For immediate release
January 12, 2000
Park Dale Public School opens
Millennium Computer Lab
The Park Dale School Community had a vision
of a new learning environment and are seeing the results after months of
hard work. Staff, parents, students and members of the community have worked
together to see the creation of a new multi-media computer lab.
Under the leadership of Principal, Barry Norton,
staff and parents came together to create a very focussed fund raising
committee. A year-long list of fundraising projects was established
with a novel requirement for events - they had to be fun! Projects,
each led by a "project coordinator", included a mini-golf tournament, raffles,
barbecues, a silent auction, flowering bulb sales, pizza days, used book
sales and lump sum donations.
This committee, together with the Home & School Association,
Student Council and School has contributed over $24,000 towards the lab.
Phase II of the Computer Lab project, which will add another 15 computers
to the lab, is already being planned.
The new lab will assist Park Dale teachers
in meeting Ministry of Education guidelines for computer skills by making
large group instruction possible. In the weeks prior to the official
opening, students have been receiving special orientation sessions which
include an introduction to graphic design, word processing, and spreadsheets
for the Junior students while Intermediate students are focusing on multimedia
presentation software and advanced Internet search techniques. Primary
students have been creating invitations to the Grand Opening, learning
to use a drawing program for math concepts and using book making software.
When asked what the students think of this
new learning environment, they have replied that it is "awesome", "wicked",
"cool" and "fun".
The ribbon cutting ceremony at 7 pm on January
26 will include the official naming of the lab and be followed by a hands-on
open house at 7:30 pm.
For more information contact:
Barry Norton, Principal Park Dale Public School, 962-1341