New Fellows Elementary Principal
We are pleased to announce Lana LaSalle as the new principal of Fellows Elementary School starting in the 2019-2020 school year. LaSalle has served as an elementary principal in the Bettendorf Community School District since 2012 and has vast knowledge in the areas of math and literacy curriculum. She has also been instrumental in providing professional development opportunities for staff in her district.
Read moreThe Ames High Experience
The high school experience is one that lasts with us forever. It is a formidable time in many of our lives where the experiences push us to become who we are. Values become established, personalities take hold, and it is a time when we contemplate our future and what we could become. There is no question that each high school experience is different, but the overall process remains the same: students gather together, they learn, and then they leave and make the world a better place. In Ames, our purpose is to empower every individual to reach their full personal and educational potential.
Read morePassion Clubs at Fellows Elementary
Care. Learn. Lead. At Fellows Elementary, this theme can be seen in the classroom, at assemblies, and in unique initiatives like passion clubs. New to this school year, third to fifth-grade students selected an interest-oriented club that was sponsored by teachers to be a part of. Fellows Principal Brandon Schrauth said, “This year we have been focusing on increasing a sense of belonging amongst our students. Passion clubs were one action we identified to increase belonging and support students in identifying their greatness.”
Read moreMulticultural Day at Fellows Elementary
Fellows Elementary held a Multicultural Day for students on September 28 when they collaborated with CultureALL, a Des Moines area company. CultureALL reaches out into the…
Read moreElementary School Arrival/Dismissal Times
Starting this school year, we are adjusting arrival and dismissal services at all of our elementary schools. Safety and security are of…
Read moreSuper Summer Program
The ACSD Super Summer Program is a two-week summer school for students who are entering 1st-8th grades, who want to take interest oriented classes to further their passion in those areas. This year, Super Summer offered 30 different courses not accessible in the regular school curriculum to give students an opportunity to study a subject in-depth. Extended Learning Program Director Nicole Kuhns, said, “The goal is really just to provide classes to stretch our students' minds during the summer break.” Super Summer has been around in some form for over 25 years. This year, over 250 students registered for classes that included a variety of topics. Kuhns said, “We saw many teachers proposing new classes and reinventing old classes. There was literally something for everyone from students interested in STEM, art, performance, sports, business, and crafting. Many teachers focused on bringing a cultural lens into their classes and helping students learn more about the way others live. Our students left excited each day about all they had learned, which is really all we could ask for!”
Read moreAmes Community Gives Free Bike Helmets to Every Third Grader
For the third year, members of the Healthiest Ames Board of Directors, in collaboration with other community partners, spent a morning at each Ames…
Read moreFellows 4th Grade STEM Challenge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UteTEkD3GKE Right before spring break, the 4th grade teachers at Fellows Elementary created STEM challenges for their students with hands-on activities that presented students with a “problem” to solve and limited resources. Christy Franco said, “We decided to do the STEM challenges for several reasons. We know students learn best with hands-on exploration. For these activities, they must collaboratively come up with a plan, try it out, revise as needed, and test it. The STEM challenges allow our students to integrate scientific inquiry, technology, engineering, and math.” All four teachers combined the approximately 100 fourth graders and split them up. “We wanted to make this large group feel like a community and we want students to have the opportunity to work in groups with others they don’t normally get to work with during the school day,” said Franco.
Read moreRead-a-Thon Celebration
In January, elementary schools across the District organized read-a-thon events in collaboration with their PTOs. “The goal is to get students to develop a passion…
Read moreFellows 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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