Advances in technology are dramatically transforming the ways that communities share information. As an educational institution, St. John Neumann Catholic School has the responsibility to prepare its students for the technical world by giving them the tools needed to succeed. The best way to teach students how to succeed in the world’s new media environment is to build technology into the fabric of school life and to immerse students in it.
At SJNCS, technology is embedded in student learning using cross-curricular instruction. Students learning is enhanced by the use of Smartboards, PCs, laptops, iPads, cell phones, and other technology tools that support the curriculum. Electronic versions of some student textbooks are available for student use at home. Annually, students and parents are required to sign and adhere to an Acceptable Use Policy regarding technology.
St. John Neumann Catholic School’s local area network is equipped with Cisco firewall, switches and wireless access points throughout the building. Each of the classrooms has access to electronic devices including Apple iPads, Windows laptops, Chromebooks, and virtual windows workstations. The use of this tools is an integral part of the classroom experience.
Classroom online collaborative tools used at SJNCS include Microsoft Office 365 for Education and Google G-Suite for Education. Office 365 includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and other classroom tools. G Suite is a combination of best-in-class productivity tools built for teaching and learning.
Students also have access to school online resources. Many of the textbooks used at SJNCS have an online component. Examples of these include SuperKids and DiscoveryEd. Our school library catalog, Destiny, is completely automated and can be accessed from most web browsers. Students can access online assessments such as Renaissance Accelerated Reader, Star Reading and Star Math. And many of our teachers utilize educational focused websites like Spelling City, World Book, and Library of Congress.
Students in grades 5-8 may bring e-readers/tablets to school to use for reading Accelerated Reader (AR) books they have already downloaded to their device. The students must have parental consent and must have a signed copy of the Bring Your Own Device contract on file in the middle school. Students must adhere to all guidelines set forth in the contract to maintain this privilege.