I know many of you were excited to view the technology used by many of your children, in all grade levels. We are proud that every instructional space in Blairstown Elementary School now has a Mimio/Smart board. As you saw demonstrated at our back to school nights, teachers are enthusiastically utilizing their new instructional equipment and will be receiving additional training as the year progresses. It is important to note that not a single taxpayer dollar was used to purchase this equipment as all of the funding came from the federal ARRA monies. Blairstown Elementary School has also added a 30 unit, portable, wireless laptop cart which is housed in a separate section of the Media Center, enabling teachers to take their class to the library and have every child using a laptop computer. It's like adding an extra classroom space, again with no cost to the taxpayer. Currently, Mrs. Truelove is teaching computer skills to 3rd and 4th grade students, but as teachers are trained, all grade levels will be able to schedule time for their students to use the new computer lab.
Our new student information system is up and running and it includes modules for food service, teachers, and Special Education. These modules make our staff more efficient and provide for better service for children and parents alike. Soon we will be reviewing web-based lesson planners as well as parent-portals so parents can support their children and keep up-to-date with homework assignments, projects and special upcoming events on a school-wide basis. Several teachers provide a class web page for parents and students already with timely information for immediate and long-term use.
As Blairstown Elementary moves forward with our continuing efforts to bring your children the best possible educational experience, we must plan for the future. As far as technology goes, I will be holding a Technology Advisory Panel meeting during the latter part of October for all school and/or community members who may be interested in attending. The purpose of this meeting will be two-fold; first, to inform those members of the public attending what technology assets we have in place, and what our current plans for the future are; and secondly, to discuss future priorities as they relate to new equipment, infrastructure and training. In other words, where do we want to go and how do we get there! So please check the school website and weekly newsletter for more information regarding the date and time for this evening discussion.
