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 to Move to 100% Online Remote Learning Starting Monday, November 16
Today, we will submit our application for approval to the Iowa Department of Education (DE) to move Ames High School to 100% online remote learning starting Monday, November 16.
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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.
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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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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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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