Articles in Ames Middle School

In November 2021, the Story County Alliance for Philanthropy showed appreciation to many local residents during their 16th annual Philanthropy Day awards. Ames Middle schooler, Sia Agnihotri, received the award of Rising Star Philanthropist for her Jars of Hope. 

When Agnihotri heard that COVID cases were rising dramatically in India, she wanted to find a way to help. With many family members impacted, she turned her worry into hope with a fundraiser called Jars of Hope.  …

Starting the second semester (January 18, 2022), the Ames Community School District is adjusting the daily dismissal time at each of our levels. The action was board-approved on Thursday, December 16, 2021.

Each building will dismiss 25 minutes earlier than the normal current dismissal time. The elementary schools will remove the Wednesday early dismissal at 2:05 PM and adopt the secondary professional development schedule. …

Over 20 dedicated translators and interpreters work with the Ames Community School District. Some work directly with written translations and others with interpreting in-person communication, such as parent-teacher conferences. One is taking on the challenging task of becoming a professional interpreter.

Jingtao Wang, a Chinese and Japanese translator/interpreter for Ames CSD since 2010, completed the first two of a three-level training through Heartland AEA. The training is conducted by EveryStep, a non-profit health care and human services organization, delivering Community Interpreter Training since 2018.  …

The Ames H.O.P.E. pantry is located at Ames Middle School and is available to all families in the District in need of emergency food supply. It is supported by the work of District Homeless Liaison Candice Collins and the amazing Student and Family Advocates who support all of our buildings.  …

As the winter season approaches, the Ames Community School District wants to ensure that every child is WARM! We would like to give our families the opportunity to GIVE and RECEIVE during this time.

TO GIVE: Please consider donating gently used or new winter gear such as coats, hats, waterproof gloves, snow pants, and boots (all sizes welcome-please place in a tied grocery bag to keep boots together). Please wash/dry donations prior to dropping them off.  …

At tonight’s Special School Board Meeting, the Ames Board of Directors voted to reinstate a mask requirement at all of our school buildings. The mask requirement will go into effect this Friday, September 17, and applies to all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to our school buildings.  …

The Ames CSD is excited to announce an expansion to our temporary staff Incentive Program. The program now also applies to our maintenance and custodial staff in addition to our Educational Assistants (EA) for the 2021-2022 school year. The program consists of three parts:

1. Hiring Incentive – $100 for newly hired maintenance, custodial, and Educational Assistant employee after one month of employment.
2. Referral Incentive – $100 for any Ames CSD employee who refers a maintenance, custodial, or Educational Assistant employee that is hired.

Retention Incentive – $750 paid to any maintenance, custodial, or Educational Assistant (newly hired or currently employed) who starts before October 1, 2021, and works through the end of the 2021-2022 school year. The retention incentive is prorated for newly hired staff after October 1, 2021. 

The Ames Community School District is excited to announce two new secondary associate principals in the district. Michelle Fuqua will serve as Associate Principal at Ames Middle School and Kenneth Damron will serve at Ames High School.  …

At the Ames Community School District, June 10 was officially the last day of the 2020-2021 school year. For some students, teachers, and staff, they headed back to classrooms on June 14 to engage in summer learning. However, this learning is not like what you might envision as summer school. It’s an environment rich with fun, hands-on, and engaging curriculum unlike any other. 

“It is important that summer school doesn’t feel like school,” said Anthony Jones, Director of Equity. “Yes, students will be learning and instruction should be targeted based on students’ academic goals in reading and math, however, the learning must be fun and engaging.”  …