Bond forum #4 is planned for Oct. 26 at South Albany High School at 6 p.m. The meetings are open to the public and are intended to share information about possible projects for a May 2017 bond election.
Enrollment is projected to continue growing in the district, and most schools are at or near capacity. In addition, GAPS schools are aging and need improvements.
This week, band students at North Albany Middle School performed the first of many concerts this year. The event showcased beginning and advanced student musicians.
North Albany Middle School band programs are directed by Andy Nelson. Upcoming performances at NAMS are listed on the school calendar on the website. For a list of upcoming performances at other GAPS schools, check the school websites.
Photos submitted by Andy Nelson.
Something positive for the election season. Listen to a lovely concert clip at the Calapooia Middle School choir performance on Oct. 13.
Calapooia social studies teacher Sue McGrory was named a 2016-17 Civic Scholar and will be recognized at the annual Civics Conference for Teachers at the State Capitol on Dec. 2.
McGrory was nominated by Senator Sara Gelser. The award is part of a statewide initiative to enhance high quality professional development in civic education for teachers. It includes conference registration, special recognition at the conference and follow-up classroom assistance.
The Civics Conference for Teachers is in its 10th year. It is organized by the Classroom Law Project and includes break-out sessions and a chance to network with social studies teachers from other districts.
The SAHS College and Career Readiness Center shared the following story about one of their students, who had the opportunity to participate in a science internship at OSU. Riley Duncan and classmate Ryan Nafziger spoke to the board about the experience at a School Board meeting in late September.
Read the story published in the Rebel Pride: SAHS Paths to Success Student for October:
Riley Duncan was one of two students at South Albany High School to be accepted for the ASE (apprenticeship in science and engineering) program at OSU through the Saturday Academy. Riley was able to work with OSU’s botanical research and ecology department alongside professors and college students to conduct research. There were a total of 155 students that interned in different areas of science and engineering and at the end of their experiences the students presented at a symposium. Ryan Nafziger was also accepted into the program and we hope to feature his experience soon!
Riley shared that he had the opportunity to work in a lab and he would mate moths in a greenhouse to study their preferences on where they wanted to lay their eggs between tansy ragwort and arrowleaf groundsel. He also conducted research on caterpillars and their egg laying preferences. When discussing how this internship impacted his future goals, Riley shared, “I myself I want to be a professor and I want to work in academia. I want to work specifically with arachnids which are very related to insects, so just the fact that I got to work with insects got me a step closer to working with spiders. Now as a result of this internship I actually got to network without knowing it. I was offered a job by the curator of the arthropod museum at OSU (which he unfortunately wasn’t able to accept) and I was able to work with someone that is an arachnologist, which is something that I want to do. I just learned so much about different aspects of entomology and arachnology.”
When discussing this program, Riley found impossible to find the right words to express his gratitude for the experience. Riley was able to make this possible by focusing on something he was truly passionate about in his application and being able to demonstrate his proven interest in this area of science. Riley also participates in SAHS’s horticulture club and had encouragement from his club leader and SAHS teacher Hans Schneiter to apply. Riley has also been able to develop important interpersonal skills through SAHS’s transition program through his involvement in working in the Red and Gray store and engaging in the T3 internship program at the Boys and Girls. After Riley graduates he plans to attend to LBCC at first, but then he plans to enroll at OSU.
SAHS staff is thrilled that Riley had this opportunity. We hope to continue seeing our students enroll into theses hands-on experiences that help them better prepare for their future and create paths for new opportunities. Riley is our featured SAHS Paths to Success Student for the career center for October, but stay tuned to see some of the other amazing activities our students are involved in and what they aspire to be!
Riley Duncan’s final project on moth plant preferences.
Ryan Nafziger studied heat transfer efficiency at during his internship at thge Apprenticeships in Science and Engineering (ASE) program.
