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GAPS students performed well in the county spelling competition. The winners in each division will compete at the state level, held at the Oregon State Fair on Sept. 2.

The following press release was issued by GAPS teacher and spelling bee coordinator Sue McGrory:

Students from Albany, Lebanon, and Sweet Home participated in the annual Linn County Spelling Contest, which was held on May 24 at Calapooia Middle School in Albany. There were three divisions competing at the county level. Division I is grades 1 – 5; Division II is grades 6 – 8; and Division III is grades 9 -12.

Winners in all divisions were:

Elementary – Division I:

• 1st Place:  Jazmine Jordan, Sweet Home Charter School, Sweet Home
•  2nd Place: Brynna Gritter Kenneke, North Albany Elementary School, Albany
• 3rd Place:  Ethan Parrish, Sweet Home Charter School, Sweet home

Middle School – Division II:

• 1st Place:  Paige Rogers, Memorial Middle School, Albany
• 2nd Place: Porter Tiffee, Seven Oaks Middle School, Lebanon
• 3rd Place: Josie Cleveland, Hamilton Creek School, Lebanon

High School – Division III:

• 1st Place:  Stephni DeMello, Albany Options School, Albany
•  2nd Place:  Nathaniel Hering, South Albany High School, Albany
• 3rd Place:  No participants

Each first place winner in Linn County will be invited to participate in the annual statewide spelling contest to be held at the Oregon State Fairgrounds, during the Oregon State Fair, on Saturday, Sept.2, 2017.

Statewide, the spelling contest is held at three levels – district, county, and state. This year’s Linn County contest was coordinated by district teachers, volunteering their time to continue this annual competition. Benton County held its own contest this year. The state contest is now being coordinated by the Oregon Spellers, a volunteer organization.

From left: Brynna Gritter Kenneke, North Albany Elementary School (2^nd place); Jazmine Jordan (1^st Place); Ethan Parrish (3^rdPlace).

From left: Porter Tiffee (2^nd place); Josie Cleveland (3^rd place); Paige Rogers, Memorial Middle School (1^st place)

From left: Nathaniel Hering, South Albany High School (2^nd place); Stephni DeMello, Albany Options (1^st place)

Earlier this year, HP donated a Sprout computer station to the makers club at Calapooia Middle School. Sprout is an interactive computer, scanner and design station.

Students are building programmable Arduino bots and using the Sprout to program them to sing. An Arduino bot is a robot on wheels that can be programmed for specific movement or tasks.

HP published an article with photos in its HP Developers newsletter. Read more about this fun program for students and the partnership with HP.

Pianotime for Sprout gives Arduino bots a voice in Oregon.

Now three years old, the South Albany High School AVID program is showing great success in raising student achievement. It provides a boost to students who might not otherwise apply to college or enroll in advanced classes.

Benjamin Sell (pictured), is the SAHS AVID teacher. He says the data shows marked improvements in attendance, grades and higher-level courses.

Read more in the Democrat-Herald.

South Albany High School will hold its annual AVID night to officially welcome students into next year’s AVID class. Contact SAHS for more information.

Photo: Democrat-Herald

The annual retiree reception recognized the contributions of 30 GAPS teachers, classified staff and administrators who are leaving the District after serving Greater Albany students for a combined total of 539 years.

Family members and friends joined retirees at the tropical paradise-themed reception. Human Resources Director Randy Lary introduced the following retirees:

• Lenora Roberts, Grade 1 – Fir Grove : 37 years
• Kerri Lemerande, Science – WAHS: 29 years
• Lori McGuire, Assistant to HR Director – District Office: 29 years
• Barb Villaruel, School Office Manager – Waverly: 28 years
• Cindy Holcomb, Grade 2 – Oak: 26 years
• Kathy Kalina, Special Education Assistant – Periwinkle : 26 years
• Karen Kennedy, School Office Manager – SAHS: 24 years
• Connie Shrout, Grade 4 – Timber Ridge: 23 years
• Judy Davies, Special Education Assistant – North Albany Elementary: 22 years
• Cindy Miller, Functional Skills – Calapooia Middle: 22 years
• Krista Hartman, College Credit – WAHS: 21 years
• Maria Martinez, Counseling Secretary & Registrar – Memorial Middle: 21 years
• Pat Weidmann, Principal – Sunrise : 21 years
• Sharon DuBeau,  Language Arts – Calapooia Middle: 18 years
• Jessica Jamison-Wells, Language Arts – North Albany Middle: 18 years
• Terry Amerling, Special Education Assistant – Liberty : 17 years
• Jennifer Hagen, Personal Care Assistant – SAHS: 16 years
• Leo Huot, Assistant Principal – North Albany Middle: 16 years
• Sandi McGinnis, Special Education Assistant – Calapooia Middle: 16 years
• Robert Frampton, Special Needs Bus Driver – Transportation: 15 years
• LaDeen Marlowe, Bus Driver – Transportation: 14 years
• Gary Johnson, Custodian – Memoria Middle: 13 years
• Mary Lou Seibel, Custodian – Oak: 12 years
• Tim Haag, Grade 4 – Central: 11 years
• Ruth Holmes, Special Education Assistant – South Shore: 11 years
• Greg Lehr, Custodian – Calapooia Middle: 11 years
• Durwood Ranton, Bus Driver – Transportation: 11 years
• Joyce Stringer, Business – SAHS: 11 years
• Corina Victorio, Secretary – South Shore; 5 years
• Kim Schueller, Special Education Assistant-Communication – Takena: 5 years