If you have a child who is under five years old, you can sign them up to receive a free book by mail each month.
The free book program is sponsored by the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and operated by United Way of Linn County.
All children up to age 5 who live in Albany are eligible. Read more or register your child on the United Way website.
Tonight is the first of two open houses for the new South Albany Cafeteria. The building will be open for self-guided tours tonight from 6-7:30 p.m.
On Saturday, Sept. 24, a second open house event is planned from 10-11:30 a.m. This event will also include recognition of donors to the Albany Public Schools Foundation South Albany High School Fire Fund.
Area leaders, including local legislators, have been invited to the event on Sept. 24. Both events are open to the public.
More than 60 fifth-grade students took over the school library at Periwinkle Elementary School this week. The students will use the temporary classroom space until the new modular classrooms are ready in mid-September.
The students from Kristyn Kohler’s (pictured, right) and Mercedes Strowbridge’s classrooms will share the library space and learn as a group until they split up during the move to the new classrooms.
The new classroom space is being added at the school because of high enrollment growth in the attendance area.
Sixth-grade students made the leap today from elementary to secondary school. Calapooia, Memorial and North Albany middle school sixth-graders had their schools to themselves for the day. Seventh- and eighth-grade students begin tomorrow.
In addition to learning new schedules and locker combinations, students at Memorial Middle School also learned what they would accomplish as middle school students.
In an all-school assembly to kick off the school year, Principal Ken Gilbert asked students what they thought their jobs were in middle school. Students responded that they were there to work hard, show up on time, listen to teachers and learn.
Gilbert said all of that was true, but their job was bigger than that. “Your job over the next three years at Memorial Middle School is to get prepared for high school and for your future after high school,” he said. “You are preparing for seven years from now when you will enter college or other training.”
The Start Making a Reader Today (SMART) program needs volunteer readers for the early childhood reading program at Central, Sunrise, Takena and Waverly elementary schools this year.
The SMART program brings volunteers into schools to read to students in kindergarten through third grade for an hour each week from October to May.
The program is organized in GAPS schools by Christi Clark of Get SMART Oregon. She said they are seeking about 20 volunteers to read at Waverly and more than 100 volunteers total for the four GAPS schools.
SMART supports reading as a vital foundation for educational and life success. “Reading to kids gets them school-ready,” said Clark. She said building reading skills is especially important in the early grades. “First they learn to read. After grade three, they read to learn,” she said.
To volunteer, contact Christi Clark for information: www.cclark@getsmartoregon.org or 541-753-0822.