Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Fellows Elementary School, Elementary School, 1235 20th Street, Ames, IA.
08/20/2026
Important Notice: Delayed Building Opening
All Ames CSD buildings will be closed until 11 am on Friday, August 21, as we host our annual Welcome Back event for staff!
We’re excited to kick off the 2026–2027 school year by celebrating and reconnecting with our incredible team. Thank you for your understanding and support as we prepare for a great year ahead!
08/19/2026
🎒✨ Back-to-School Night is almost here!
Join us Thursday, August 20, from 5-7 pm as we get ready to kick off another great school year! Be sure to check ParentSquare for all of the important details.
Back-to-School Night is a chance for families to connect with teachers and staff, learn more about the year ahead, and drop off school supplies before the first day.
We’re excited to welcome our students and families back and start the new school year together! 🧡🖤
Do you love working with kids? Is a rewarding job with fun coworkers in a positive environment something you've been looking for? You belong HERE!
Fellows Elementary School is looking for energetic Special Educational Assistants to join our vibrant, supportive Fellows Family school community! Step into a fun and positive school environment where creativity, kindness, and teamwork are celebrated. A regular schedule doesn't fit for you? Sign up to become a substitute EA and set your own hours!
If you're still reading this with interest... give the Fellows school office a call at 515-239-3765. We can't wait to meet you!
Turn bedtime stories into an escape... from the summer slide!
Did you know that children who don’t read over the summer can lose up to 3 months of reading progress? Reading just 20 minutes a day is all it takes to keep brains active and sharp for the new school year, building vocabulary and confidence.
Explore new worlds and fuel imagination then drop us a picture of what your family is reading in the comments! 👇🐉
07/02/2026
It's Throwback Thursday and he's still cheering everyone on!
The reflection of the daily dedication, grit, and heart that our students and staff pour into Fellows Elementary School every day is more than just that palpable feeling of positivity you get when walking through its halls. It also shows in the numbers:
Ranked #1 in Ames for 2026, with high proficiency rates in reading and math (publicschoolreview.com).
Ranked #2 in Best Public Elementary Schools in Story County; A-minus grade, with high marks for academics and teachers. (Niche)
Ranked #2 in Ames Community School District Elementary Schools (U.S. News & World Report)
Rated 9/10 (based on 2024/2026 data), with high marks for student progress. (greatschools.org)
From our fantastic students and the families who support them... to our dedicated Principals who foster such a positive, inclusive, and cohesive school community and where the principal knows students by name... to our hard-working staff who pour themselves into teaching and caring for our students, pushing them to do their individual best while making Fellows a place that we ALL want to be... THANK YOU 🧡🖤
06/17/2026
Rainy summer days make the BEST blanket fort days, so grab a flashlight and a good book!
06/08/2026
Big congratulations to another Fellows alum, Benjamin Harris, who has qualified for the 2026 NBA Math Hoops Global Championship in New York City during NBA Draft Week! We're so proud of you, Ben!!
Big congratulations to Ames Middle School current seventh grader Benjamin Harris, who has qualified for the 2026 NBA Math Hoops Global Championship in New York City during NBA Draft Week! 🏀➕📚
Benjamin will join students from around the world for an unforgettable experience focused on STEM, leadership, and basketball.
Read more: https://trst.in/vOrQ7Z
Good luck in NYC!
06/08/2026
FREE Summer 2026 meals for kids!
This summer, we’re cooking so you don’t have to! Through the USDA Summer Food Service Program, kids 18 and under can enjoy FREE breakfast and lunch all summer long! No registration, ID, or paperwork required. Just stop by one of the below locations, head inside, and fuel up for summer fun!
MEEKER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Dates: June 8, 2026 – July 2, 2026
Location: 300 20th Street, Ames
On-site service:
Breakfast – Monday through Thursday, 7:30 am-8:30 am
Lunch – Monday through Thursday, 11:15 am-12:15 pm
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB
Dates: June 8, 2026 – August 7, 2026
Location: 210 South 5th Street, Ames
On-site service:
Breakfast – Monday through Friday, 8 am-9 am
Lunch – Monday through Friday, 12 pm-1 pm
AMES PUBLIC LIBRARY
Dates: June 8, 2026 – August 14, 2026
Location: 515 Douglas Avenue, Ames
On-site service:
Lunch – Monday through Friday, 11:30 am-12:30 pm
06/03/2026
After three decades of shaping young lives, our dear Mrs. Vertanen is closing a legendary 30-year chapter in the classroom. Education is quite literally in Joelle Vertanen’s DNA. Born to parents both in education, she built a family legacy by marrying a fellow teacher and coach, and later passing the baton to her daughter, who now teaches elementary school.
Joelle’s infectious smile and perky spirit brought such joy to her Fellows Family, students and colleagues alike. She loved reading to her students and brought many classic books to life in her class: No one forgets Dress Like a Penguin Day (Mr. Popper’s Penguins) or Charlette’s Web. Her unshakeable school spirit, positivity, and tradition of teaching students AHS cheers have left an indelible mark on generations of third graders.
As she closes this remarkable chapter of teaching a classroom, a beautiful new volume begins. The joy she brought to reading will now live on in the sweetest stories of all—the ones she will read as a grandmother to her new grandchild. We wish her all the best in this new chapter of her life!!
We’re proud to honor Joelle Vertanen on her retirement after 31 years of service to Ames CSD. 🎉
Your contributions have helped shape our schools and support our students in meaningful ways. Thank you for everything—you will be missed! 🧡🖤