Springfield Public Schools - OR

A huge honor for Thurston High School School Resource Officer (SRO) Allan Amundson!

The University of Oregon has announced that Officer Amundson is the recipient of the 2026 Leo Harris Award. The award is presented to an alumni letterman on the basis of at least 20 years of achievement and service since his final varsity season. The awards ceremony will take place at the October 10 UCLA football game.

Officer Amundson has served as a Springfield Public Schools SRO since 2020. Based at Thurston High School, Officer Amundson also supports SPS schools on the east side of the district.

Congratulations Officer Amundson!

Thurston High Colts - Springfield, OR

All summer long, Technology Services staff and student workers are working to get student devices ready for fall, and the first truckload was delivered to an SPS school this afternoon!

Following a change in student device procedures for the 2026-27 school year, elementary and middle school devices were turned in to Technology Services for the summer.

11 student workers are assisting technology staff. They’re seeing all the steps it takes to get a laptop ready to put into a student’s hands in the fall and getting first-hand experience organizing and completing a large-scale project.

Devices are sorted, wiped down, stickers cleaned off, wiped of data, and reloaded, making them as close to brand-new as they can be. 7,000 devices will go through the process, more than double the 2,000-3,000 devices refreshed in past summers.

225 charging carts owned by the district and in storage since the pandemic are being cleaned and wired up, ready for their new classroom homes.

While elementary and middle school students will no longer routinely bring devices home, they will continue to use district-issued devices during the school day. The district is continuing to maintain a one-to-one device ratio at all schools to support student access to technology.

Read more about the 2026-27 student device procedures in the SPS Newsroom: https://bit.ly/4pbI5Xo

Today's Summer Reading pick is from Ms. Anheluk of Page Elementary, who recommends, "Penelope Rex and the Problem with Pets" by Ryan T. Higgins. Sharing this story has been a great way to connect with kids.

"This is a funny story about Penelope and how she realizes that sometimes things are more difficult than she wants but in the end, life is better. I love when the students giggle about the book while I read. I talk with the students about the story, ask them questions, and get to know more about them." ~Ms. Anheluk

All summer long, we'll be sharing the our SPS school Library Managers' summer reading picks for kids and teens to enjoy. Maybe you'll find a new family favorite among them!

Summer break means Summer Reading at the Springfield Public Library! This year's theme is "Plant a Seed, Read!"

Springfield Public Library

Elizabeth Page Elementary