Prairie Ridge Middle School

🌍 A Special Farewell to Mrs. Chambers: 35 Years of Changing Lives 🎨

After 35 incredible years of teaching, Mrs. Jennifer Chambers is enjoying a well-deserved retirement! To thank her for the impact she has made on our school community, four talented students, Finley Ragland, Adelina Islamovic, Kenley Bush, and Maggie Herzmann, came together to create unique pieces of artwork inspired by the kindness, patience, and encouragement she has shown throughout her career.

🎨 Art from the Heart: The Student Tributes
Kenley Bush reflected that it was never just one big thing that made Mrs. Chambers so special, but all the "little things." From the fun games played in advisory to the constant guidance, love, and patience she showed every student, Kenley wanted to capture a difference that will never be forgotten.

Maggie Herzmann knew how much Mrs. Chambers loves plants, so she crafted a beautiful, handmade plant pot paired with personalized plant markers as a meaningful gift for a teacher who has always been incredibly kind and welcoming.

Adelina Islamovic created a plaque to honor the countless students Mrs. Chambers has encouraged and inspired over the decades. Adelina shared that Mrs. Chambers always offered second chances, helped students find the right path, and taught life lessons that will stay with her long after middle school.

Finley Ragland designed a beautiful world globe artwork, dedicated to "the finest global studies teacher," which perfectly expressed gratitude for a teacher whose influence spans far beyond the walls of her classroom.

Congratulations on a legendary 35-year career, Mrs. Chambers! Thank you for the difference you’ve made. We wish you a retirement filled with endless happiness, lots of new adventures, and plenty of time to enjoy the things you love! 🪴✈️❤️

🍎 Happy Retirement, Carla! 🍎
After two incredible decades of nourishing our school community, one of our nutrition staff members, Carla, officially retired on May 29th! 🥳✨

Since 2006, Carla has been a staple in Ankeny Schools, greeting our students every single day. From serving up bright-and-early breakfasts to managing the busy lunch rushes, her dedication to our students’ well-being has been unmatched for 20 years.

Carla, we are beyond grateful for the endless support, hard work, and love you have poured into our school over the years. You will be missed, but we are so excited for you to enjoy this next well-deserved chapter.

Cheers to retirement, Carla!☀️ Enjoy every minute of it!

The deadline to order school supply packs has been extended. Do not wait. Secure your child’s supplies today.

Order here: https://www.educationalproducts.com/ShopPacks/
Use School ID: PRA123
Order Deadline: June 21st

🌟 Year 1 in the Books & Big Things Ahead for iJAG! 🌟

WOW, Prairie Ridge! The response to our first year of iJAG (Iowa’s Jobs for America’s Graduates) has been absolutely incredible. As we wrap up a phenomenal inaugural year, we are already looking ahead, and the excitement for the 2026-2027 school year is through the roof!

We have received over 160 student applications for next year’s program! While we love the enthusiasm, it means we have some tough decisions ahead, as we have a limit of only 30 seats per grade level for our 6th and 7th graders.

As our team carefully reviews these applications, we want to take a moment to celebrate what makes this elective course so vital and look back at the incredible skills our first-ever iJAG class mastered this year.

🚀 What is iJAG at PRMS?
iJAG is an immersive experience designed to help middle schoolers discover their passion and purpose, transition successfully to high school, and build the "durable skills" needed for the real world.

Our students didn't just sit at desks, they actively mastered key life competencies across these major areas:

Self-Understanding & Character Development: Students explored their personal values, learning styles, and aptitudes while discovering how to maintain a positive attitude and lead with integrity.

Communication & Negotiation: From learning how to differentiate fact from opinion to practicing conflict resolution and self-advocacy, our Jags learned how to use their voices effectively.

Organization & Study Habits: Students gained practical tools for time management, goal setting, and proactive decision-making to set them up for academic success.

"Dreamwork" & Career-Based Learning: Jags mapped out future career plans, learned the job application process, explored local resources, and even tackled real-world financial literacy like budgeting, earning, and saving!

🗳️ The Student-Led Career Association
One of the absolute highlights of the year was our Career Association. This student-led organization allowed our Jags to elect their own officers and take total ownership of planning civic awareness, leadership development, and community service-learning projects. Some of our talented leaders even got to showcase their skills in state-wide employability competitions!

A HUGE "thank you" is in order for Ms. Vandewater, our 6/7 Career Education Specialist at PRMS. Here are some photos from 2nd Semester. Enjoy!

🎨 Heading to the Big Stage: PRMS Artists Selected for Des Moines Arts Festival! 🎨

A huge congratulations is in order for four of our incredibly talented Prairie Ridge Middle School artists! Lucy Mitchell, Ryder Robinson, Grayson Kamminga, and Mia Parayno have been officially selected for this year’s 2026 Des Moines Arts Festival Student Art Exhibition! 🖌️✨

Out of nearly 1,100 students here at PRMS, the creativity, dedication, and unique artistic voices of these four students truly stood out. This is a massive honor, and we are bursting with pride!

📍 Mark Your Calendars to Support Our Jags!
The Des Moines Arts Festival is one of the premier arts events in the state and is nationally recognized as one of the top festivals in the entire country. It is the perfect summer outing to support our local student-artists alongside professional creators from across the nation, live music, and interactive activities.

📅 Dates: June 26–28, 2026

📍 Location: Western Gateway Park, Downtown Des Moines

🎟️ Feature: The special Student Art Exhibition showcasing outstanding young talent from Central Iowa schools.

Congratulations again, Lucy, Ryder, Grayson, and Mia! We cannot wait to see your artwork at the Des Moines Arts Festival. 🐆❤️

🎨 Art with a Heart: Jags Giving Back! 🏥❤️
What an incredible way to kick off summer break! Six of our amazing Prairie Ridge Middle School students recently used their creative talents to bring joy and comfort to children and families in our community.

On June 4th, Leah Broadston, Ava McGrath, Meia Aleman, Aubree Smith, Leah Rotert, and Maggie Herzmann personally delivered a beautiful, large canvas painting they created to Blank Children's Hospital! 🖌️✨

🌟 Going Above & Beyond
What started as a WIN (What I Need) pay-it-forward project quickly blossomed into a massive labor of love. To complete the vibrant artwork, these dedicated students went well beyond the classroom by spending months working together before school, during lunch, and during study halls.

🤝 A Tradition of Kindness
This isn't the first time these students have used art to make a difference! Several of them also have a history of volunteering their time to create paintings for On With Life in Ankeny through community art initiatives.

Their empathy, generosity, and commitment to serving others show exactly what leadership looks like at Prairie Ridge. We are so incredibly proud of you all! 🐆💪

We want to give a big shout out to Kevin McColley , Christina 'Dilling' Hill and Christina's daughter, Sam. They spent several hours yesterday making the area around our Prairie Ridge Middle School sign look beautiful. I wish I had before and after pics. I found a before pic! Kevin took on a big task doing this. He received a grant from the Ankeny Foundation that covered the cost. We appreciate you so much!

"Student Spotlight: Olivia Dilling

One of the greatest things about teaching art is seeing students use their talents to show appreciation for people who have made a difference in their lives.

This spring, 6th grader Olivia Dilling created not one, but two special art projects for her favorite teacher, Jessica Booher, a digital artwork and a clay slab relief featuring orcas.

Olivia shared that she was inspired to create these pieces because Ms. Booher is such a kind, caring, and loving teacher. She had been waiting for the right opportunity to make something special for her, and when she learned that Ms. Booher loved orcas during our animal-themed art project, she knew she had found the perfect inspiration.

Earlier this school year, Olivia also nominated Ms. Booher for a teacher recognition award. As a result, Ms. Booher was featured on a recognition website and received a certificate honoring the positive impact she has made on her students.

It's clear that Ms. Booher has made a lasting difference in Olivia's life. The admiration, gratitude, and thoughtfulness behind these artworks are a wonderful reminder of the powerful relationships that teachers build with their students each day.

Thank you, Olivia, for sharing your talent and your heart. And thank you, Ms. Booher, for the positive influence you continue to have on your students." - Mr. McColley

"Some students just have that extra spark the last week of school

6th grader Jaxton Staebell came in during multiple study halls and even working lunches to create this incredible sushi + dumpling clay plate set complete with a soy sauce bowl. The attention to detail alone was a total jawdropper…especially with summer break only days away!

What made this project even better was the reason behind it. Jaxton had his mind set on creating something special for his favorite teacher at Prairie Ridge Middle School - Samantha Rottinghaus. His kindness, dedication, and effort throughout the process were awesome to watch.

Yesterday Jaxton surprised Mrs. Rottinghaus with the gift, and today she sent along this photo of the bowl already being used in action.

Nice job, Jaxton. Hope you have an awesome summer!" - Mr. McColley