News

The South Albany High School Southern Belles and Gents dance won the state championship at state competition in Portland this month.

During the announcement of the finalists, the team was erroneously not included in the list. After the mistake was corrected, the team went on to with the 5A OSAA 2017 Dance and Drill State Championships.

Here is an account by team coach Amanda Gavette:

The team had whirlwind of a weekend up at the OSAA Dance & Drill State Championships!

Friday night was preliminary rounds. For some reason,South Albany was NOT announced as a finalist. After the event, I ran to the competition director to see what had happened, and found they forgot to announce us. We were finalists!

This has been one of the hardest working teams I have ever had the pleasure of coaching. They knew what they wanted, were willing to invest the work it took, and were rewarded for their efforts this year.

During the event, senior dancer Jennifer Hayden earned a $1,000 academic scholarship from the Dance and Drill Coaches Association. Seniors Gabrielle Morgan and Makayla Sloan were named to the prestigious All-State Team.

Watch videos of the dance performances:

• South Albany “This Gift”
• 2017 All-State Team

See a photo gallery of the performances. Photo credit: Don Bacher

Albany Options High School student Juan Ortiz Cortez is a talented artist who recently won first place at the Cesar E Chavez Leadership Conference art contest. Read the story by Albany Options staff:

Albany Options School student, Juan Ortiz Cortez, won first place in an art contest on March 3, 2017, at the Cesar E Chavez Leadership Conference in Monmouth, Oregon. Students could submit art work of or inspired by Cesar Chavez and his work related to labor and civil rights activism. Juan Ortiz Cortez submitted a portrait of Chavez drawn in pencil.

The conference is considered the larges Latino youth leadership conference in the Pacific Northwest. This year about 2,200 students attended, including several from Albany Options School. Ortiz was encouraged by the counselor to submit a piece of artwork for the contest.

Ortiz won $250 for earning first place, which he plans to use to buy more art supplies. He is mostly self-taught, but has taken some art classes, especially at AOS with Mrs. Gillispie. Ortiz stated that he dreams of being an artist as his career.

The Albany Democrat-Herald published a snapshot story about Ortiz in the entertainment section of the paper on March 16th, 2017.

Ortiz also created the artwork and designed the AOS school t-shirt for the 2016-2017 school year.

Students in grades 3-8 can test their math skills in a competition on April 8 at Linn Benton Community College.

The competition includes an individual 15-problem test and a team word-problem event. The top math students will receive an award, and all students will get a certificate of participation.

The cost is $10. Registration is open until April 4.

Registration forms and more information

A special edition of the GAPS quarterly newsletter was mailed to all households in the District this week.

You can also read it online. 

As part of the effort to help students train for careers after graduating, South Albany High School has a lunch and learn program that introduces students to business owners who share expertise and tips for pursuing skilled work.

The following story is by Stutzman Services, Inc., which sent representatives to SAHS on Tuesday.

SAHS Students Explore Water Management Careers

On Tuesday, March 14, representatives of Stutzman Services gave an interactive presentation to students at South Albany High School as part of a Lunch & Learn event.

Fifteen students gathered in a classroom to eat pizza and learn more about career opportunities in the skilled trades, which are in high-demand according to Stutzman Services Communications Director Chris Nafziger. “We believe that water is life’s most valuable resource, and today we are going to talk about two careers that are crucial to managing water, and also in high-demand,” he said.

The presentation focused on two careers: Well Water Systems Technician and Journeyman Plumber.

Water Systems Manager Dale Aerni spoke about his career path and encouraged students to discover what they like to do and are good at doing. For him, it was managing groundwater by installing and servicing submersible pumps and water treatment systems, work that eventually led him to become a co-owner of the company.

Well Water Systems Technician Luke Butler described the education and training required for his career and what he likes best about the job. “I enjoy the travel. We drive a lot and get to see a lot of the Mid-Willamette Valley,” he said. “I also like the variety of the job and working outside with my hands. Seventeen years into my career and I’m still learning.”

Plumbing Manager Brent Stutzman began by asking students what comes to mind when they picture a plumber. After acknowledging the expected negative caricature, he explained the importance of plumbing systems and quoted from Plumbing Manufacturers International: “Clean, drinkable water has likely protected more lives and extended life expectancy more than any medical advancement.”

Stutzman said that Journeyman Plumbers are in very short supply across the nation, and that is resulting in increased wages. In Oregon, students in a plumbing apprenticeship are also required to work full time, which means they can move into a high-paying career without college debt.

Stutzman also encouraged the female students in attendance to pursue career paths in the skilled trades, including plumbing.

Afterwards, students had the chance to see a submersible well pump and control system close-up, and use a power tool to assemble some pipe and fittings.

“The students loved the presentation and the speakers did an excellent job engaging the group,” said Rose Zoellner, Business to School Liaison at South Albany High School.