News

This week, the School Board recognized the winners of the county spelling bee. The students were top spellers in the district and county competitions.

Pictured are Brynna Gritter Kenneke, Logan Falotico, Michael Franzwa, Dru Huddleston, Paige Rogers and Stephanie DeMello.

Read more about the competition. 

GAPS students performed well in the county spelling competition. The winners in each division will compete at the state level, held at the Oregon State Fair on Sept. 2.

The following press release was issued by GAPS teacher and spelling bee coordinator Sue McGrory:

Students from Albany, Lebanon, and Sweet Home participated in the annual Linn County Spelling Contest, which was held on May 24 at Calapooia Middle School in Albany. There were three divisions competing at the county level. Division I is grades 1 – 5; Division II is grades 6 – 8; and Division III is grades 9 -12.

Winners in all divisions were:

Elementary – Division I:

• 1st Place:  Jazmine Jordan, Sweet Home Charter School, Sweet Home
•  2nd Place: Brynna Gritter Kenneke, North Albany Elementary School, Albany
• 3rd Place:  Ethan Parrish, Sweet Home Charter School, Sweet home

Middle School – Division II:

• 1st Place:  Paige Rogers, Memorial Middle School, Albany
• 2nd Place: Porter Tiffee, Seven Oaks Middle School, Lebanon
• 3rd Place: Josie Cleveland, Hamilton Creek School, Lebanon

High School – Division III:

• 1st Place:  Stephni DeMello, Albany Options School, Albany
•  2nd Place:  Nathaniel Hering, South Albany High School, Albany
• 3rd Place:  No participants

Each first place winner in Linn County will be invited to participate in the annual statewide spelling contest to be held at the Oregon State Fairgrounds, during the Oregon State Fair, on Saturday, Sept.2, 2017.

Statewide, the spelling contest is held at three levels – district, county, and state. This year’s Linn County contest was coordinated by district teachers, volunteering their time to continue this annual competition. Benton County held its own contest this year. The state contest is now being coordinated by the Oregon Spellers, a volunteer organization.

From left: Brynna Gritter Kenneke, North Albany Elementary School (2^nd place); Jazmine Jordan (1^st Place); Ethan Parrish (3^rdPlace).

From left: Porter Tiffee (2^nd place); Josie Cleveland (3^rd place); Paige Rogers, Memorial Middle School (1^st place)

From left: Nathaniel Hering, South Albany High School (2^nd place); Stephni DeMello, Albany Options (1^st place)

The annual retiree reception recognized the contributions of 30 GAPS teachers, classified staff and administrators who are leaving the District after serving Greater Albany students for a combined total of 539 years.

Family members and friends joined retirees at the tropical paradise-themed reception. Human Resources Director Randy Lary introduced the following retirees:

• Lenora Roberts, Grade 1 – Fir Grove : 37 years
• Kerri Lemerande, Science – WAHS: 29 years
• Lori McGuire, Assistant to HR Director – District Office: 29 years
• Barb Villaruel, School Office Manager – Waverly: 28 years
• Cindy Holcomb, Grade 2 – Oak: 26 years
• Kathy Kalina, Special Education Assistant – Periwinkle : 26 years
• Karen Kennedy, School Office Manager – SAHS: 24 years
• Connie Shrout, Grade 4 – Timber Ridge: 23 years
• Judy Davies, Special Education Assistant – North Albany Elementary: 22 years
• Cindy Miller, Functional Skills – Calapooia Middle: 22 years
• Krista Hartman, College Credit – WAHS: 21 years
• Maria Martinez, Counseling Secretary & Registrar – Memorial Middle: 21 years
• Pat Weidmann, Principal – Sunrise : 21 years
• Sharon DuBeau,  Language Arts – Calapooia Middle: 18 years
• Jessica Jamison-Wells, Language Arts – North Albany Middle: 18 years
• Terry Amerling, Special Education Assistant – Liberty : 17 years
• Jennifer Hagen, Personal Care Assistant – SAHS: 16 years
• Leo Huot, Assistant Principal – North Albany Middle: 16 years
• Sandi McGinnis, Special Education Assistant – Calapooia Middle: 16 years
• Robert Frampton, Special Needs Bus Driver – Transportation: 15 years
• LaDeen Marlowe, Bus Driver – Transportation: 14 years
• Gary Johnson, Custodian – Memoria Middle: 13 years
• Mary Lou Seibel, Custodian – Oak: 12 years
• Tim Haag, Grade 4 – Central: 11 years
• Ruth Holmes, Special Education Assistant – South Shore: 11 years
• Greg Lehr, Custodian – Calapooia Middle: 11 years
• Durwood Ranton, Bus Driver – Transportation: 11 years
• Joyce Stringer, Business – SAHS: 11 years
• Corina Victorio, Secretary – South Shore; 5 years
• Kim Schueller, Special Education Assistant-Communication – Takena: 5 years

Bond project timelines were discussed during the last School Board meeting on May 18. The plan is to open three of the four new construction projects by start of school in fall 2019: new elementary school, rebuild of Oak Grove Elementary School, vocational space/gym at South Albany High school.

Phase 1 of West Albany High School is scheduled to be completed in summer 2020.

See the draft project timeline for more information.

We will provide updates during the planning process on the bond information section of the website.

The annual GAPS spelling bee was May 10, and winners were announced for each grade level.

The following press release is from Calapooia Middle School teacher and Greater Albany Education Association President Sue McGrory.

Congrats to all students who participated.

DISTRICT HOLDS ANNUAL SPELLING CONTEST

Students from across the Greater Albany Public School District participated in the annual District Spelling Contest, which was held on Wednesday, May 10 at Calapooia Middle School. The school library, site of the competition, was also filled with parents and teachers from across the district, supporting their spellers.

There were three divisions competing at the local school level. Division I is grades 1 – 5; Division II is grades 6 – 8; and Division III is grades 9 -12. Each winner received a certificate and was recognized at a School Board meeting.

Winners were:

Elementary – Division I:

• 1st Place:  Brynna Gritter Kenneke, Grade 5, North Albany Elementary
• 2nd Place: Logan Falotico, Grade 4, Liberty Elementary
• 3rd Place:  Michael Franzwa, Grade 5, North Albany Elementary

Middle School – Division II:

• 1st Place:  Paige Rogers, Grade 7, Memorial Middle School
• 2nd Place Azlynn Warren, Grade 7, Calapooia Middle School
• 3rd Place: Dru Huddleston, Grade 6, Memorial Middle School

High School – Division III:

• 1st Place: Stephni DeMello, Grade 11, Albany Options School
• 2nd Place: Nathaniel Hering, Grade 10, South Albany High School

Statewide, the spelling contest is held at three levels – local school district, county, and state. GAPS winners will go onto compete at the next levels. The winners from each division will represent Greater Albany Public School district at a regional spelling contest held at Calapooia Middle School on Wednesday, May 24.

This year’s district level contest and regional (county) contest are coordinated by district teachers and staff, volunteering their time to continue the annual competition.

Pictured (from left): Division 1: Michael Franzwa, Brynna Gritter Kenneke, Logan Falotico; Division 2: Paige Rogers, Azlynn Warren, Dru Huddleston; Division 3: Stephni DeMello, Nathaniel Hering