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Albany Options School student, Juan Ortiz Cortez, won first place in an art contest on March 3rd, 2017, at the Cesar E Chavez Leadership Conference in Monmouth, Oregon. Students could submit art work of or inspired by Cesar Chavez and his work related to labor and civil rights activism. Juan Ortiz Cortez submitted a portrait of Chavez drawn in pencil.

The conference is considered the larges Latino youth leadership conference in the Pacific Northwest. This year about 2,200 students attended, including several from Albany Options School. Ortiz was encouraged by the counselor to submit a piece of artwork for the contest.

Ortiz won $250 for earning first place, which he plans to use to buy more art supplies. He is mostly self-taught, but has taken some art classes, especially at AOS with Mrs. Gillispie. Ortiz stated that he dreams of being an artist as his career.

The Albany Democrat-Herald published a snapshot story about Ortiz in the entertainment section of the paper on March 16th, 2017.

Ortiz also created the artwork and designed the AOS school t-shirt for the 2016-2017 school year.

Albany Options School science teacher, Tassay Gillispie, has been selected to be a member of a group of fifty educators from across the country. She is now a member of the WGBH Teacher Advisers who have been chosen to help design and develop instructional resources that address diverse student needs through the K-12 STEM education project, Bringing the Universe to America’s Classrooms, a WGBH initiative in collaboration with NASA.

WGBH is a public radio station located in Boston, Massachusetts and is a member station of National Public Radio. They have partnered with NASA to develop STEM curriculum focused on climate change, on which Gillispie will serve as an adviser.

Gillispie will be working with the Oregon State University Center for Research on Lifelong STEM Learning. She will begin her training by attending the National Science Teaching Conference in Los Angeles, CA in April.

Gillispie has taught at Albany Options School for five years, and has previous experience at South Albany High School, Jefferson High School, Linus Pauling Middle School, and Timber Ridge School. Through her teaching she has partnered with organizations including SOLV, City of Albany Public Works, City of Albany Parks and Recreation, Calapooia Watershed Council, Blue Ocean Project, and Oregon Museum of Science Institute (OMSI). She earned her Masters of Science in Science Education from Montana State University, and her Bachelors of Science in Science Education from Western Oregon University.

This is Classified School Employees Appreciation Week. Thank you to all of our dedicated support staff, who make learning possible for students.

Classified employees work with students, educators, parents, volunteers, business partners and community members.

Classified employees support the smooth operation of offices, the safety and maintenance of buildings and property, and the safe transportation, healthy nutrition and direct instruction of students.

Classified employees are educational assistants, office support specialists, bus drivers, custodians, maintenance workers, food servers, translators and more.

Thank you, classified employees, for your work on behalf of GAPS students!

There is a need for skilled workers in our local industries and around the country. Employers are seeking trained workers, and they are working with schools to help build skills that students can build on in college or take directly to the workforce.

If Ballot Measure 22-165 is approved by voters, renovations are planned for all middle schools to add instructional space for career technical, or vocational technical, education.

Both high schools would also get new CTE space. The first phase of the replacement at West Albany High School includes new classrooms, and South Albany High School would get new classrooms and a new multipurpose room/gym.

This video shows the type of programs the schools are considering for expansion.

Find more information about Ballot Measure 22-165.

Transportation Supervisor Russell Buttram posted the following reminder about bus safety rules.

Except for highways divided by paved median strips or barriers, drivers in all lanes of traffic must stop and remain stopped while red lights flash.

Read more information.

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