The West Albany FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) Club recently attended the State Business Leadership Conference in Portland, OR. Ten students attended the conference where they participated in breakout sessions and performance events. Congratulations to Jakob Jones for his first place finish in Introduction to Informational Technology and the team of Grant Farley and Alex Neil for their 8th place finish in Entrepreneurship.
SWARM, the high school robotics team made up of members of South Albany and West Albany students, has been invited to attend the PNW First District Championship in Cheney Wash. this week.
Each year, the Oregon First Robotics competition features a game theme. This year’s game is called First Steamworks. Two alliances of three teams work together to build and prepare an airship for flight.
The event runs from April 6-8 at Eastern Washington University. SWARM was selected based on their rankings in previous competitions. They are ranked 50th out of 155 teams and won the quality award at the last District competition.
At their last competition, SWARM earned the Quality Award:
Team 957 SWARM Sponsored by Motorola Solutions Foundation, this award celebrates machine robustness in concept and fabrication. The winning team demonstrates these characteristics in many ways from planning through execution. Building the robot is only part of their success and the judges recognize them as a quality example to others. Often, successful engineering projects are based on doing a small number of things extremely well. This team played to their strengths and produced consistent results on the field. Our quality award goes to a team who swarmed on a simple, elegant design.
If the bond is approved, all schools are scheduled for improvements. See the list for your neighborhood school:
A special edition of the GAPS quarterly newsletter was mailed to all households in the District this week.
You can also read it online.
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.
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.