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 Middle School a Top 10 Fundraising American Heart Challenge School
Last spring, the Ames Middle School participated in the American Heart Challenge. This annual fundraising event begins in February, American Heart Month. The Challenge focuses on preparing middle school and high school students for success by strengthening their physical and emotional well-being, while fostering their social responsibility. After a kick-off event, students collect donations for the American Heart Association (AHA), which includes an online program that allows participants to quickly and easily reach out to those interested in donating. According to the AHA, money raised funds life-saving research and community programs in the fight against heart disease.
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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.
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Dr. Kathi Arnold named new Emergency Management Coordinator
The Ames Community School District is pleased to announce Dr. Kathryn Arnold as the new Emergency Management Coordinator. In this position, she will organize and manage many of the COVID-related logistics across the District throughout the school year. Arnold most recently served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Missouri St. Louis, teaching online courses in numerous topics. Prior to that, she was an Education and Policy Consultant at Boca Raton Regional Hospital.
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Steven Hopper named as new Director of Technology
The Ames Community School District is excited to announce Steven Hopper as the new Director of Technology. Last school year, Hopper was a School Administration Manager with the Ankeny Community School District. Prior to that, he was a Curriculum Technology Coordinator in Ankeny and an Instructional Technology Consultant with Heartland AEA.
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Ames High Commencement Confirmed for July 11 at Ames High Stadium
After postponing the last scheduled commencement ceremony, we are excited to announce that we will be hosting the Ames High Commencement Ceremony on July 11 at Ames High Stadium at 10:00 a.m. Earlier this spring, the feedback we heard from students and families made it clear that there was a strong desire to have the celebration in person, even if it is delayed from the originally scheduled May 24th date. To honor that feedback, we established several prospective dates, the first of which we postponed due to a spike coronavirus cases in Story County. We are foregoing the second option at Hilton Coliseum and planning for an outdoor ceremony on that date.
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Jessica Sharp named as new Edwards Elementary Principal
The Ames Community School District is excited to announce Jessica Sharp as the new principal of Edwards Elementary School. Sharp is currently a Behavior Strategist in the Ames Community School District, a position she has held since 2019. In this position, she provided support across the District in the implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support and oversaw the District’s Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS).
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Book Giveaway Initiatives with Community Partners
The ability for Ames Community School District students to have high-quality reading materials in their homes was an early concern in the COVID-19 school closure period. To meet student’s needs for reading materials, critical for continued learning, elementary staff in each building set to work. Two separate book giveaway initiatives helped students and families get books into their home.
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