• Dr. Adams' Video Message to Families
• Strategic Planning Update: Survey Reminder
• Save the Dates! Get Main 2024-25 School Dates
• Report Student Absences Online
• Kindergarten Enrollment Opens Feb. 19
• Upcoming Events: School Counselors' Week, Digital Backpack, Dates to Remember, Black History Month, Sweetheart Show, Well-Being Matters
• Photos: WDMCS Students at Special Olympics Basketball Event
• Donate to Support the Community: Food Drive, Personal Care Drive, Sock Drive

To let the school know if a student will be absent, parents and guardians can log in to their Infinite Campus Parent Portal. They can use the absence form to securely report whether the student will be absent for part of a day, a single day, or multiple days. Users will get a confirmation via email. Note that students cannot report absences themselves through Campus Student, and calling the school is still a valid method to report an absence.

West Des Moines Community Schools began Black History Month 2024 by commemorating the 70th anniversary of milestone Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education. Four panelists — Fannette Elliot, WDMCS Board of Education member; David Maxwell, Valley High School principal; Ken Morris, Jr., Ankeny School Chief Diversity Officer; and Al Womble, Iowa Democratic Black Caucus Chair — discussed the impact of Brown v. Board of Education. Attendees also explored a pop-up museum from Taste of the Junction and spent time building community.

Our broader community is also celebrating Black History Month. Here are some activities and resources to explore:

• Des Moines Partnership: “Celebrate Black History Month with Local DSM Events" >

• National Museum of African American History and Culture >

• BlackHistoryMonth.gov >

This year's Black History Month theme is "African Americans and the Arts." The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) said, "For centuries Western intellectuals denied or minimized the contributions of people of African descent to the arts as well as history, even as their artistry in many genres was mimicked and/or stolen.... In celebrating the entire history of African Americans and the arts, (ASALH) puts into the national spotlight the richness of the past and present with an eye towards what the rest of the twenty-first century will bring."

Learn more about this year's theme:

• ASALH: "Black History Month Themes" >
• National Museum of African American History and Culture: "Art as a Platform for Social Justice" >

Join WDMCS, Community Education, and community partners on Tuesday, March 5, to learn and get connected to school and community resources. Breakout sessions will cover a variety of topics related to behavioral health and mental well-being.

Well-Being Matters

Featuring speakers and resources to support families and students.

When: 5:30-7:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Where: Valley Southwoods Freshman High School, South 35th St., West Des Moines, IA

Child care and interpretation available upon request with registration.