News

At the first annual GAPS Student All-Stars Celebration, the School Board honored outstanding students from each school. Students were nominated by school staff and introduced by the school principal.

Albany Options All-Stars are: 

Juan Ortiz-Cortez

Juan is a quiet leader in our building. He excels academically, works hard, is always kind, volunteers, and is college bound. He won the art contest at the Cesar Chavez Leadership Conference last year, and his design was used for the t-shirt designs this year!

Laurel Elliot

Laurel is a leader in our school and community. She volunteers regularly both in and out of school, earns high grades, and is a member of Leadership at AOS.

Tonight, the School Board recognized students from each school in the district for their citizenship and outstanding school and community service. The event was the first annual Recognition of Student All-Stars awards ceremony, held at South Albany High School.

In a move away from student all-star recognition at School Board meetings, the special ceremony was a festive opportunity to praise students for their efforts and character that doesn’t compete with School Board business each month and ensures that families can better celebrate their kids’ achievements.

Students were nominated by school staff. Principals from each school presented the certificates to students, who shook hands with all School Board members and posed for a school photos. In all, 44 students were recognized.

Principal comments and school photos will be posted for each school this week. 

Work will start soon on bond-funded projects around the district. Come to a community meeting in May to learn about the plans.

May 2: West Albany High School
May 23: South Albany High School

Both meetings will start at 7 p.m.

Last month, the district’s new Anti-Bullying Task Force presented recommendations to the School Board.

The task force, which is comprised of GAPS staff, parents, and community partners, has had two community forums. At the first forum, a definition of bullying was presented, along with various statistics and facts related to bullying and its effects on students. The group also began to look at the scope of bullying in our community, both at the school level and in the community at large.

At the second forum, the Task Force formulated concrete suggestions for the school Board to consider to address the problem.

The forums yielded recommendations for improvements to school climate that included curriculum and behavioral supports to improve school climate; new rules and policies to prevent bullying and education about policies and consequences; staff training in bullying prevention; and programs to improve coordinated prevention efforts.

Anti-Bullying Task Force Recommendations to the Board

Read the story in the Democrat-Herald

The annual Character Education poster contest is accepting art submissions from students in grades K-12 through April 20. Original art can be no larger than 8.5″ x 11″ in any medium and must address at least one of the following character traits: personal responsibility, honesty and integrity, self-discipline, courage, social responsibility, kindness, respect, justice.

Students can submit artwork to a staff member at their school. All submissions will be displayed at the main branch of the Albany Public Library. Winners will a frame for their art and a poster of all winning art.

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