West Des Moines Community Schools Community Education

Are you getting ready to take the ACT test? Would you like to be better prepared? During ACT Boot Camp, students will learn general and specific strategies of the ACT exam. The ultimate goal of this course is to help students increase their overall score. Students will be engaged with two-way material, real-life examples, and short quizzes to test newly learned concepts from the English, Math, Reading, and Science sections. Not all dates are required, but attending all three sessions, coupled with taking the actual test a few weeks after the class, will help maximize retention. The Saturday class will be the primary instructional day. The Friday before will be an optional mock test. A few weeks later, during the follow-up/tune up session, we will be reviewing an assigned practice test (which students need to complete, score, and bring back to class). To get the most out of the Saturday boot camp, students are encouraged to: Take the mock test that will be held before the boot camp, to provide a baseline to help gauge future progress. Participate in the follow-up session held a couple of weeks after the boot camp for a tune-up. Bring a completed practice test. Ensure that you are registered for the next official ACT test, typically taking place a few weeks after the boot camp. This class is led by Greg Hudson, Valley High School AP History Teacher and ACT expert. The cost includes the Saturday boot camp, all materials, the optional mock test session, and the optional follow-up session.

Cash is arguably the most important factor in business success. D&B reports 90% of all small business failures are due to poor cash flow—more money gets paid out than collected. It is the non-financial manager who really makes a difference in the day-to-day cash activities. Discover how to maximize cash flow, learn the importance of cash and find out your role in cash flow success. To progress through this course you will: Read the print readings. Have the option of accessing the online readings. Listen to the audio presentation for the Unit and view the slides. Have the option of taking a self-quiz to see how much you have learned. Engage in written online discussion with your instructor and other participants. The content (readings, audio lectures, slides) and self quizzes are accessible for the entire course, so you can work ahead, or go back and review again, at your convenience. Discussion: The discussion for each unit lasts one week. All comments are made in writing and can be made at any time of the day or night. Your instructor will log into the discussion area at least once a day and answer questions, make comments, and respond to comments by you and the other participants. We encourage you to make 2-3 comments each day to maximize your learning and enjoyment of the course.

With the demands of daily operations, non-financial managers may put financial reports on the shelf. But take a look at some of the most admired companies like Apple, Google, and Berkshire Hathaway. Sure, they are evaluated by their products, innovation, and culture but they wouldn’t be in the limelight without profits. Money matters! This course will help you build on your understanding of financial concepts and help you establish your role in the financial success of your organization. Designed for non-financial managers, business owners, entrepreneurs, and other decision-makers, this advanced course will take the mystery out of money matters. Throughout this course, financial information that drives your organization, as seen on the business’s reports, will be assessed and analyzed to understand it. An understanding of this information will help you make smart decisions when it comes to budgeting, setting goals, and assessing performance within your own area of influence. To progress through this course you will: Read the print readings. Have the option of accessing the online readings. Listen to the audio presentation for the Unit and view the slides. Have the option of taking a self-quiz to see how much you have learned. Engage in written online discussion with your instructor and other participants. The content (readings, audio lectures, slides) and self quizzes are accessible for the entire course, so you can work ahead, or go back and review again, at your convenience. Discussion: The discussion for each unit lasts one week. All comments are made in writing and can be made at any time of the day or night. Your instructor will log into the discussion area at least once a day and answer questions, make comments, and respond to comments by you and the other participants. We encourage you to make 2-3 comments each day to maximize your learning and enjoyment of the course.

Take your Excel skills to the next level. Go beyond what others know, equipping you with advanced functions to efficiently analyze and manipulate data. Explore the advantages of these functions in various contexts, enhancing your productivity and data insights. To progress through this course you will: Read the print readings. Have the option of accessing the online readings. Listen to the audio presentation for the Unit and view the slides. Have the option of taking a self-quiz to see how much you have learned. Engage in written online discussion with your instructor and other participants. The content (readings, audio lectures, slides) and self quizzes are accessible for the entire course, so you can work ahead, or go back and review again, at your convenience. Discussion: The discussion for each unit lasts one week. All comments are made in writing and can be made at any time of the day or night. Your instructor will log into the discussion area at least once a day and answer questions, make comments, and respond to comments by you and the other participants. We encourage you to make 2-3 comments each day to maximize your learning and enjoyment of the course.

Discover the joy of creativity with our Art Club, where fun meets artistic expression! Unleash your imagination as you create stunning pieces to take home. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced artist, this club offers a supportive atmosphere and all the materials you need to bring your vision to life. Sign up today and transform your artistic journey into a memorable experience! Class led by Krista Cary.

Discover the joy of creativity with our Art Club, where fun meets artistic expression! Unleash your imagination as you create stunning pieces to take home. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced artist, this club offers a supportive atmosphere and all the materials you need to bring your vision to life. Sign up today and transform your artistic journey into a memorable experience! Class led by Krista Cary.

Dive deeper into the fascinating world of artificial intelligence. Explore machine learning algorithms, natural language processing, and neural networks, while gaining hands-on experience with popular AI frameworks and tools. Take your AI expertise to the next level. To progress through this course you will: Read the print readings. Have the option of accessing the online readings. Listen to the audio presentation for the Unit and view the slides. Have the option of taking a self-quiz to see how much you have learned. Engage in written online discussion with your instructor and other participants. The content (readings, audio lectures, slides) and self quizzes are accessible for the entire course, so you can work ahead, or go back and review again, at your convenience. Discussion: The discussion for each unit lasts one week. All comments are made in writing and can be made at any time of the day or night. Your instructor will log into the discussion area at least once a day and answer questions, make comments, and respond to comments by you and the other participants. We encourage you to make 2-3 comments each day to maximize your learning and enjoyment of the course.

Develop effective AI strategies to solve complex problems across various industries. Gain practical insights into how AI can be harnessed to enhance efficiency and drive innovation. By the end of the course, you will have the skills to create robust AI planning solutions that can adapt to dynamic environments and meet organizational goals. If you register for all three classes at once, they will be discounted $30 each at checkout. These classes can otherwise be taken individually. To progress through this course you will: Read the print readings. Have the option of accessing the online readings. Listen to the audio presentation for the Unit and view the slides. Have the option of taking a self-quiz to see how much you have learned. Engage in written online discussion with your instructor and other participants. The content (readings, audio lectures, slides) and self quizzes are accessible for the entire course, so you can work ahead, or go back and review again, at your convenience. Discussion: The discussion for each unit lasts one week. All comments are made in writing and can be made at any time of the day or night. Your instructor will log into the discussion area at least once a day and answer questions, make comments, and respond to comments by you and the other participants. We encourage you to make 2-3 comments each day to maximize your learning and enjoyment of the course.

Worldwide, video game sales including consoles, online, and mobile games are projected to reach $111 billion dollars this year. Mobile games are the fastest-growing segment of the market as more and more people play casual games. In this intermediate introductory course, you will learn the basics of video game design process, learn about the main video game genres, and use a game development application to begin your journey of making games. To progress through this course you will: Read the print readings. Have the option of accessing the online readings. Listen to the audio presentation for the Unit and view the slides. Have the option of taking a self-quiz to see how much you have learned. Engage in written online discussion with your instructor and other participants. The content (readings, audio lectures, slides) and self quizzes are accessible for the entire course, so you can work ahead, or go back and review again, at your convenience. Discussion: The discussion for each unit lasts one week. All comments are made in writing and can be made at any time of the day or night. Your instructor will log into the discussion area at least once a day and answer questions, make comments, and respond to comments by you and the other participants. We encourage you to make 2-3 comments each day to maximize your learning and enjoyment of the course.

In this course, you will learn how to post journal entries to the correct general ledger accounts impacted by each transaction. This course will show you how to make sure your general ledger balances at the end of each month by preparing an unadjusted trial balance. You will learn how to look for errors when you don’t balance, and how to determine to correct entries. After posting correcting entries and/or adjusting entries, you will verify debits and credits equal with an adjusted trial balance. This course also goes through the steps of performing monthly bank reconciliations. If you register for all three "Bookkeeping" classes at once, they will each be discounted $30 at checkout, for a total of $90 off. These classes can otherwise be taken individually. To progress through this course you will: Read the print readings. Have the option of accessing the online readings. Listen to the audio presentation for the Unit and view the slides. Have the option of taking a self-quiz to see how much you have learned. Engage in written online discussion with your instructor and other participants. The content (readings, audio lectures, slides) and self quizzes are accessible for the entire course, so you can work ahead, or go back and review again, at your convenience. Discussion: The discussion for each unit lasts one week. All comments are made in writing and can be made at any time of the day or night. Your instructor will log into the discussion area at least once a day and answer questions, make comments, and respond to comments by you and the other participants. We encourage you to make 2-3 comments each day to maximize your learning and enjoyment of the course.

This course shows you how to create a worksheet used to adjust the account balances and prepare the financial statements. Use your financial statements to measure performance, make improvements and set goals. The final step covered in this course is closing your books and preparing them for the next accounting period; this is done by journalizing and posting closing entries. To progress through this course you will: Read the print readings. Have the option of accessing the online readings. Listen to the audio presentation for the Unit and view the slides. Have the option of taking a self-quiz to see how much you have learned. Engage in written online discussion with your instructor and other participants. The content (readings, audio lectures, slides) and self quizzes are accessible for the entire course, so you can work ahead, or go back and review again, at your convenience. Discussion: The discussion for each unit lasts one week. All comments are made in writing and can be made at any time of the day or night. Your instructor will log into the discussion area at least once a day and answer questions, make comments, and respond to comments by you and the other participants. We encourage you to make 2-3 comments each day to maximize your learning and enjoyment of the course.

Whether you are sending out a press release, communicating internally with a memo or promoting your own skills on LinkedIn, strong writing skills are the key to success. Come away with the tools and techniques you need to improve your copywriting skills and learn how to avoid the common writing mistakes that can hold you back. To progress through this course you will: Read the print readings. Have the option of accessing the online readings. Listen to the audio presentation for the Unit and view the slides. Have the option of taking a self-quiz to see how much you have learned. Engage in written online discussion with your instructor and other participants. The content (readings, audio lectures, slides) and self quizzes are accessible for the entire course, so you can work ahead, or go back and review again, at your convenience. Discussion: The discussion for each unit lasts one week. All comments are made in writing and can be made at any time of the day or night. Your instructor will log into the discussion area at least once a day and answer questions, make comments, and respond to comments by you and the other participants. We encourage you to make 2-3 comments each day to maximize your learning and enjoyment of the course.

Being able to write a good news story, press release or publicity notice is a skill that can set you apart in the workplace. Getting the word out is an essential activity for every organization. Acquire the skills good journalists have and learn how to craft a news story, press release or publicity notice that will get attention. To progress through this course you will: Read the print readings. Have the option of accessing the online readings. Listen to the audio presentation for the Unit and view the slides. Have the option of taking a self-quiz to see how much you have learned. Engage in written online discussion with your instructor and other participants. The content (readings, audio lectures, slides) and self quizzes are accessible for the entire course, so you can work ahead, or go back and review again, at your convenience. Discussion: The discussion for each unit lasts one week. All comments are made in writing and can be made at any time of the day or night. Your instructor will log into the discussion area at least once a day and answer questions, make comments, and respond to comments by you and the other participants. We encourage you to make 2-3 comments each day to maximize your learning and enjoyment of the course.