The Grove

Dear Abbie Grove Staff, Parents and Friends:

School will start in just a few short weeks! Most of the information in this letter was sent to registered families in July and we would like to share this communication again now that the year is closely approaching.

We would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to Ankeny’s newest elementary school and share our excitement about the upcoming 2024-2025 school year! It is a genuine privilege to partner with you to support your student’s curricular and extracurricular growth. As we get closer to the official opening of Abbie Grove we look forward to creating strong partnerships among staff, families, and the community. We look forward to working alongside you to continue the important work of giving our students an education that develops their academic, social, emotional, physical and artistic strengths.

In terms of programming, Abbie Grove will work collaboratively to create significant and authentic experiences for students. Grounded in our work as a professional learning community, staff will continue to refine practices that individualize instruction for students. We are excited for families to meet and work with our dynamic staff members at Abbie Grove.

We believe that a meaningful and collaborative relationship among staff, students and families is the foundation of a healthy and vibrant school community. Above all, we intend to emphasize the values and positive outcomes of working hard, being kind and showing up. We are very excited to continue in our commitment to the Ankeny Community School District and intend to ensure that our neighborhood school provides a supportive and motivating environment for students and adults.

Work that began at the start of the previous school year in terms of hiring and building construction will proceed throughout the next several weeks. Please continue to check the building and district-created communication for updates. We hope everyone is enjoying the summer break and we look forward to establishing more formal connections in the future!

Respectfully,

Andrew Burg - Abbie Grove Elementary Principal

andrew.burg@ankenyschools.org

Ken Vacek - Abbie Grove Elementary Assistant Principal

ken.vacek@ankenyschools.org

Emily Marusiak - Abbie Grove Elementary Secretary

emily.marusiak@ankenyschools.org

Abbie Grove Elementary Core Values

Work hard, Be Kind, Show Up

Families will be notified of their classroom teacher on Tuesday, August 13th at 8AM through the Infinite Campus parent portal. Directions for accessing the portal can be found here.

Meet the teacher night will be Tuesday, August 20th from 4p.m.-6p.m. Please bring all of your child’s school supplies this day. If you preordered school supplies, those will be in your child's classroom. We would ask families to attend this night and utilize this time to visit your child's classroom, meet your teacher, ask questions, tour the school and take pictures.

As a district we recognize starting a new school year is an exciting time and parents are eager to capture the first day memories. In order to maintain our safety procedures and keep our staff and students safe, parents/visitors will not be allowed inside the school on the first day of school. We ask that your first day of school pictures be taken at home or outside of the building.

The first day of school is Friday, August 23rd. School hours are 7:55AM - 2:55PM every day!

The doors open at 7:30AM and students may go to breakfast or the gym. Breakfast is served from 7:30AM to 7:45AM.

Arrival Procedures

• Students can enter the building no earlier than 7:30AM Monday through Friday.

• Bus riders and day care students will all enter at the doors (N2) on the north side of the building near the roundabout (off of 18th Street).

• Car riders and walkers will enter the main entrance (N1).

• Please do not drop students off prior to 7:30AM because staff are not on contract and cannot supervise students. 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 an identified parking spot (i.e. do not get out of your car in the drop-off lane).

Be sure to bring your school supplies to Meet Your Teacher night on August 20th. If you are unable to purchase these supplies, please let us know or attend the Backpack Blitz & Resource Roundup on August 10th or 11th. This event is for students who attend Ankeny Schools, Ankeny Christian Academy, St. Luke and Ankeny homeschool students.

Click HERE to view the District’s School Supply List.

As of July 8, 2024, Ankeny families may view 2024-25 student fees and use their InTouch account to pay online. InTouch online debit or credit card payments will incur a 3.79% and a .40 cent transaction fee.

To avoid transaction charges, arrange in-person payment by calling the District Office at 515-965-9600 or send a check and a completed 2024-25 Fees Payment Form to:

Payable to: Ankeny Community School District
406 SW School St., PO Box 189
Ankeny, IA 50021-0189

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 will be available in July. 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 we prepare for the upcoming school year, our transportation team is diligently working to ensure that buses and routes are ready for the first day of school on Friday, August 23. We have several updates regarding student transportation services that we would like to share with you:

Ankeny Schools is pleased to continue our partnership with First Student, a leading provider of school transportation in North America. All buses are equipped with state-of-the art technology, including GPS tracking systems and tablets that assist drivers in selecting the most efficient routes for student pick-up and drop-off. The FirstView app serves as a comprehensive bus tracking and parent communication platform. To download the FirstView app, visit the app store or click here: FirstView

While our goal is to ensure safe and smooth bus transportation on the first day, please anticipate some delays as everyone adjusts to the new school year. Our drivers are learning new bus routes and stops, reviewing safety protocols with students, and ensuring they board and disembark at the correct locations. Additionally, our schools will dedicate time during the initial weeks to educate students on safe bus boarding practices and behavior expectations.

During peak times, our main dispatch line may experience a high volume of calls. For any change requests, general inquiries about your child’s transportation, or compliments for our drivers, we kindly request that you contact First Student through the FirstView app. Messages sent via this platform are directed to our local First Student office. Alternatively, you can reach the bus garage at (515) 965-9615 between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

While bus routes and stops typically remain consistent from year to year, occasional adjustments may be necessary due to construction or other factors affecting safety. If there are changes to your bus stop location, we will ensure timely communication.

If you are unsure whether your student qualifies for bus transportation, please utilize the address lookup tool. Bus number, stop location, and time details for eligible students and those with Pay-to-Ride spots will be available on the Infinite Campus Parent Portal from August 12 to 16. Please check the portal regularly for updates leading up to the first day of school. For routing inquiries, please contact First Student at 515-965-9615.

Bus passes will be distributed during the first days of school and will be mandatory for all students each time they board the bus. Please ensure your student carries their bus pass daily.

We appreciate your patience, understanding, and support as we embark on another school year together. Thank you for entrusting us with your family's transportation needs. We look forward to welcoming students back on our buses!

Visit the ACSD Volunteer Portal and complete ALL 3 steps:

1. 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 2 weeks for processing background checks.)

2. Volunteer Handbook: The Volunteer Handbook must be completed before you plan to volunteer and must be completed each year. The Volunteer Handbook includes: volunteer information, volunteer objectives, certification of compliance, and statement of confidentiality.

3. Application: Create a Better Impact account and profile. Upon approval of your application, you will be able to view available volunteer activities under the "Opportunities" tab when logged into your Better Impact account.

As you and your family prepare for the upcoming school year please review the 2024-2025 Student Handbook and the 2024-2025 District Calendar

• Birthday Celebrations: Birthdays may be celebrated with non-food items, such as pencils, erasers, stickers and/or bookmarks. Birthday tokens are not an expectation or requirement; however, should a student elect to bring a non-food item, there should be one provided for each student in the class.

• Party Invitations: To avoid hurt feelings and disruptions of the school day, students should not hand out party invitations and/or thank you notes at school. The school will not give out students' addresses and/or phone numbers. Parents may check the PTO for directory information.

• Deliveries: Individual gifts for students such as food, flowers and balloons are not to be delivered to the school.

You will need to contact the school if your child will be absent, arriving late or leaving early. You may contact Abbie Grove by calling 515-965-4815, emailing ag.office@ankenyschools.org or by submitting an absence in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal.

Parents may also submit absences by using the Absent Request tool in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal This can be done using your desktop computer or the Parent Portal app on your mobile device.

Entering an absence request is quick and easy. Follow these simple steps:

1. Log in to your Infinite Campus Parent Portal account.

2. Select your child's profile.

3. Navigate to the Absence Request section.

4. Fill in the required information, including the date and reason for the absence.

5. Submit your request.

Visit the Absence Request Guide for detailed information on how to report absences.

Hello Abbie Grove Families!

Our Abbie Grove PTO is just getting started, and we would love your help! Be sure to like the Abbie Grove Facebook Page for PTO information and updates.

After teacher assignments are released on August 13th, you will have an opportunity to join our Abbie Grove Directory to help you reach out to other Abbie Grove families. Stay tuned!

Please plan to join us for our PTO meeting on Tuesday, September 10th at 6:00pm in the Media Center. We hope to see you there!

August

August 9 - Girls on the Run registration opens

August 13 - Teacher Assignments Posted in Infinite Campus

August 20 - Meet the Teacher Night from 4:00-6:00PM

August 20 - Band Parent Meeting at 4:30PM

August 23 - First Day of School

September

September 2 - No School

September 10 - PTO Meeting 6PM Media Center

September 3 - First Day of Preschool

September 23 - No School for Students - PD for Staff

October

October 4 - Fall Picture Day

October 14-17 - Parent-Teacher Conferences

October 18 - Fall Break - No School

October 21 - No School for Students - PD for Staff

October 25 - PTO Trunk or Treat

November

November 8 - No School for Students - PD for Staff

November 12 - PTO Meeting 6PM Media Center

November 15 - Picture Retake Day

November 27-29 - Thanksgiving Break - No School

December

December 9 - Winter Band Concert 6:30PM

December 23-January 2 - Winter Break - No School

January

January 3 - School Resumes

January 10 - Semester Ends

January 13 - No School for Students - PD for Staff

January 20 - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day - No School

January 25 - PTO Fun Night

February

February 10 - No School for Students - PD for Staff

February 11 - PTO Meeting 6PM Media Center

March

March 3-6 - Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences

March 14-21 - Spring Break - No School

March 28 - Spring Picture Day

April

April 8 - PTO Meeting 6PM Media Center

April 14 - No School for Students - PD for Staff

May

May 23 - Last Day of School - 2 Hour Early Dismissal

May 13 - PTO Meeting 6PM Media Center

Email: ag.office@ankenyschools.org
Website: https://abbiegrove.ankenyschools.org/
Location: 5001 NW 18th Street I Ankeny, IA 50023
Phone: 515-965-4815

Ankeny Community School District does not discriminate based on race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, physical attributes, physical or mental ability or disability, ancestry, political party preference, military affiliation, socioeconomic status, or familial status. Inquiries or grievances may be directed to Kenneth Morris, Jr., Equity Director, 306 SW School Street, P.O. Box 189, Ankeny, IA, 50021-0189, (515) 965-9600, kenneth.morris@ankenyschools.org; or the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, Grimes State Office Building, Des Moines, IA, 50319-0201, (515) 281-4121; or the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 500 West Madison Street, Suite 1475, Chicago, IL 60661.