Last Friday, GAPS hosted a regional Rotary conference. Rotary is an international service club. Local chapters focus on community service projects and donations.
One of the central missions of Rotary is to improve literacy for kids. Each year, Rotarians provide free dictionaries to all third graders.
During last week’s conference, Rotary members visited our schools to read to children. These photos are from Oak Elementary School.
On Monday, the School Board honored Student All-Stars from Waverly Elementary School for their motivation, perseverance, growth, and school and community service.
Waverly students are:
Sofia Leal
Sofia is the definition of motivation and perseverance. She works hard every day and gives her very best effort on each assignment. She is a kind and compassionate person who is a great role model to her classmates and other students in our school. She has not missed one day of school since she began attending Waverly as a kindergartner.
Maritza Casillas
Maritza is an amazing, hard-working, intelligent, and responsible student who continues to show growth mindset my always working hard and pushing her thinking by asking genuine questions. By making connections to our learning in the classroom and by finding multiple pathways to solve a problem, she is always pushing her thinking to the next level.
On Thursday, the School Board honored Student All-Stars from Periwinkle Elementary School for their motivation, perseverance, growth, and school and community service.
Periwinkle students are:
Mia Hernandez
Mia is a dedicated worker who takes pride in her work. She goes above and beyond with her assignments. She is always looking for ways to push her thinking and learning. She is also a caring individual who helps others. She has been a part of establishing a school newspaper staffed by fifth-grade students utilizing Chromebooks and Google Docs.
Alexis Moreno
Alexis embodies perseverance and determination. He approaches everything he does with a positive attitude. Alexis has shown amazing academic and social growth in his time at Periwinkle. He has blossomed from being a shy, reserved learner to a regular contributor in class. He has exited the English Language Learner program through hard work and effort.
The Timber Ridge Parent Teacher Club hosted a family science night this week for both Clover Ridge and Timber Ridge Families. The event included free activities sponsored by partnerships with OSU and LBCC that focused on earth science, chemistry, physics, and OSU nuclear engineering.
Timber Ridge leadership students and parents volunteered to help with the activities. The event had great turnout. The school said the feedback was very positive from the organizers and families. They hope to make it an annual event.
The annual GAPS spelling bee was May 10, and winners were announced for each grade level.
The following press release is from Calapooia Middle School teacher and Greater Albany Education Association President Sue McGrory.
Congrats to all students who participated.
DISTRICT HOLDS ANNUAL SPELLING CONTEST
Students from across the Greater Albany Public School District participated in the annual District Spelling Contest, which was held on Wednesday, May 10 at Calapooia Middle School. The school library, site of the competition, was also filled with parents and teachers from across the district, supporting their spellers.
There were three divisions competing at the local school level. Division I is grades 1 – 5; Division II is grades 6 – 8; and Division III is grades 9 -12. Each winner received a certificate and was recognized at a School Board meeting.
Winners were:
Elementary – Division I:
Middle School – Division II:
High School – Division III:
Statewide, the spelling contest is held at three levels – local school district, county, and state. GAPS winners will go onto compete at the next levels. The winners from each division will represent Greater Albany Public School district at a regional spelling contest held at Calapooia Middle School on Wednesday, May 24.
This year’s district level contest and regional (county) contest are coordinated by district teachers and staff, volunteering their time to continue the annual competition.
Pictured (from left): Division 1: Michael Franzwa, Brynna Gritter Kenneke, Logan Falotico; Division 2: Paige Rogers, Azlynn Warren, Dru Huddleston; Division 3: Stephni DeMello, Nathaniel Hering