News

Today was the first day of school for kindergarten students in Greater Albany Public Schools. More than 700 kindergartners showed up for class at the District’s 14 elementary schools.

Kindergarten is an important introduction to school. Students learn social and academic skills and how to be successful in the school system.

Kindergarten instruction is designed to help students meet state standards in language arts, math, science and social sciences. Read about Oregon kindergarten standards. 

Enrollment in Greater Albany schools is up this year in almost all grades. This is the second year of full-day kindergarten in the District.

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.”