News

The second meeting of the new Anti-Bullying, Anti-Harassment Task Force is scheduled for Feb. 7 at Albany Options School at 6 p.m.

More than 40 parents, community members and staff attended the first meeting on Jan. 24. Participants had the opportunity to share, in small groups, why they were attending and what outcomes they anticipating.

At the meeting, district staff presented and overview of bullying and had participants break into small groups to analyze various aspects and data relating to bullying that they could share out to the larger group.

See the presentation.

At the end of the evening, the small groups focused on beginning to look at the various roles community stakeholders play in addressing the issue of bullying in our community. A summary of those findings will be presented at the Feb. 7 meeting.

After extensive research on the environmental impact of single-use plastic bags, Memorial Middle School Environmental Club members Danielle Hernandez, William Summit and Joshua LaBelle shared their research in a presentation to the School Board on Jan. 22.

With the help of teachers Jennie Allen and Anna Harris, the students researched how these plastic bags impact the human population, environment and animals worldwide.

“They worked very hard on it, especially considering we only see them for a half an hour each week day and for only 10 minutes on Wednesdays,” said Harris.

From the presentation:

Why should we ban single-use plastic bags?

Because they are so lightweight plastic bags can travel long distances by wind and water. They litter our landscapes, get caught in fences and trees, float around in waterways, and can eventually make their way into the world’s oceans.

The presentation concluded with rationale for using reusable bags instead of single-use bags in our community and a request for permission to speak to the Albany City Council. They are scheduled to present at the Council meeting on Feb. 28 at 7:15 p.m.

See the student presentation.

SELCO Community Credit Union has announced application dates for their 2018 SPARK! Creative Learning Grants. Grants are available up to $1,000 for K-12 teachers.

“We love projects that spark something new and want to see proposals for helping kids create and teachers innovate.”

If interested, find details about grant requirements and scoring criteria on the Selco Community Credit Union website.

Please note the following dates:

August 15: Applications open
SELCO SPARK! Creative Learning Grants

September 30: Application deadline
SELCO SPARK! Creative Learning Grants

Visit selco.org/SPARK for details and to apply.

“We can’t wait to see what innovative projects our teachers come up with this year.”

The bond project plan and timeline is nearly complete, and work is scheduled to start this summer at school sites around the district.

This summer, high-priority projects at 18 school sites will begin, including upgrades at 11 elementary schools, three middle schools, two high schools, the district office and facility department.

The project list includes Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements, fire alarms and doors, food science classroom and PE locker room upgrades, and improvements to address HVAC, plumbing, paving, roofing and seismic needs.

See the list of school sites and projects. 

Demolition and reconstruction work will also start at Oak Grove Elementary School as soon as school is out for the year.

Designs for the new building are complete. See the latest drawings.

Last night, Superintendent Golden thanked the School Board members for their service to GAPS students. He read the official Governor’s Proclamation and showed a video of students thanking the School Board for their service.

The Proclamation reads as follows:

WHEREAS: Oregonians rely on public education to ensure a prosperous quality of life and strong economic health for Oregon; and

WHEREAS: Locally elected boards fulfill leadership roles and serve as the conduit through which teachers, parents, businesses and conununities demonstrate the care, creativity and support that lead to student achievement; and
WHEREAS: Public schools nurture and train diverse student populations to the best of their ability, whatever the resources, to give students the knowledge, skills and opportunities they need to succeed; and

WHEREAS: Board members build the framework that makes it possible for education organizations to teach Oregon’s children; and

WHEREAS: The committed men and women who serve on the boards of Oregon’s 197 school districts, 19 education service districts and 17 community colleges deserve recognition and thanks for their dedication to the education needs of the people of Oregon.

NOW, THEREFORE: I, Kate Brown, Governor of the State of Oregon, hereby proclaim January 2018 to be

SCHOOL BOARD RECOGNITION MONTH

See the official signed proclamation.