Ames High Team Places Second in National High School Ethics Bowl Competition
In February, two Ames High teams competed virtually in the 2021 National High School Ethics Bowl (NHSEB). Under the direction of advisor Chad Zmolek, both teams performed well, with one reaching the championship round and finishing second.
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IWCOA Girls State Wrestling 2021
Ames High athletics and the Ames Community School District would like to congratulate seven members of the Ames High wrestling team on a historic weekend at the 2021 Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association (IWCOA) Girls State Championships. The seven students who competed were the first athletes to ever wrestle at the girl’s state championships. The tournament took place on January 22 and 23 at the new Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa.
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The Making of An All-Stater
Acceptance into the Iowa All-State Music Festival is one of the most challenging goals for high school musicians to achieve. Each year, many Ames High students rise to the challenge as they embark on the journey to earn All-Stater status. The end goal is to make it to the Festival, a compilation of Iowa’s top high school band, orchestra, and chorus musicians. Yet, few make it. According to the Iowa High School Music Association, in 2019, 4,586 students auditioned, representing 286 of the state's high schools. Out of that, 601 students were accepted into the All-State Chorus, 278 into the All-State Band, and 226 into the All-State Orchestra. At AHS, approximately 12 percent of the students in band, orchestra or chorus audition, and even fewer make it to the Festival. A tedious preparation process requires all musicians to practice both in and out of school, starting as early as summer. Optional clinics, workshops, and camps help musicians effectively learn their music for the late-October audition. On top of their rigorous rehearsal schedule, students are challenged to keep up with academic, athletic, and personal obligations. Why do they do it? The consistent answer is a passion for music. “Music has always been a big part of my life,” said senior clarinet player, Sofiya Palasyuk. This same sentiment was echoed by other AHS students auditioning, including Yunjae (Daniel) Lee, violin; Sofiya Palasyuk, clarinet; Cassidy Peterson, alto; Madelyn Timmermans, trumpet; and Adam Wolf, tenor. Together, they have a combined eight years of experience performing at the Festival. Performing in the Festival each year of high school, also known as a four-time All-Stater, is one of the highest honors. Lee hopes to make 2020 his fourth appearance in the All-State Orchestra.
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Ames High Girls Swimming Win Their Ninth State Title
The Ames High girls swim team approached the state championship this year with the passing of their long-time coach, Dan Flannery, on their mind. Flannery passed away in July 2020, just before the season kicked off. A legendary figure in the swimming community, he led the girls' program to 8 state titles and the boys to one in 2018. The loss of Flannery continues to weigh heavily not only on the school community, but the Ames community at large.
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Harrison Barnes Signing Day: An Oral History
During his senior year, Harrison Barnes was the #1 high school basketball recruit in the nation. On November 13, 2009, he announced where he would play his collegiate ball live from Ames High, broadcast on ESPNU for the nation to watch. The schools under consideration included North Carolina, Duke, Kansas, and Iowa State University. This is an oral history of that day from Ames High Athletic Director Judge Johnston and Ames High Head Basketball Coach Vance Downs.
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Ames High Senior Eddie Wei Elected to the Key Club International Board
Ames High Senior Eddie Wei was recently elected to the Key Club International Board during a July special meeting held in lieu of the 2020 Key Club International Convention. This year’s convention, planned for San Francisco, was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a trustee, Wei will represent the Nebraska-Iowa Key Club District.
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All-State Music 2020
Congratulations to the 32 Ames High musicians who were selected for the 2020 Iowa All-State Music Festival. Auditions, which normally would have been held on Saturday, October 24, were instead conducted via video submission due to COVID-19. Over 4,000 musicians from high schools across the state of Iowa audition, of which approximately 17% will be selected for membership to one of three ensembles: band, orchestra or chorus. The prestigious concert event, which normally takes place in Hilton Coliseum, has been canceled for safety reasons. This year marks the 74th anniversary of the Festival.
Read moreRTL Update – Court Decision on Temporary Stay
Here is the latest information around Return to Learn for the 2020-2021 school year. Court Decision on Temporary Stay for Extracurriculars Today, a judge in Story County denied the Ames Community School District’s motion for a temporary stay of enforcement that relates directly to students' non-participation in extracurricular activities. As a District, we are currently in a two-week window of 100% online continuous learning due to COVID-19 metrics in Story County and per Department of Education guidance, we are not permitted to engage students in extracurricular activities. Our goal in asking for the temporary stay was to allow students to participate in extracurricular activities while in the online model. As the motion was denied, extracurricular activities will continue to be suspended through next week. The school board will hold a meeting on Thursday, September 17 to determine the next delivery model.
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Ames High will Compete Against Urbandale with No Crowd on Friday, September 4
Given the current COVID-19 positivity rate across Story County, we have made the decision as a District to host Friday night’s football game against Urbandale with no crowd. This means no band, student section, or walk-up tickets. Leading into this decision, we planned for this night with a wide-range of mitigation steps that included vastly limiting crowd numbers. As we have progressed throughout this week, we know that those steps are not enough for our community and county. The only individuals that will be permitted to attend the game are key event staff and parents/guardians of senior cheer and football players to participate in the previously scheduled senior night recognition (masks required).
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Team Neutrino: #morethanrobots
Team Neutrino’s social media accounts often use the hashtag #omgrobots. It’s a fun tag to posts that communicates the light-heartedness of the organization while also serving as a reminder that these students BUILD ROBOTS! In its simplest form, Team Neutrino is organized to compete in robotics competitions. But it would be a mischaracterization and a disservice to leave it at that. Although robotics is the face of the organization, it is only a fraction of the work they do. The reality is that student members, along with their mentors and community partners, function like a well-rounded business.
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