Announcements

The new edition of the Orbis Explorer, Orbis’ quarterly electronic newsletter for parents and students, is now available online.  The Orbis Explorer can help you keep up to date on important news and information, event dates, and opportunities at Orbis.

Click here to view the Orbis Explorer

The local program, Iowa Mission of Mercy (IMOM) is holding free dental clinics in the metro area. If you have students, families, or staff that would benefit from free dental care, please share this information with them.  All patients seeking treatment at an IMOM local clinic need to schedule an appointment directly with the clinic.

IMOM Local clinics in your area include:

• Wednesday, October 6: 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM @ 4444 Northwest 128^th St, Urbandale, IA 50323 (515.278.4366)
• Friday, October 8: 7:45 AM- 3:00 PM @ 3830 Ingersoll Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312 (515.274.5151)
• Friday, October 22: 7:30 AM – 3:00 PM @ Waveland Family Dental – 4232 University Ave, Des Moines, IA 50311 – (515.277.4461)
• Friday, October 22: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM @ Apex Dental – 725 S 51^st St, West Des Moines, IA 50265 (515.224.1618)
• Monday, October 25: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM  @ West Lakes Family Dentistry – 6800 Lake Dr, Ste 290, West Des Moines, IA 50266 (515.225.2424)

For more information about IMOM Local clinics, please visit their website , or contact 515.331.2298.

The updated Return to Learn Plan that was approved on Tuesday, September 21, 2021, was neither an endorsement nor an admonishment of masks. The approved plan enables the district to follow the federal order and to avoid violating federal civil rights and disability laws.

Changes in the approved Return to Learn Plan are highlighted below:

• The approved changes will take effect September 23, 2021, and will remain in effect through December 21, 2021, unless there are changes to the current law or further action by the board.

• A new plan will be presented for the beginning of the 2022 calendar year.

• Masks will be required for individuals age 2 and older, indoors on ACSD property during the compulsory school day. This includes students, teachers, staff, visitors, and volunteers.

• Masks will not be required when outdoors on ACSD property.

• Exemptions from last year will carry forward, and new exemption requests can be made by filling out the exemption form. Please note: The statement on the form, “A person granted a medical or religious exemption may be excluded from in-person school and school activities during a COVID-19 infection outbreak” means that having a mask exemption does not prevent a student from being told to stay home from school if they test positive for COVID. More information can be found on Iowa Department of Public Health’s website.

• We will work collaboratively with families to make sure we are balancing the health, safety, and educational needs of all students in a classroom.

• Our tracking and notification of potential COVID-19 exposure will be updated to meet the new plan. Communication about what to expect will be sent in the next couple of days from your student’s home school building.

• By Wednesday, September 29, lunch seating for grades 6-12, will implement a process so communication-related to potential exposure can be more precise.

Find the full plan with more detailed information on the Return to Learn section of the district website.

Please find our updated COVID-19 dashboard and informational data here.

Ankeny Community School District is guided by state laws which prevent schools from mandating face masks and requires school districts in Iowa to provide on-site learning. However, students, staff, and others on district property are permitted to wear masks; disposable masks are available in our buildings for those who wish to wear them.

Per guidance from the Iowa Department of Public Health, Ankeny Community School District will treat COVID-19 similar to influenza and other common child illnesses. Students who believe they have been exposed to COVID-19 in or outside of school are not required to quarantine and should monitor for symptoms.

Due to health department changes in quarantine requirements, Ankeny Community School District will not contact trace to identify individuals as “close contacts” who may have been exposed to COVID-19 in the school setting. As necessary, all Ankeny school buildings are sending notifications to families to indicate potential exposure to positive case(s) of COVID-19.

A dashboard has been created to provide parents with “at-a-glance” positive case information, based on self-reported information. It is updated once a week and date stamped. An asterisk (*) denotes at least one but fewer than four (4) cases within a given reporting category and is provided in lieu of a specific number to protect privacy.

Transmission levels as of Friday, September 3, 2021 in Polk County are High. For more information please visit the CDC website. This website includes an integrated county view by state.

For more information on our health and mitigation practices please review our Return to Learn Addendum here.

Engage in our virtual Orbis Orientation for Project-Based Experience

Orbis Family Orientation

As a reminder, students leave their home high school daily during school hours for this elective course.

If you have any questions, please contact one of our team members:

Chad Brooks, Project Mentor,
chad.brooks@ankenyschools.org   Ext. 52325

Joel Fox, Project Mentor
joel.fox@ankenyschools.org   Ext. 54527

Stephanie Vittetoe, Administrative Assistant
stephanie.vittetoe@ankenyschools.org  Ext. 57225

Dr. Jill Urich, Director of Orbis
jill.urich@ankenyschools.org  Ext. 51240

Orbis Main Number 515-963-7455
ACSD Main Number 515-965-9604

The final Hybrid Learning model schedule for the 2020-2021 school year has been selected. See the attached schedule, which is the Set 2-Day Schedule with Alternating Wednesdays.
The survey results were:

Model 1 (Alternating Days): 35.15%
Model 2 (Set 2-Day Schedule with Alternating Wednesdays): 64.85%

Hybrid Learning Model

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet