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Color Blast was a huge success!

Posted on: October 16, 2017

Our “Color Blast” fundraiser was a huge success! Thank you to PTT, Crista Hankey (PE) and everyone who helped put on this fun event for the kids.

National School Lunch Week celebrates healthy school meals

Posted on: October 12, 2017

This week, schools are celebrating National School Lunch Week. GAPS joins schools around the country in recognizing the hard work and dedication of school food service staff members who work hard to prepare healthy and appealing meals for students.

Here are a few facts about nutrition services in our schools from Nutrition Services General Manager Kathy Pitzer:

We serve an average of 7,700 meals per day. That is broken down by 2,500 breakfasts, 4,500 lunches, 700 other (after school suppers, ala carte purchases, etc.).

There are around 90 food service employees in the 21 schools plus four support staff at the Nutrition Services Department.

We buy locally grown/produced food where/when we can. Currently there are about seven local vendors we work with, including Lochmead Dairy for milk, Truitt Family Farms for beans and Bob’s Red Mills for granola.

More than 120 students swam in iSwim to support foundation programs

Posted on: October 8, 2017

The annual iSwim fundraiser brought more than 120 students to the Albany Community Pool on Saturday morning. Students raised money through pledges for each lap they swam. The funds will support grants for Greater Albany teachers.

Oak Elementary had the highest level of participation with over 40 students and a large staff cheering section. The Albany Public Schools Foundation issued a special thank you to Oak staff, who showed up wearing their t-shirts.

Students who were unable to participate but would like to swim for the foundation can come to a make-up day on Monday, Oct. 9, or Wednesday, Oct. 11 from 7 – 8 p.m.

Special thanks from the Albany Public School Foundation to all volunteers at the event: “We want to thank all the Greater Albany Public School employees who volunteered their time to count laps, help with the registration table, and for also cheering on their students as they swam. You are the ones who make this event successful every year.”

More than 120 students swam in iSwim to support foundation

Posted on: October 8, 2017

The annual iSwim fundraiser brought more than 120 students to the Albany Community Pool on Saturday morning. Students raised money through pledges for each lap they swam. The funds will support grants for Greater Albany teachers.

Oak Elementary had the highest level of participation with over 40 students and a large staff cheering section. The Albany Public Schools Foundation issued a special thank you to Oak staff, who showed up wearing their t-shirts.

Students who were unable to participate but would like to swim for the foundation can come to a make-up day on Monday, Oct. 9, or Wednesday, Oct. 11 from 7 – 8 p.m.

Special thanks from the Albany Public School Foundation to all volunteers at the event: “We want to thank all the Greater Albany Public School employees who volunteered their time to count laps, help with the registration table, and for also cheering on their students as they swam. You are the ones who make this event successful every year.”

Schools plan bus safety drills for October and November

Posted on: October 4, 2017

The transportation department will work with all elementary and middle schools in October and November to practice emergency evacuations. The emergency plans for all of GAPS schools include the option to evacuate students and staff to the Linn County Fair and Expo Center.

This is a required training at all Oregon schools in the first eight weeks of the school year. A second training will be in spring.

In the event of an emergency, students and their teachers would be bused to the Expo Center and stay there until they could be picked up by their families. The school would provide supervision for the students and supervise the release of students to families. Parents would use the Expo Center parking lot when picking up their student/s.

If a school evacuation to the Fair and Expo Center is necessary, families will be notified. If the situation at the school is such that the building is to be evacuated, law enforcement personnel will likely close off the surrounding neighborhood and prevent anyone from accessing the school campus. Emergency responders will instead direct family members to pick up their child at the Fair and Expo Center.

The drill will help students who are non-bus riders become familiar with buses and reduce potential anxiety about transportation during an actual emergency.

During the training, students will load the buses and be taught bus safety by the drivers. The buses will not take the students anywhere during this drill, but the idea of the training is to practice loading for the same reason students practice leaving the building for a fire drill.

Students walking in a line on a sidewalk next to the school