Oregon – During the 2006-2007 school year, 104,156 low-income Oregon students participated in the national School Breakfast Program, according to the School Breakfast Scorecard 2007. This was a slight increase over the prior year. The 2007 Scorecard was released this week and is issued annually by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) to measure national and state trends in school breakfast. “Breakfast provides an important nutritional boost for children, but can be particularly critical ... [full story]

Alyssa Stutte is one of 200 New Middle and Secondary School Science Teachers From Across the Country to Begin Professional Development Journey as First Cohort in NSTA New Science Teacher Academy The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning, in partnership with the Amgen Foundation, recently announced the 2007 Amgen-NSTA Fellows and Associate Fellows in the NSTA New Science Teacher Academy. ... [full story]

Walden wrote letter in support of U.S. history program The Southern Oregon Education Service District in Medford, Ore., has been selected to receive a $984,294 federal grant to improve the quality of American history education, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced Thursday. This year, the Teaching American History program will award 122 new grants worth $116.6 million to school districts in 40 states nationwide. "This is an extraordinary and well-deserved grant for Southern Oregon ... [full story]

It’s now the law – junk food is being expelled from Oregon’s public schools. In a Wednesday ceremony in his office, Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed into law House Bill 2650, which sets healthy food standards for schools. He congratulated the large group of legislators and health organizations that helped push the bill to passage. Senator Bill Morrisette, D-Springfield, who has worked for three sessions to pass an anti-junk food law, in turn announced: “For the ... [full story]

Program Seeks to Build, Expand Chinese Foreign Language Programs in Local U.S. Schools REDMOND, Ore. — Superintendent Vickie Fleming and Redmond High School Principal Jon Bullock are among 800 U.S. educators who will travel to China on June 24 for a one-week tour in an effort to build and expand Chinese language programs in U.S. schools. In its second year, the Chinese Bridge Delegation aims to expose school decision-makers to the rich history and culture ... [full story]

Karen Stiner is awarded the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow and will head to D.C. Karen Stiner, a math teacher at High Desert Middle School, has been awarded the prestigious Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship and will spend the 2007-2008 academic year in Washington D.C.   Karen Stiner Stiner will work on projects related to providing pre-professional and professional advancement opportunities for the nation's students and teachers of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. She has been assigned ... [full story]

First ever ‘special athlete’ team to compete in youth mini-PPP Six students from Sunriver’s Three Rivers School will make history as they run, jump, raft, and bike on Sunday, May 20 in Bend’s Old Mill District. Mount Bachelor Sport Education Foundation Event Director Molly Cogswell-Kelley says that Team Otters look to be the mini-Pole Pedal Paddle’s first-ever team of special athletes.  “This event is about promoting positive values and having fun while participating in sports,” ... [full story]

Randy King plans to set up sister-school relationship between Aomori, Japan and Bend-La Pine Schools After a highly competitive national process, Randy King, a teacher at Ensworth Elementary School, has been selected to participate in the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund (JFMF) Teacher Program and will spend three weeks in the country. King leaves June 10 for Tokyo for a week-long teachers conference, before living with a family in the northern Japan community Aomori for two ... [full story]

Portland TrailBlazers will honor Kyle Kalmbach on May 31 It doesn't take a champion season—or even winning a game—to have what it takes to be an outstanding coach. Kyle Kalmbach, varsity boys basketball coach at La Pine High School, has been named the 2007 “Ford Coach of the Year” by the Portland TrailBlazers and Northwest Ford Stores.   Kyle Kalmbach - Ford Coach of the Year Kalmbach is among four selected for this year's award and will ... [full story]

Company’s Plastic Bag Recycling Program Encourages Local Elementary Students to Help Remove Nearly 44 Tons of Plastic from the Local Waste Stream Through its Kids Recycling Challenge program, Wal-Mart today announced it is awarding $35,020 to 130 Oregon schools for students’ efforts to become responsible stewards of their environment. The company’s Kids Recycling Challenge effort is the largest plastic bag recycling program of its kind ever undertaken. From last September through March, elementary school students ... [full story]

Bend-La Pine Schools will welcome two new leaders starting July 1. Stephanie Bennett will take over as the new Pilot Butte Middle School principal and Jim Boen will become the vice principal at La Pine Middle School. The announcement comes after a comprehensive, nationwide search and demanding interview process. "It's exciting to find such talented leaders to bring to our schools," said Superintendent Doug Nelson. "We had many qualified applicants, and the experiences both bring ... [full story]

Legislation will mean healthier snack options for students SALEM, Ore. - The Oregon Senate recently passed House Bill 2650, legislation that sets standards for what kind of snack food may be sold in schools. Foods with fat and sugar content beyond a certain level will not be allowed in school vending machines or to be sold by school stores. “With child obesity rates becoming a greater and greater health concern, this legislation is just common ... [full story]

For the second consecutive year, a Summit High School sophomore has earned top honors at a state math competition. Tadd Phillips beat out students from nearly 80 Oregon public and private schools to take the top award in the precalculus division of the Oregon Invitational Mathematics Tournament (OIMT) this month at Oregon State University.   Tadd Phillips - submitted photo Math students from throughout the state are selected by their schools to compete in regional tournaments. Those ... [full story]