urbandale Color Run. Don’t delay—register today! Enjoy this video from last year’s Color Run!

On Wednesday, March 27 the Webster Elementary second graders got a special visit from Polk County Conservationist, Lewis Major, to learn about the importance of pollinators and their jobs. Read and see more about what the students learned. #WebsterPride #UBelongHere

Elizabeth Francis, a current UHS sophomore, has been awarded the prestigious Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Scholarship for the 2024-25 school year! This scholarship is sponsored by the U.S. State Department and German Federal Parliament. It encompasses a 10-month stay with a local host family in Germany while attending a German high school. Read more about the scholarship and Elizabeth’s opportunity here. We are so #ProudofU #UHSPride

Please join us in celebrating the opening of the new Metro West Learning Academy during our Community Open House from 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. Attendees will have an opportunity to take self-guided tours of the new space. A short program will take place at 4:30 p.m. Metro West is located at 3000 100th Street in Urbandale. We look forward to welcoming you!

Last Friday students at Webster Elementary who filled out the punches on their cards for being Safe, Kind, and Responsible got to sit down and have donuts with their Principal, Anna Taggart, and Dean of Students, Sara Grieme. Congratulations and keep up the great work! See more pictures on our website. #WEBPride #UBelongHere

The Seal of Biliteracy is an award that recognizes a student’s demonstration in two or more languages. Students who earn the Seal of Biliteracy will be recognized during high school graduation. This week, 21 Urbandale high school students sat for the Seal of Biliteracy test, with students demonstrating proficiency in Spanish, Bosnian, German, and Chinese Mandarin.

Students from Olmsted got the opportunity to experience cultures from all over the world on Tuesday, April 2nd. Ambassadors from CultureAll visited classrooms all afternoon to teach the students about their cultures. What a fun and exciting experience for the students to learn about cultures outside of their own! To learn more about who visited Olmsted and see more pictures visit our website! #OLMPride #UBelongHere

On Tuesday April 3, Karen Acres kicked off their Artist in Residence project, which is sponsored by Karen Acres PTO, during an assembly with local author and artist Nic Roth. Nic read his book, Coco Wants a Burger and talked to the students about the best way to create illustrations and encouraged them to apply those to their art. In art class the students will be creating their own color book pages to make a grade level coloring book with cover art by Nic Roth! The students were all so excited and ready to get working on their project! #KAPride #UBelongHere

Every April sees the celebration of World Autism Month, beginning with the United Nations-sanctioned World Autism Awareness Day on April 2nd. Throughout the month many organizations and the Autism community will focus on sharing stories and opportunities to increase understanding and acceptance of Autism. The Urbandale Community School District is committed to helping all students achieve at high levels while also increasing educators’ sense of fulfillment in their profession. If you are interested in learning more about ways you can support or are interested in resources for the ASD community see these links for local and national resources.

Join us in celebrating our outstanding Associate Principals & Deans during #APWeek24 April 1-5, 2024! We’re fortunate to work alongside these exceptional leaders as they empower students, support families & inspire educators. Our school district is most definitely better because of these leaders! #UCSDpride #UBelongHere

This coming week marks not only National Library Week, April 7-13, April 4 was also National School Librarian Appreciation Day! Our librarians and media associates are essential in encouraging students to pick up books and read. And, who knew? They’re actually pretty big readers themselves! “Check out” our librarians and media associates favorite books to read, recommend, and ones they hold close to their hearts here.

Our UCSD Paraeducators and Associates partner with teachers to create a welcoming, inclusive, and caring learning environment for students every single day. We thank these outstanding team members for the countless ways they support students. We are better #becauseofU

In March the Human Resources department started a new initiative to help UCSD employees recognize their coworkers! These recognitions can be small everyday things that a staff member does to make life easier for those around them or something bigger and significant. Those messages will then be printed up and delivered to staff the next month with a little treat. Everyone had the biggest smiles as they realized how much they are appreciated! UCSD staff can look for the form to appreciate their coworkers in the monthly HR Update. #UBelongHere #UAreAppreciated

As we gear up for the 2025-2027 school years, we're eager to ensure that our school calendar aligns with the needs and preferences of our students and families. To kickstart this process, we'll be sending out a survey to all PreK-12 families during the last two weeks of April. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us shape the upcoming academic calendars. We want to hear your thoughts on a variety of topics as we identify priorities. Stay tuned for the survey in your inbox, and thank you in advance for your participation!

Multiple health organizations and community partners have joined forces to launch the 2024 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) aimed at gathering valuable insights into the health needs and priorities of residents in Central Iowa. Read more about the survey and those involved on our district site.

We’re using the Urbandale app (powered by ParentSquare) to share news, updates, and alerts. You do not need an invitation to activate your account. You can register by going to parentsquare.com/signin and entering your email or phone number within the “Register” section. You’ll need to use the same email or phone number that is in PowerSchool. You’re welcome to review this doc that outlines how to set up your account based on various scenarios depending on roles (e.g. UCSD staff member with children in the District, UCSD parent who is a staff member in another District using ParentSquare, etc.). If you’d like the app on your phone, search 'Urbandale' in the App Store or Google Play. If you have questions or get stuck anywhere in the process, please complete this brief help form.

School registration for the 2024–2025 school year is open! Please review the following information for registering your child for school in the Urbandale Community School District. 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). We’re looking forward to welcoming your child(ren) and family this fall!

• Preschool Students: Click here to review detailed Preschool Pre-Registration Information and learn more about our Urbandale Preschool Program.

• K-12 Returning Students: You’ll find detailed instructions for registering your returning Kindergarten through 12th grade student(s) by visiting urbandaleschools.com/register

• K-12 New Students: If your student(s) is new to UCSD, click here for specific information about registering your new student.

• Year-Round Elementary School: Any family can choose to attend our year-round school located at Karen Acres Elementary. Learn more about our year-round program!

The Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) is an assessment that must be administered to all Iowa students in grades three through eleven. To comply with the state of Iowa law requiring all school districts to conduct this test during the last quarter of the school year, Urbandale students in grades three through eleven will take the ISASP assessments from April 15-24, 2024. Specific schedules for each school building have been developed and will be shared by the school principal before the start of testing. Below is a table showing the ISASP assessments students in UCSD will take.

More information regarding the ISASP assessments, including practice tests, may be found by visiting the website.

Our District is getting ready to administer an annual school climate and culture survey called Conditions for Learning to students in grades 3-12. This survey administration is required by the state’s plan to meet a federal law called the Every Student Succeeds Act and will take place in April. Student participation in the Survey is highly encouraged but is voluntary and no student is required to fill out the Survey. If you do not want your student to participate please notify your school principal. The Survey will take about 20 minutes to complete. The purpose of the Survey is to obtain information about how students feel about the culture and climate of their school and teachers, as well as the safety of their school. The information collected will help the state, our schools, and the local community improve the school. It is important to ask children to tell us what is good and working about their experience in school, and what needs to be improved, in their eyes. The Survey questions are available using the links below, or you may request copies from your school:

Grades 3-5 Survey

English | Spanish

Grades 6-12 Survey

English | Spanish

The “UCSD Essential Tools: Quick Guide For Families” is a 1-page overview of key tools in use throughout the district. You’ll find the name of each tool (and corresponding logo), grade levels using the tool, the primary purpose of the tool, where to login, and resources for help using the tool. You’re welcome to review the Guide as a Google Doc or download the Guide as a PDF. We hope the Guide is a helpful resource for you!

Safety City is a week-long summer program for children entering kindergarten in the fall of 2024. Children will learn about traffic safety, fire safety, home, playground and other kinds of personal safety in an entertaining, positive environment. To make learning about safety fun, Safety City incorporates songs, story books, films, games, and artwork in addition to riding Big Wheels in a mock city setting. Safety City also provides the experience of riding on a school bus to the Urbandale Police and Fire Departments for tours. Safety City is taught by Urbandale Police Officers and staff who are assisted by a team of student helpers. If you have any questions or need financial assistance, please contact Officer Meagan Cowden at 515-331-6804 or mcowden@urbandle.org at the Urbandale Police Department. Fee includes t-shirt, bike helmet and daily snacks. Registration Deadline: May 24

If you have already completed the Iowa Eligibility Application for this school year, you do not need to reapply. Federal law requires that School Food Authorities provide information regarding the availability of free and reduced price meals two times a year. To learn more, please visit UCSD Nutrition Services. If you believe you may qualify for free and reduced price meals but have not applied, you can visit LINQ Connect to complete an application. No login is required. Video and written instructions are available online. For questions, please contact Cassie Mayrose at mayrosec@urbandaleschools.com or 515-457-6911.

All UCSD students and their household family members (parents, guardians and siblings) have access to the Student Assistance Program (SAP) provided by Employee and Family Resources. The Student Assistance Program is here to help you and your family members manage the concerns in your life through free, confidential counseling. You can count on your SAP for guidance and support when it comes to assessing your concerns and developing strategies for addressing any of the following:

• School-life balance

• Family or relationship issues

• Emotional issues

• Alcohol and drug-related issues

• Other issues that interfere with your daily living, happiness, and overall well-being

You do not need a referral. The SAP is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is strictly confidential. You can call the number directly, let them know you are an Urbandale Schools family, and request assistance. Phones answered by a masters-level clinician. Make as many calls as needed (no limit). Call (515) 244-6090 or 800-327-4692 if you’re outside of the Des Moines area. 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, including several associate openings, working closely with individual students. If you’d like to learn more about specific positions, please reach out to Kate Johnson or building principals! Check out all of our open positions here!

Urbandale Community Ed is excited to offer new classes in Science, Engineering, and Robotics. Your student can also learn Spanish, Chess, and Art in fun and engaging classes offered at UCSD elementary schools. Check out urbandalecommunityed.com for all of our new classes for any age. Don't forget to come back in March when the Summer Camp Series is released for all of the fun camps and clinics offered here in Urbandale!

You can find information about all activities to include athletics, the performing arts, and the Booster Club right at your fingertips. Be sure to visit j-hawks.com for all of the latest information, upcoming events, and highlights. Plus, purchase your fan gear online at the J-Hawk Shop. Let’s go J-Hawks!

The UCSD Flyer Hub is a great resource for finding information about community activities, opportunities, and services. We post flyers from our district, community education, and organizations within our community. Flyers are frequently updated so be sure to check back often.

This email is sent to UCSD parents/guardians and staff on a bi-weekly basis. If someone you know would like to receive this weekly newsletter, please invite them to Opt-In here. Thank you!

Email: communications@urbandaleschools.com
Website: www.urbandaleschools.com
Location: 11152 Aurora Avenue, Urbandale, IA, USA
Phone: 515-457-5000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UrbandaleCSD
Twitter: @UrbandaleCSD

It is the policy of the Urbandale Community School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, religion, marital status (for program), ethnic background, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, age (for employment), or socio-economic background (for program) in its educational programs and its employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy, please contact the District office at 11152 Aurora Avenue, Urbandale, IA or call 515-457-5000. The District’s Equity Coordinator is Stephanie Davis, daviss@urbandaleschools.com.