The staff at Holy Spirit Elementary School is thrilled to kick off the 2014/15 school year with the reveal of its technology overhaul.
The staff at Holy Spirit Elementary School is thrilled to kick off the 2014/15 school year with the reveal of its technology overhaul.
“Every year Best Buy selects (an area) school and outfits them with new technology, ” said principal Kevin DeForge, adding that Breakfast Television would be filming the reveal at the Catholic school Sept. 9.
DeForge said the school has been working toward getting set up to do some broadcasting and with the generous donations from Best Buy Canada - the state-of-the-art technology would enable staff and students to move in this direction.
Smart TVs, iMacs, digital cameras and speakers were among the items that the technology chain store furnished the school with.
DeForge said that the Calgary Catholic School District was asked to nominate a district school in need of a techno-facelift and was pleased to learn that Holy Spirit was the recipient this year.
The Eagle was unable to reach Best Buy by publication deadline but will follow up in the Sept. 11 edition.
With an exploding population in Cochrane-area schools, the principals of Holy Spirit and Mitford School wish to remind Cochrane drivers to be mindful of speed limits, crosswalks and children on the roads as students return to school this week.
“Please watch out for buses and don't pass them when their lights are flashing, ” said Holy Spirit principal Kevin DeForge, adding that the school, located at 129 Powell Street, is up around 30 students from last year - bringing the school population near 400.
Mitford School, located at 110 Quigley Drive, has experienced a tremendous jump in population from last year - from 635 students at the K-Grade 8 school to nearly 700 this year.
The Cochrane Christian Academy, with some 230 kids, is also located inside the school building; the academy has their own area inside the school.
An increase in students equates to more concerns over getting children to and from school safely.
“We work really hard to be good neighbours in the community, ” said principal Nancy Dutchik. “We're doing everything possible to work on traffic and parking concerns - including encouraging parents to walk their children to school. ”
Dutchik said the school is working with the town, as well as with Rocky View Schools to address the problems naturally associated with rapid population growth - including beautifying their 13 portable classrooms, putting kids through the ‘school safety patrol program' and monitoring traffic and parking concerns, including pick up and drop off areas.
