Our students are exploring soybeans in Agriculture class. As harvest season is underway in our fields, amazing learning is happening in our classroom! They got hands-on experience exploring a soybean plant, the parts of a soybean, and discovering the huge role soybeans play in the products that impact our daily lives.
❄️🎶 Mark your calendars: winter concerts are approaching! 🎵✨
🎤 4th Grade, 5th Grade, and 5th Grade Choir Concert
📅 Tuesday, 12/1/26
⏰ 6:30 PM
📍 Clarke Auditorium
🚪 Doors open at 6:00 PM
🎺 5th Grade Band Winter Concert
📅 Thursday, 12/3/26
⏰ 7:00 PM
📍 Clarke Auditorium
🚪 Doors open at 6:30 PM
We can't wait to celebrate the growth our amazing young musicians have made this semester! 🌟🎼💙
We hope to see you there! 👏🎶
🎤 4th Grade, 5th Grade, and 5th Grade Choir Concert
📅 Tuesday, 12/1/26
⏰ 6:30 PM
📍 Clarke Auditorium
🚪 Doors open at 6:00 PM
🎺 5th Grade Band Winter Concert
📅 Thursday, 12/3/26
⏰ 7:00 PM
📍 Clarke Auditorium
🚪 Doors open at 6:30 PM
We can't wait to celebrate the growth our amazing young musicians have made this semester! 🌟🎼💙
We hope to see you there! 👏🎶
Clarke Elementary is proud to participate in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP)!
The FFVP is a federally funded program that provides students with fresh fruits and vegetables as healthy snacks during the school day. The goal is to encourage healthy eating habits, introduce students to new fruits and vegetables, and help children develop a lifelong appreciation for nutritious foods.
Through this program, our elementary students have opportunities to try a variety of fresh produce while learning that healthy choices can be both fun and delicious!
We’re excited to continue supporting student health and wellness, one fresh snack at a time!
The FFVP is a federally funded program that provides students with fresh fruits and vegetables as healthy snacks during the school day. The goal is to encourage healthy eating habits, introduce students to new fruits and vegetables, and help children develop a lifelong appreciation for nutritious foods.
Through this program, our elementary students have opportunities to try a variety of fresh produce while learning that healthy choices can be both fun and delicious!
We’re excited to continue supporting student health and wellness, one fresh snack at a time!
Elementary Concert Dates
From caterpillars to butterflies! 🐛➡️🦋
One of our 5A students’ passion for butterflies inspired our class to take on a very special project. We welcomed two monarch caterpillars, Tom and Jerry, and got to watch them transform right before our eyes!
Along the way, we learned about the incredible journey monarchs make to Mexico, the important role butterflies play as pollinators, and even placed a tracking tag on Tom before his big release. 🦋
Now, Tom is on his way, and our students are cheering him on and hoping he makes it all the way to Mexico! 🇲🇽
Watching the excitement and wonder this project brought to our classroom has been such a joy. ❤️🦋
One of our 5A students’ passion for butterflies inspired our class to take on a very special project. We welcomed two monarch caterpillars, Tom and Jerry, and got to watch them transform right before our eyes!
Along the way, we learned about the incredible journey monarchs make to Mexico, the important role butterflies play as pollinators, and even placed a tracking tag on Tom before his big release. 🦋
Now, Tom is on his way, and our students are cheering him on and hoping he makes it all the way to Mexico! 🇲🇽
Watching the excitement and wonder this project brought to our classroom has been such a joy. ❤️🦋
Clarke High School Physical Science classes have been working hard to figure out what structures in a system enable energy transfer from one source to multiple devices, buildings, and neighborhoods.
Students dissected power strips and built complete circuits to power up three lightbulbs from a single battery source.
Students dissected power strips and built complete circuits to power up three lightbulbs from a single battery source.
🎶 Our 5th graders are brushing up on their music-reading skills this week! They’ve been reviewing the lines and spaces of the staff and practicing drawing the treble clef. 🎼 Great work, musicians! ⭐
Talk about making learning come to life! 🤠
Our 4th graders’ first CKLA narrative story was about a boy who was training horses and attending a traditional Hispanic festival featuring vaqueros. So, who better to bring the story to life than our own Assistant Principal, Mr. Puderbaugh, who trains horses himself!
Mr. Puderbaugh stopped by Mr. Bates' room to share his experiences, make connections to the story, and give our students a firsthand look at what they were learning about...we only wish we had gotten video of him throwing that lasso around the chair!
This is what learning looks like when we connect the classroom to the real world!
Our 4th graders’ first CKLA narrative story was about a boy who was training horses and attending a traditional Hispanic festival featuring vaqueros. So, who better to bring the story to life than our own Assistant Principal, Mr. Puderbaugh, who trains horses himself!
Mr. Puderbaugh stopped by Mr. Bates' room to share his experiences, make connections to the story, and give our students a firsthand look at what they were learning about...we only wish we had gotten video of him throwing that lasso around the chair!
This is what learning looks like when we connect the classroom to the real world!
We are so excited to see our new PK teachers and administrator investing in their professional learning through a three-year training focused on Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) through the AEA!
This training will provide our team with valuable strategies and tools to better support the unique learning needs of our youngest learners. We are proud of our educators for continuing to learn, grow, and strengthen their practice so every Clarke student has the opportunity to thrive!
Investing in our staff means investing in our students!
This training will provide our team with valuable strategies and tools to better support the unique learning needs of our youngest learners. We are proud of our educators for continuing to learn, grow, and strengthen their practice so every Clarke student has the opportunity to thrive!
Investing in our staff means investing in our students!
🎉 Preschool Open House Success! 🎉
A huge thank you to all of our youngest learners and their families who came out last night for Preschool Open House! We loved seeing all the excitement, smiles, and eager little learners getting ready for a great year.
We can’t wait to welcome you back and officially start the school year on September 8! 💛
A huge thank you to all of our youngest learners and their families who came out last night for Preschool Open House! We loved seeing all the excitement, smiles, and eager little learners getting ready for a great year.
We can’t wait to welcome you back and officially start the school year on September 8! 💛
🎤 Calling All 5th Grade Singers! 🎶
Does your 5th grader love to sing, have fun, and make new friends? Choir is the place to be! Students will learn fun songs, build confidence, laugh with friends, and have opportunities to perform.
Sign up sheets are being sent home with students today, 8/31.
No experience is needed—just bring your voice and your enthusiasm! There is room for all in the choir room. Sign up today and let your 5th grader’s voice shine! ⭐️
Does your 5th grader love to sing, have fun, and make new friends? Choir is the place to be! Students will learn fun songs, build confidence, laugh with friends, and have opportunities to perform.
Sign up sheets are being sent home with students today, 8/31.
No experience is needed—just bring your voice and your enthusiasm! There is room for all in the choir room. Sign up today and let your 5th grader’s voice shine! ⭐️
Happy Homecoming Week! Here are the ELEMENTARY Dress Up Days:
M: Pajamas
T: Stars and Stripes
W: Red, White & Blue
Th: Sports Gear
F: Clarke Gear
T-shirts ($5) available beginning Wednesday morning. Homecoming Trinkets available beginning Thursday morning.
Complete Homecoming Community Guide: https://bit.ly/4xwjMqz
M: Pajamas
T: Stars and Stripes
W: Red, White & Blue
Th: Sports Gear
F: Clarke Gear
T-shirts ($5) available beginning Wednesday morning. Homecoming Trinkets available beginning Thursday morning.
Complete Homecoming Community Guide: https://bit.ly/4xwjMqz
Yearbook Update: In order to include more end-of-the-year events and memories in the 2025–2026 yearbook, yearbooks will be distributed on the first day of school this fall. Current 5th grade students will receive their yearbooks at the middle school. Thank you for your understanding as we work to make this year’s book even more special!
🧪🔬 Science in action!
Our 2nd grade students in Ms. Schmidt-Rundell’s class turned into engineers during their Properties of Materials unit! They explored ingredients and substances, learned about the design cycle, and put their creativity to the test by designing and experimenting with their very own glues.
From planning to testing (and a little mess along the way 😉), it was hands-on learning at its best!
Our 2nd grade students in Ms. Schmidt-Rundell’s class turned into engineers during their Properties of Materials unit! They explored ingredients and substances, learned about the design cycle, and put their creativity to the test by designing and experimenting with their very own glues.
From planning to testing (and a little mess along the way 😉), it was hands-on learning at its best!
Applications are now open for the Clarke Elementary Kindergarten Dual Language Program!
Learn more about this amazing opportunity and see how students can build strong academic skills while learning two languages from the very beginning of their school journey.
Ready to get started? Apply here:
https://bit.ly/3GrMYt0
Learn more about this amazing opportunity and see how students can build strong academic skills while learning two languages from the very beginning of their school journey.
Ready to get started? Apply here:
https://bit.ly/3GrMYt0
We’re excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for our Clarke Elementary Kindergarten Dual Language Program!
Join us during Kindergarten Signing Day this Friday and stop by the Dual Language booth at the Guardian Informational Fair to learn more about this incredible opportunity for your student. Discover how students can grow academically while building skills in two languages from the very start of their school journey!
Ready to apply for your student? Click the link below to get started:
https://bit.ly/3GrMYt0
Reminder: Kindergarten Signing Day is Friday, April 24 from 8:30-10:30.
We loved welcoming the South Central Iowa Community Foundation into our kindergarten classrooms!
Thank you for spending time with our students, sharing a great story, and surprising each of them with a book to take home—what a special gift! There’s nothing better than sparking a love of reading at an early age.
Thank you for spending time with our students, sharing a great story, and surprising each of them with a book to take home—what a special gift! There’s nothing better than sparking a love of reading at an early age.
The Kindergarten and First Grade Concert is Tuesday, April 14 at 6:30 in the High School Auditorium. Students should arrive at 6:10 and come to the HS cafeteria. We can't wait to share beautiful music with you!
Join us for two upcoming events for our youngest learners and their families. These events are for incoming preschool and kindergarten students. Please help us spread the word and register using the links below.
Preschool Preview Night
Thursday, April 16
Come and go from 4:30–6:30 PM
Explore classrooms, meet our team, and see what preschool is all about.
https://bit.ly/4j1ZHR8
Kindergarten Signing Day
Friday, April 24
8:30–10:30 AM
Get a preview of all the fun in Kindergarten!
https://bit.ly/43H4R0y
Today is the last day to order your Clarke Elementary School Yearbook!
https://ybpay.lifetouch.com/
ID Code: 14739926
https://ybpay.lifetouch.com/
ID Code: 14739926