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Abilities Assessment Pilot
November 28, 2017

Abilities Assessment Pilot

Abilities Assessment Pilot The week of November 27- December 1, students in the 3rd, 5th, and 7th grades participated in an abilities assessment pilot.

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#FOOD4FRIENDS AMS Food Pantry Drive
November 27, 2017

#FOOD4FRIENDS AMS Food Pantry Drive

The Ames Middle School Cyclone Leadership Council (CLC) organized a food drive where all of the donations went directly toward filling the…

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Fellows 2nd Graders Engineer to the Story of the 3 Little Pigs
November 22, 2017

Fellows 2nd Graders Engineer to the Story of the 3 Little Pigs

The Three Little Pigs is fairy tale about three pigs who…

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Iowa Teacher of the Year: Aileen Sullivan
November 16, 2017

Iowa Teacher of the Year: Aileen Sullivan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIU00agaox8&t=2s Aileen Sullivan, a veteran chemistry teacher at Ames High, was named the 2018 Iowa Teacher of the Year by Governor Kim Reynolds at a surprise event that was also attended by Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise. Sullivan has taught at Ames High School since 1996 and is known for challenging her students, her colleagues, and herself to grow and improve. Superintendent Dr. Tim Taylor hired Sullivan in 1996 and dubbed her a “kid magnet.” She has “that hidden ability to understand and relate to young people that draws them in and allows her to push them to their potential.” Sullivan, along with her husband Joel Sullivan, who nominated Aileen and is also a teacher at Ames High, found out that she was selected as the Teacher of the Year two months prior to the event and was embargoed from discussing it. “When I nominated her, my goal was for her to get the recognition she deserves as a teacher and leader in our district. None of what she does is very public and few people realize how hard she works and how dedicated she is to improving her craft and helping students.”

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Rev’n for Seven: Girls Swimming and Diving Win 7th State Championship
November 16, 2017

Rev’n for Seven: Girls Swimming and Diving Win 7th State Championship

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mP5YcpKsj0&t=3s The Ames High Girls Swimming and Diving team were Rev’n for Seven as they entered the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) State Championships. The two day event was held in Marshalltown on November 3-4, and the Little Cyclones entered with an undefeated season with several contenders looking to dethrone Ames as the top program in the state. This year’s team had the responsibility of carrying history into the State Meet. Since 2010, the Little Cyclones have won 6 state titles, with their only loss coming at the State Meet in 2014 where they were runner up to Pleasant Valley. Since that time, the Little Cyclones have forged ahead with a new winning streak and their eye on a seventh state championship. Friday night consisted of the diving event where Ames qualified 3 divers in the top 10. The team was led by Jayna Misra, who entered the competition with the second highest qualifying total. After her second of 11 dives, Jayna took the lead and never looked back. Her combined score of 542.45 was the second highest total since 1967 and 57 points better than the runner up finisher. Senior Kaylee Clendenen had her best meet of the year, finishing 6th. The 33 team points earned during the diving portion got Ames off to an early lead in the team competition.

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Enrollment in Ames Up Big for the 2017-2018 School Year
November 13, 2017

Enrollment in Ames Up Big for the 2017-2018 School Year

Certified enrollment across the state was finalized in November, and the Ames Community School District is +112 students from a year ago.

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The Future of Ames High: An Overview of Whether to Build New, Renovate, or Do Nothing
November 1, 2017

The Future of Ames High: An Overview of Whether to Build New, Renovate, or Do Nothing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86Xt9ShPZT8 Next spring, the Ames community has a big decision to make regarding what to do with the high school. Do we build a new one? Renovate? “Do Nothing?” It’s a complex issue with a lot of things to consider, but we hope to explain many of the questions we’ve been hearing to keep you informed. Why do we need a new high school? Where will we build it? We’ll do a quick study on school finances, looking at how much each option will cost and how that decision will impact taxpayers. Finally, how will this decision benefit students? Because after all, schools are for kids. Current State Initially built in 1960, our current building as it stands today has 15 additions and 13 elevation changes. The first addition was put on in 1962, offices were added in 1963, the pool in 1965, and then a gymnasium was added on in 1966. When Haila Architecture did their Phase 1 study, they found that with the exception of the pool and a few other areas, the overall exterior structure is actually okay. It’s the interior that’s becoming more of a functional challenge. Some of the major concerns cited in the Phase 1 study include the circulation of students within the building, accessibility, along with security features. Hallways within the high school are tight and with the many additions, it is not laid out efficiently. Although the building is ADA compliant as far as accessibility, if you’ve ever been in the high school, you know it can be difficult to get around, especially in the fine arts wing. Additionally, the building has far too many exterior doors and lacks some of the security features that our new building have.

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