John Sletten (1931-2020) – Ames High Track Coach
Former Ames High track & field head coach John Sletten is a legend. For 43 years, he built a championship tradition for the Little Cyclones that is unrivaled, and today, the track at Ames High Stadium is named in his honor. Mr. Sletten passed away the morning of September 8 after battling a brain tumor. He was 88 years old.
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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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Ames CSD Mourns the Passing of Ames High Teacher and Coach Dan Flannery
Ames CSD Mourns the Passing of Ames High Teacher and Coach Dan Flannery The Ames Community School District family and community mourns the passing of longtime Ames High teacher and storied Ames High Swim Coach Dan Flannery, who passed away Tuesday morning. “Dan was Ames High Pride. He loved our students, our high school, and our community. This is a huge loss for not only our school community, but the swimming community in Ames and across Iowa,” said Superintendent Jenny Risner. “Dan was committed to excellence in his program and his success speaks for itself. But what was even more impressive was his ability to build strong relationships with his student-athletes that lasted well beyond high school. He made those he coached better athletes and better people.”
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Healthiest Ames Seeking Volunteers to Help Provide Face Masks for Students
Healthiest Ames is organizing a collaborative, community project to provide face masks for every student in the Ames Community School District. The project is a two-pronged approach to making face masks available. Community volunteers are working to sew a large quantity of face masks, and Healthiest Ames is also organizing a campaign to collect financial donations to purchase face masks. The project will supply every student in the ACSD with at least one face mask. Ames Middle School and Ames High School students and Ames PTOs are currently working toward a successful outcome.
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Harrison and Brittany Barnes Donate for Upgrades to Ames High Gymnasium
Harrison Barnes’ legacy extends far beyond basketball as he continues to make an everlasting impact in the Ames community and youth through his Harrison and Brittany Barnes Community Fund. His most recent donation is giving back to the high school that began his basketball career. Harrison and his wife Brittany approached the Ames Community School District about donating funds for upgrades to the competition gymnasium in the new high school. The upgrades include adding student bleachers, adding a video board, upgrading the scoreboard to include player stats, lighting enhancements, and adding floor mounted “NBA” baskets. The school board approved the acceptance of the donation on May 18, 2020.
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Ames High Pride in Haiti
Senior Kerlande Mompremier is finishing her Ames High School career and fulfilling her continuous learning requirement from the island of Haiti. Over spring break, Mompremier traveled to Haiti to visit family and made the decision to remain there after schools in Iowa closed. She now works on her classes remotely and is giving back to the community through her volunteering and tutoring efforts.
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Junior Yuer Zhu named a 2020 All-State Visual Arts Awardee
Ames High junior Yuer Zhu was named a 2020 All-State Visual Arts Awardee by the Art Educators of Iowa and the All-State Visual Art Awards Committee. Zhu’s outstanding portfolio represents the top 20% of applicants across the state of Iowa and she was one of twelve class 4A students to receive this recognition. In a press release, the All-State Committee said, “We appreciate the time and effort it takes to compile a portfolio and complete the submission process. Though we provide the opportunity to recognize students for outstanding work, it is the time, nurture, and support that individual teachers give students with potential that is most significant.”
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The Misplaced Building: Story of Ames High #3
By 1936, the building known as “Old” Central (the 1911 building, aka Ames High #2), had become inadequate. Enrollment was on the rise in Ames and the building was exceeding its capacity. By December of that year, the school district started working with architects and the Ames Planning Commissions to look at designs of buildings and locations for the next Ames High School. The district had land available at the corner of 13th Street and Grand Avenue for the building. With a vote of 4-1, the School Board moved to build Ames High #3 on that property. This vote was unpopular to a group of community members and started one of the most interesting referendums in Ames Public School history.
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Ames Middle School Art Teacher Cappie Dobyns named 2020 Western Region Middle Level Art Educator Award Winner
The National Art Education Association (NAEA) has named Ames Middle School Art Teacher Cappie Dobyns the 2020 Western Region Middle-Level Art Educator Award winner. This prestigious award, determined through a peer review of nominations, recognizes the exemplary contributions, service, and achievements of an outstanding NAEA member annually at the Regional level within their division. The award will be presented at the NAEA National Convention in Minneapolis, MN, March 26-28, 2020.
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Specially Designed Instruction
Entering the world of special education can be a challenging endeavor as a parent. You’ve witnessed your child struggle in a particular area and the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process is full of educational jargon and acronyms. But through that process, our students get to work with amazing special education teachers across the District who specialize in learning disabilities. Alyssa Peiffer, a special education teacher at Meeker Elementary, is one of those amazing teachers and makes what seems impossible for many students and parents possible.
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