Welcome to the 2023-24 school year! I am Dr. Shane Christensen, principal at Indian Hills. Mr. Sinram, associate principal/activities director, and I are excited to share with you some important information as we prepare for another great year. Middle school is an important time in the life of a student. Students are going through a tremendous amount of growth physically, intellectually, emotionally, and socially. In fact, it is not since students were two-years-old that they have gone through this much change! Our goal for your time at Indian Hills is to create a collaborative, caring environment where students feel safe to explore all of the opportunities available to them. We encourage all students to become involved in school in as many ways as possible. We look forward to partnering with families to accomplish a responsive, challenging, empowering, equitable, and engaging school culture, environment, and community.

Communication is key. We encourage families and students to not hesitate to reach out to contact an administrator, counselor, secretary, or teacher to find out information or seek support proactively or in the early stages of a concern. Learn more about what is going on at Indian Hills by bookmarking our home page in your web browser: https://www.wdmcs.org/indian-hills as a favorite. You can also follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/wdmindianhills) and Twitter (@IndianHillsJH), as well as participate in our parent/guardian-teacher organization, CPI (Committee for Parent Involvement), at https://www.wdmcs.org/CPI.

Indian Hills Junior High opened its doors on Nov. 22, 1977. The formal dedication was held Sunday, April 16, 1978.

The current Indian Hills building has an interesting history. A labor strike had delayed the opening of the building, and a parent group was organized to help with moving equipment and supplies. The final move began at 6:30 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 20, and was to be completed that same weekend. Trucks, station wagons, shuttle buses, and cars were all used in the move. Each student helped carry an item into the building. By 6 p.m., all equipment and supplies had been delivered to the new building. A picnic supper was held in the student center. Students arrived for the first day of classes two days later, Monday, Nov. 22. The parent group that organized the move still exists and has been an integral part of the Indian Hills program.

Indian Hills sits on 22 acres of land in the Indian Hills subdivision of Clive, Iowa. Although located in Clive, the building is part of the West Des Moines Community School District and serves students in four communities: Clive, West Des Moines, Windsor Heights, and Urbandale.

Indian Hills originally had 28 classrooms, a spacious auditorium, a gymnasium and student center, preparation kitchens, and main offices. An additional 17 classrooms, one computer lab, two sciences rooms, a band room, and a second gym were added in 1993 during extensive remodeling. A complete renovation in 2009 included a kitchen makeover, new heating and air condition systems, new lockers, classroom technology upgrades, improvements to the athletic fields and entryway, and new carpet, tile, and paint throughout the building. Renovations continued in 2010, with the addition of a CAD lab, restroom upgrades, new paint and curtains for the auditorium, and new paint in the gym. The grounds provide three tennis courts, a softball field, three soccer fields, two baseball diamonds, a prairie area, outdoor classrooms, and parking for cars and bikes.

Indian Hills provides a curriculum with a strong basic program and a blend of elective exploratory programs necessary at the junior high level. Constant review of the curriculum has always taken place by the staff and administration to provide the best total educational program to the students. With strong parent support and student involvement, we plan to continue that tradition.