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Oak Elementary School has an all-school community service program on Friday afternoons. The new program is funded by an Albany Public Schools Foundation grant. Students are allowed to choose an activity for the last half hour of every Friday.

“Students were able to choose their activity at the beginning of the session. We will run three sessions this year,” said Principal Kelly Bussard. “We have STEM (science, technology, engineering and math activities, cooking, sewing, theatre, choir, art and several others. The students really seem to enjoy it.”

Read more about the new Oak program in the Democrat-Herald.

Radon testing is scheduled to start this week and will be conducted at all schools by the end of January.

Radon tests in schools are required by the state to ensure that air quality is safe for students. Radon is a gas found in soil caused by natural deposits of uranium. It is more common in some geographic areas, but it can be found anywhere. If it is present and moves through the soil into a building, it can disperse into the air and release damaging particles that can lead to lung cancer after prolonged exposure.

The following is the anticipated schedule for this round of testing:

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This month, the East Albany Lions Club conducted their annual vision screening program for elementary students. Each year, they visit every elementary school in the district.

With parent permission, students sit for eye measurements taken with a device that is similar in appearance to a camera or a pair of binoculars. The screening is fast and does not require students to read eye charts or look into vision machines. The procedure is so quick that four Lions Club members using four devices can examine an entire class in just 10 minutes.

Results are later shared with families. If results indicate additional testing is needed, parent receive a letter recommending additional evaluation by an eyecare specialist. The Lions Club can help needy families obtain eyeglasses if necessary.

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.

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.”