Teachers enjoy free school supplies
More than 400 teachers from schools throughout Benton County recently spent the morning school "shopping" for their classrooms. And the best part was that everything was free!
The ninth annual Teacher Supply Giveaway sponsored by Love INC on Sept. 2 offered more than $100,000 in school supplies to teachers as a show of support from the community. Educators could pick up everything from reams of copy paper to glue sticks, markers, craft supplies, construction paper, hand sanitizer and much, much more.
New teachers got to shop first from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. before the doors to Linus Pauling Middle School's cafeteria were opened to veteran teachers. Volunteer "beasts of burden" or BOBs were available to help carry the bags and boxes teachers loaded up with the supplies donated by area churches, businesses and individual and corporate donors.
Every five minutes or so, another door prize was given away and teachers also were invited to take a break from their shopping to enjoy a huge variety of treats in the "Bus Stop Café." In all, more than 150 volunteers helped during the week with set-up, registration and hosting the popular event.
Volunteers spruce up schools
Several families helped with landscaping and various other chores Saturday (Aug. 27) to help Linus Pauling Middle School look its best for the start of a new school year.
The weekend work party was organized by the LPMS Parent-Teacher Organization and new principal Eric Beasley. Earlier in the summer, a group of volunteers attending a local conference for young adults hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spent the day weeding flowerbeds at Corvallis High School.
The school district's maintenance crew also has been busy over the summer preparing for the start of school. Among the projects that work crews completed were: boiler replacements at Crescent Valley High School; replacement of the underground water tank at Mountain View Elementary; new modular classroom roofs at Adams, Lincoln and Hoover elementary schools; tile flooring replacements at Jefferson, Mountain VIew and Harding schools; exterior painting at Wilson Elementary; remodels of the Life Skills Room at Linus Pauling Middle School and a classroom at Wilson; repair of the Corvallis High School weight room floor; and relocation of the LPMS health room.
New teachers prepare for school
About 33 new teachers took part in the Corvallis School District's "New Teacher Academy" Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 22-23. The new staff members toured their home schools, were introduced to building administrators, received computer training, met with mentor teachers, reviewed curriculum resources and discussed academic standards and expectations.
Most of the new hires were to fill vacancies left by teachers and specialists that retired or resigned last spring or who are on leave. According to human resources director Jennifer Duvall, the district may hire up to 40 new teachers by the time school begins following a number of unexpected late resignations and administrative transfers.
