St' Thomas Aquinas Mission

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St. Thomas Aquinas Mission

• The mission of the St. Thomas Aquinas School
  community is to provide an education of academic
  excellence, which challenges children to realize
  their full potential as students and dedicated
  Christians. In fulfilling our mission, we also
  commit ourselves to provide our students with a
  clear understanding of Christ's message of truth,
  justice and love.

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Growing to Greatness.Technology Initiatives
2007-2008

• Our Need/Goal is 1.5 Million- Raised nearly 1
  Million
• This Money will be used in 2 ways
• Academic Excellence- 350k
• -Language and Science Lab -Enrichment Program,
• -Professional Development, and Teacher
  Training,
• -Scholarship Fund
• State of the Art Learning Technology- 200k
• Classroom technology
• -Integrated PC network
• -whiteboard
• -Integrated LCD projectors
• Adapted from Phil Martins Growing to Greatness
  presentation

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State of the Art Learning TechnologyClassroom
technology Integrated PC network

• 5 PC work stations in classrooms Kindergarten -
  4th grade.
• Note 5th-8th grade classrooms have one
  student PC one teacher PC

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State of the Art Learning TechnologyClassroom
technologywhiteboard Integrated LCD projector

• 5 Smart Boards
• Mounted Smart Board in Computer Lab
• Four Rolling Smart Boards serving grades
• Grade K
• Grades 1 2
• Grades 3 4
• Grades 5 6
• Note The science lab also has a mounted Smart
  Board that was part of the Science Lab plan

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State of the Art Learning TechnologyClassroom
technologywhiteboard Integrated LCD projector

• 2 mimios
• Grade 7
• Grade 8
• The evolution of Technology integration has hit
  high gear since September.  All of the new
  equipment is now set up.  Each week, we see
  teachers using the tools in new ways.  They are
  sharing their successes with other faculty,
  building momentum and enthusiasm among younger
  and older teachers alike. Bob Flanigan Educate
  LLC

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The St. Thomas Wired Classroom
St. Thomas Aquinas School has made enormous
strides in recent years to connect its students
to the Electronic Information Highway. Through a
combination of computers, staff development and
powerful tools with rich information, we are
close approaching the point where computing is so
closely interwoven with the curriculum that it
becomes as familiar as pencil and chalkboard.
The technology enhanced student-centered
classroom connects St. Thomas students to an
exciting new world of lively current information.
Students develop understanding and gain insight
while the teacher shows them how to safely
investigate and explore through the labyrinth of
new sources. Energized by and more responsible
for their own learning, our students are becoming
invested personally in the quest for knowledge
and understanding. Student questions become a
focus of classroom activity as teachers
demonstrate and help the students search out,
gather and interpret information effectively.
Information literacy allows our children to find
answers to their questions, and helps them to
become life-long learners. Kilian Kennedy
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Technology in the Classroom Kindergarten

• Kindergarten has also been using the 5 computer
  stations to reinforce skills that have been
  taught as whole class in both math and reading.
  Teachers are able to use the computers to
  differentiate instruction to the specific needs
  of the students. If a child has not yet met
  mastery in a skill he/she will be given an
  assignment to use a computer program or website
  that will reinforce that particular skill at the
  appropriate level. Also, if a child has already
  mastered a skill that the rest of the class is
  still working on, he/she is able to use the
  computer as enrichment to build on skills and
  advance to a more complex level. Carol Spring

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Technology in the Classroom 1st grade

• In first grade, we really love our new high
  touch, high tech, teaching aids. We have used the
  technology to introduce science topics such as
  animal habitats and the life cycle of a plant.
  For Social Studies, it has enhanced our study of
  Christopher Columbus, life on a farm, and harvest
  time. Its also allowed us to bring our Modern
  Language program into the classroom. My students
  are enthused and engaged by the technology and
  really seem to benefit from the interaction it
  offers. Maureen Philbin
  

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Technology in the Classroom 2nd grade

• The interactive Smart Board is ideal for whole
  group instruction of new concepts because it can
  be visual, auditory, tactile and kinesthetic
  which means it will reach students of all
  learning styles. Second Graders learn to classify
  animals. Maria Pierson

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Technology in the Classroom 3rd grade

• In third grade, computers are used each day to
  practice and reinforce such skills as math and
  English grammar while other students work in
  small groups at their desks . We also use the
  computers to research science and social studies
  topics.
• Martha Smith

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Technology in the Classroom 4th grade

• Students are hard at work using lap tops to
  complete the writing process by publishing
  stories they wrote. One students proudly shows
  off the book she wrote while the other continues
  to work hard putting the final touches on her
  book.
• Celeste Davis

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Technology in the Classroom 5th grade

• As a teacher, I find that using technology helps
  the students to understand concepts in another
  modality and makes learning more accessible for
  all types of learners. It also saves me time .
  Overall it has been an incredibly effective tool
  for teaching and learning.
• Mandy McCubbin

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Technology in the Science LabGrade 6-8

• The combination of the laptop cart and smart
  board has provided my students the opportunity to
  research information for projects, then present
  it in a multimedia fashion, using the smart
  board. By the end of the school year, students in
  grades 5 through 8 will all be able to use the
  smart board technology for presentations.
• Jill Guzas

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Technology in the Classroom 7th grade

• On this day we were discussing the Greek
  philosophers Socrates and his student Plato the
  Greek values on truth, goodness, and beauty.
  Using mimio we were able to see pictures of the
  Parthenon which the Greeks built to represent
  power and wealth. The use of technology video
  clips brought these places and people to life.
• Crescent Kral

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Technology in the Classroom 8th grade

• Technology allows us the opportunity to present
  material that captures students attention and
  urges them to want to learn more. A great deal of
  childrens education today is based on learning
  through their senses. They learn by seeing,
  doing and touching. They dont just get their
  knowledge through the basics of paper, pencils
  and books. Technology is another way of learning.
  In order to reach all students we must use many
  different ways of teaching.
• Sr. Margaret

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Academic Excellence Professional Development
Teacher and Student Training

• At STAS, we have focused our technology
  integration efforts on extending and enriching
  the core curriculum in Grades K to 8.  That means
  giving teachers new tools and ways to use
  technology, such as Smart Boards, laptops and
  classroom mini-labs, with their students.  It
  also means helping them find, design and use
  software, activities and projects that support
  Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies and
  Religion.
• Bob Flanigan Educate LLC

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Academic Excellence Modern Language- Enrichment
Program Grades K, 1,2 ,3 4
Studies show that young brains have the greatest
aptitude to learn new languages. At St. Thomas
Aquinas we provide language instruction in
Grades K-8. In Grades K-4 the Modern Language
program focuses on everyday expressions,
counting, numbers and cultural awareness.
Kathleen Casey