The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 132, No. 12, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 16, 2007 Page: 2 of 14
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2A Pace
The Albany News
www.thealbanynews.net
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Walking the line
Sheryl Spore / Albany News
A couple of unidentified minors, believed to be the first in Shackelford County required
to do so, carry signs labeling them as "Minors in Consumption" around the Courthouse
Square earlier this week. The two were sentenced by Justice of the Peace james Breeden.
Chest directors to meet Aug. 28
Board members of the Al-
bany Chest will meet to or-
ganize the 2007 fundraising
drive and elect new directors
during a 5:15 p.m. meeting
on Tuesday, August 28 in the
Albany High School library.
Donna Schkade, who
serves as board president,
asked that all current direc-
tors contact her prior to the
August 28 meeting to let her
know if they will be able to
attend, as well as acknowl-
edge whether they will be
able to serve on the board
during the upcoming year.
"It is very important that
all board members be pres-
ent for the meeting if at all
possible," said Schkade. "If
you don't show up, you may%
get to be board president."
The meeting will be brief,
and hopefully will not con-
flict with other activities, she
said.
Schkade can be contacted
at 762-3910 during the eve-
nings.
Directors whose terms
will expire in 2007 include
Jana Kitchens, Wendy Tin-
kle and Karen Noble.
Other Albany Chest
board members are Schkade,
Ryan Nelson, Pat Kelly and
Chris Beard, who are sched-
uled to serve until 2008, and
Bob Skelton, Rick Davis,
Pam Davis and Jana McCoy,
whose terms expire in 2009.
There is currently a va-
cancy on the board, with that
term expiring in 2007.
Funding Requests
A deadline of Friday, Sep-
tember 14 has been set to
receive requests for funding
from the upcoming drive.
The requests will be consid-
ered by the directors at a
meeting the next week.
"We need to have all these
in by September 14, but we
would really appreciate it if
everyone could start getting
their letters in now," said
Schkade.
All organizations wishing
to receive an allocation from
the Albany Chest must sub-
mit a written request to the
Chest, she emphasized.
The letters may be mailed
to The Albany Chest, PO
Box 746, Albany TX 76430 or
given to Paige Adair at First
National Bank.
After all the requests have
been reviewed, a goal will be
set and the fundraising drive
will get underway.
The board hopes to mail
letters to previous Chest do-
nors and new prospects by
the end of September to kick
off the 2007 campaign.
PUBLIC NOTICE
CITY OF ALBANY
TEXAS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM
The City of Albany will hold a public hearing at 5:15 p.m. on August
20, 2007 at the City Hall, 148 S. Main Street, Albany, Texas in regard
to the submission of Disaster Relief Fund application to the Office of Ru-
ral Community Affairs for a Texas Community Development Block Grant
(TxCDBG) grant. The purpose of this meeting is to allow citizens an op-
portunity to discuss the citizens' participation plan, the development of
local housing and community development needs, the amount of TxCD-
BG funding available, all eligible TxTCBG activities and the use of past
TxCDBG funds. The City encourages citizens to participate in the devel-
opment of this TxCDBG application and to make their views known at this
public hearing. Citizens unable to attend this meeting may submit their
views and proposals to Cindy New, City Secretary, at the City Hall. Per-
sons with disabilities that wish to attend this meeting should contact City
Hall for assistance. Individuals who require auxiliary aids or services for
this meeting should contact City Hall at least two days before the meeting
so that appropriate arrangements can be made. For futher information,
contact Cindy New, City Secretary at the City Hall, 325/762-3133.
Online 'gradebook' to change
Parents who used the
GradeSpeed online system to
check their students' grades
last year will have access to
an even more powerful tool
this year, according to school
PEIMS coordinator Helen Ivy.
A grade reporting system
known as "txConnect" is be-
ing provided through the
Texas Education Agency, said
Ivy, and will be up and run-
ning soon after Labor Day.
After signing a permis-
sion and waiver form and
returning it to the school of-
fice, parents will be assigned
a "student portal ID" that
is specific to each student.
Parents can then go online
to the school district's web
page, www.albany.escl4.net,
to set up their own user
name and password by click-
ing on "Parent Information,"
then "txConnect Logon."
The portal ID must be
used, however, to add stu-
dents to the account.
In addition to checking an
individual student's grades,
the web-based software will
provide various "alerts" for
parents who ask for them.
"The best new thing for
parents using this system is
the ability to receive alerts
about their child's school
work," explained Ivy.
If a parent wants to know
whether his student makes
a grade lower than a 70 or
even a 90, he can customize
his preferences to notify him
separately by email or with a
special "alert" when he logs
on to the website.
Other alerts can be set up
to notify parents about tar-
dies or unexcused absences,
and missing or incomplete
assignments.
The txConnect Training
Guide is already available
online at the school's web-
site, but the "Gradebook" it-
self won't be available until
after Labor Day, said Ivy.
She added that parents
shouldn't be scared away by
the 30-page training guide.
"If you could handle
GradeSpeed, you can handle
this," she commented. "It's a
simple process."
The new system will also
be beneficial for teachers,
with several upgrades to the
student data system and the
way grades are posted.
A letter about the online
grading system, along with
the permission form, will be
given to parents at the el-
ementary and seventh grade
parent forums on Thursday,
August 23.
Parents of students in
eighth grade through high
school will need to stop by
the high school office, now on
the left side of the main hall-
way, to pick up the forms.
Non-custodial parents
also have the right to apply
for their own Student Portal
ID, she concluded.
Pool to be open for weekends
After this Friday, the Al-
bany City Pool will remain
open on weekends through
the Labor Day weekend, ac-
cording to pool operator John
Stockdale.
Pool hours for the next
three weekends are Satur-
days from 12:00 noon to 5:00
p.m. and Sundays from 2:00
to 5:00 p.m. Sunday, Sep-
tember 2 will be the last day
for the pool to be open to the
Registration
public.
The facility is also avail-
able for parties and gather-
ings all through the week,
both until the end of the
month- and on into Sep-
tember, Stockdale noted.
"As long as the weather is
warm enough, the pool will
be available for private par-
ties," he said.
To rent the facility, call
City Hall at 762-3133.
(Cont. from pg. 1A)
To make other arrange-
ments or for information,
call the secondary office at
762-3974.
NSES Registration
Most of the returning
and new students at Nancy
Smith Elementary School
have already been enrolled,
with preregistration held
last spring.
An additional registration
time for new students and a
few "stragglers" is planned
today (Thursday) from 9:00
a.m. to 12:00 noon. Parents
of students who haven't been
registered are urged to come
by the NSES office this morn-
ing or as soon as possible.
NSES Principal Doyleen
Terrell stated that at least
25 new students are expect-
ed, including those in the
preschool programs.
"We're not sure how many
more students will qualify,
but there are still spots avail-
able in the Head Start and
pre-kindergarten programs,"
she stated.
Preliminary registration
for the Early Childhood and
the qualified four-year-old
program has already been
conducted, but other chil-
dren may qualify if their par-
ents schedule a screening or
meeting with school officials
before the start of school by
calling the NSES office at
762-3384.
The Head Start program
is designed for economically
disadvantaged three and
foi\r year olds who qualify
for free meals. It is also open
to students with specified
disabilities.
Children who don't qualify
for Head Start will be consid-
ered for one of the other two
local preschool programs.
Early Childhood eligibili-
ty is based on developmental
areas such as psychological,
auditory, visual, language,
motor and speech.
The third program, the
NSES pre-kindergarten
class, is open only to four
year olds who meet one of
several different criteria, in-
cluding the following:
• Those who qualify for
free and reduced lunches;
• Those who have a lan-
guage barrier;
• Those who are home-'
• Those who have been
placed in a home by Child
Protective Services;
• Those with a parent in
active military duty.
Applications for free and
reduced lunches will be
available in the office.
School Insurance
Information about school
insurance will be available
at both campuses during the
registration period.
Mrs. Terrell reminded
parents that the school dis-
trict is not liable for medical
expenses if a child is injured
during school hours or dur-
ing a school-related activity.
"We cannot use public
funds to pay for an individu-
al's medical expenses. That's
the law," said the NSES
principal.
Reasonably priced in-
surance policies are made
available to local students,
and can be purchased for 24-
hour coverage or just during
school hours.
"It can be used as a pri-
mary accident insurance, or
it will also pay in addition to
regular health insurance,"
she explained.
Forms are available at
both campuses.
Special Meetings
"Serving Shackelford County"
JOIN US AUGUST 24TH FROM II AM - 2 PM IN ALBANY
FOR HAMBURGERS FOR OUR GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION
FIRST
FINANCIAL
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132 Hill St.
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Open: Monday - Friday
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
400 Ground St.
325/627-7953 Moran, TX 76464
Mon. - Thurs. 9:00 am - 2:30 pm
Friday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
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On Thursday, August 23,
there will be three separate
meetings for parents of el-
ementary students and sev-
enth graders.
Parents of students at
Nancy Smith Elementary
School are invited to a par-
ent forum, scheduled from
5:00 to 5:30 p.m. for pre-kin-
dergarten through second
grade, and from 5:30 to 6:00
p.m. for third through sixth
grade.
Local seventh graders
and their parents are being
encouraged to meet together
for a special orientation ses-
sion that same night, August
23.
The meeting will begin at (
6:30 p.m. in the secondary
snack bar. Teachers will be
introduced, and the students
and parents will be given in-
formation about the upcom-
ing school year.
Mr. Terrell emphasized
that at least one parent
should try to make the orien-
tation session.,
Missed Appointments
School officials realize
that some students will be
unable to register at the ap-
pointed time.
"If you forget or just can't
make it at the official time
because of vacation or some
other reason, call and make
an appointment or come by
during office hours," said Mr.
Terrell. "The main thing is
that you do not want to show
up on the first day of school
without a schedule, because
you only have five days to
make any changes."
Special arrangements can
be made by calling the sec-
ondary campus at 762-3974
or the elementary office at
762-3384.
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Lucas, Melinda L. The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 132, No. 12, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 16, 2007, newspaper, August 16, 2007; Albany, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth412978/m1/2/: accessed June 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting The Old Jail Art Center.