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On Monday, the School Board honored Student All-Stars from Memorial Middle School for their motivation, perseverance, growth, and school and community service.

Memorial students are:

Colby Vigil

Colby has faced many challenges in middle school and has always attacked them with a positive can-do attitude.  Even though things are not always smooth, he continues to display courage and persevere through some difficult situations.  Way to stay strong Colby!

Aliyah Haji-Mohamed​

​Aliyah has been a tremendous role model for other students at Memorial in how to stand up for what is right.  She has faced some pretty serious social adversity and with dignity worked her way through it for the betterment of all students.  She embodies the meaning of perseverance.

On Monday, the School Board honored Student All-Stars from Calapooia Middle School for their motivation, perseverance, growth, and school and community service.

Calapooia students are:

Susana Benito-Hernandez

Susana  is a model student who always works her hardest and helps others to do the same. She always has a smile on her face, and her work ethic and a strong sense of empathy help her to be a leader in the classroom.

Tayten McKamey

Tayten is a dedicated student who holds himself to high standards, and he challenges himself and others to extend and apply their learning in complex ways. He is a leader in the classroom, a helper to others, and has a kind heart and spirit.

On Monday, the School Board honored Student All-Stars from North Albany Middle School for their motivation, perseverance, growth, and school and community service.

North Albany students are:

Chase Clure and Shelbylinn Connell

Shelbylinn Connell and Chase Clure are siblings and are both eighth graders being recognized for motivation and perseverance. Shelbylinn’s favorite class is choir and Chase’s favorite class is band. At the beginning of summer, the family went through some housing difficulties. The family stayed strong and the students found a way to start the year with a positive outlook. They have continued to do well as the housing issues were resolved.

Lauren Harvey

Lauren Harvey is in our seventh grade AVID class. Her favorite class is AVID. She is being recognized for perseverance and growth mindset. She has been making a concerted effort to retake assessments and has been sharing what she has learned in the tutorial process with her table groups in other classes like social studies.

Albany Options School science teacher Tassay Gillispie has been selected to be a member of a group of fifty educators from across the country who are WGBH Teacher Advisors. This group will help design and develop instructional resources that address diverse student needs through the K-12 STEM education project, Bringing the Universe to America’s Classrooms, a WGBH initiative in collaboration with NASA.

WGBH is a public radio station located in Boston, Massachusetts and is a member station of National Public Radio. They have partnered with NASA to develop STEM curriculum focused on climate change, on which Gillispie will serve as an adviser.

Gillispie will be working with the Oregon State University Center for Research on Lifelong STEM Learning. She will begin her training by attending the National Science Teaching Conference in Los Angeles, CA in April.

Gillispie has taught at Albany Options School for five years and has previous experience at South Albany High School, Jefferson High School, Linus Pauling Middle School, and Timber Ridge School. Through her teaching she has partnered with organizations including SOLV, City of Albany Public Works, City of Albany Parks and Recreation, Calapooia Watershed Council, Blue Ocean Project, and Oregon Museum of Science Institute (OMSI). She earned her Masters of Science in Science Education from Montana State University, and her Bachelors of Science in Science Education from Western Oregon University.

This month, Lafayette Elementary School honored long-serving teachers with the following message:

Lafayette Elementary would like to celebrate the years of service these wonderful teachers have given to our district.

Your commitment to helping and guiding the children of Albany to become lifelong learners and citizens in our community is honorable.  Thank You!

From Left to Right: Cheri Hart, 15 years; Barb Boenzli, 35 years; Cindy Miller, 20 years; Shelly Avery, 10 years; Nancy Boydston, 15 years; Kathleen Delsman, 10 years; Susan Smith, 10 years. Not pictured: Cindy Beebe, 15 years.