Atkins Elementary

Each month, two classrooms team up to collaborate on Character Strong projects. In February, Mrs. Patterson and Mrs. Sonka’s classes focused on the character trait of honesty. Stud...

Student engagement is a top priority in our 3rd grade classroom, and learning through games is a key part of daily instruction. These activities actively involve students in proble...

This month Kindergarten students published their own stories! The students are excited to be authors and have been building skills to apply to the writing process. The first story...

In our third grade classroom, we believe that our classroom culture is very important! Every Friday during snack, one student is selected to be our “Phone Call Friday”. We call hom...

Schools play an important role in supporting students’ academic success as well as their social and emotional well-being. Through school-based therapy, students have access to ment...

During the month of December, our AK friends enjoyed a festive gingerbread unit. Students listened to a variety of gingerbread stories, then practiced their literacy skills by comp...

Games can be a powerful tool for applying academic skills, because they encourage active participation and problem-solving. When educational games are played, we practice using wha...

Atkins Elementary works hard to support PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports), a framework that improves behavior and fosters a positive school culture. It focuses ...

In Kindergarten students are learning all about letters. They start by learning their letter names and then the sounds each letter makes. Once they understand each letter represe...

Kindergarten through 3rd grade special education teachers and associates are doing more than helping students learn reading and math—they’re also laying the groundwork for executi...

A simple read-aloud sparked a movement for kindness and character-building in our first-grade classroom. After reading Henry & Ella’s Big Jar of Kindness by Audrey Lane to wrap u...

In our 2nd grade classroom, science has been extra exciting this month! We are using our FOSS Science Kit to study plants and animals, and students have been working...

On Friday, October 3, first grade students at Atkins Elementary celebrated Apple Discovery Day—a fun-filled event packed with hands-on learning, outdoor exploration, and, of course...

As part of the Farm Bureau’s “Ag in the Classroom” through the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation, Taylor visited the kindergartners at Atkins to teach students how the ingredien...

The Atkins Elementary school doors opened again this past August to many returning children and many new faces. Thirty of those faces were students who are only three years old an...

Third grade students in Atkins Elementary are learning about germination, the process of a seed turning into a seedling or baby plant. We explored the parts of a seed and many of u...

The first day of school at Atkins Elementary started with a tradition that brings the whole community together. Just like at the other elementaries in the district, students and st...

Kindness is like sprinkles on ice cream—it makes life brighter and sweeter. Just like you don’t need a whole bucket of sprinkles to make ice cream special, small acts of kindness m...

As the school year comes to a close, I want to thank our students, families, and staff for making this year one to remember. From the first day to the last, our students have grown...

Breakfast plays a crucial role in setting students up for success throughout the school day. Eating a healthy breakfast provides the energy and nutrients the body and brain need to...