Skip Navigation
Home    News

News

Lions Club conducts annual elementary vision screening

Posted on: October 30, 2017

This month, the East Albany Lions Club conducted their annual vision screening program for elementary students. Each year, they visit every elementary school in the district.

With parent permission, students sit for eye measurements taken with a device that is similar in appearance to a camera or a pair of binoculars. The screening is fast and does not require students to read eye charts or look into vision machines. The procedure is so quick that four Lions Club members using four devices can examine an entire class in just 10 minutes.

Results are later shared with families. If results indicate additional testing is needed, parent receive a letter recommending additional evaluation by an eyecare specialist. The Lions Club can help needy families obtain eyeglasses if necessary.

 

 

 

SWARM wins state grant to support robotics program

Posted on: October 26, 2017

The South and West Albany Robotics Maniacs (SWARM) team has been awarded a $2,500 grant from the Oregon Department of Education. This was the highest grant award in the state for the $20,000 grant program for Oregon teams.

The grant will provide an important part of the financial support the team needs to compete. According to volunteer Jodie Bowen, the team has worked on fundraising for this year’s challenge all year. “The entire team has put in countless hours throughout the year, including the summer, to raise awareness and money to fund the 2017-18 year,” she said.

This grant was part of the year-long fundraising effort. West Albany High School junior Josh Richardson was responsible for the grant writing that made this particular award possible.

The team is preparing for the FIRST Robotics competition, which start later this year. The challenge includes skills in science, technology, engineering and math to design and build a robot using a standard “kit of parts” within a common set of rules to play a sophisticated field game during the tournaments. Each team is guided by mentors with expertise in their fields.

The team meets every Thursday evening at South Albany High School in the woodshop. During the build season they meet more frequently.

This will be the first year the team will use space at one of the high schools. In prior years, they had been meeting in Tangent, but the donated space is no longer available.

“Principal Belveal offered them use of the woodshop in addition to a small room for their equipment,” said Bowen. “They also had a shipping container donated to them by Boeing that they can keep the rest of their equipment in. It was all such a blessing and the team spent the summer moving and getting their personal areas prepared and ready for the season.”

The competition will officially start at the competition kickoff on Jan. 6, 2018.

School Board honors Memorial Middle School All-Stars

Posted on: October 24, 2017

On Monday, the School Board honored Student All-Stars from Memorial Middle School for earning the highest scores on the 2016-17 state assessments in language arts, math and science.

Memorial students (pictured from left) are Emily Ray, eighth-grade English Language Arts; Alice Whiteside, sixth-grade English Language Arts; Luke Milburn, seventh-grade English Language Arts; Sophia Hanson, sixth-grade math; Paige Rogers, seventh-grade math; Abraham Bartholomew, eighth-grade math; and Patrizia Lynnel, eighth-grade science.

School Board honors Calapooia Middle School All-Stars

Posted on: October 24, 2017

On Monday, the School Board honored Student All-Stars from Calapooia Middle School for earning the highest scores on the 2016-17 state assessments in language arts, math and science.

Calapooia students (pictured from left) are Katelyn Haury, seventh-grade English Language Arts; Elisha Billman, eighth-grade English Language Arts; Sara Nafziger, sixth-grade English Language Arts and math; Emma Porris, seventh-grade math; Zachary Patten, eight-grade math and science.