Hollister - Sacred Heart Parish School students returning to school have probably noticed a few changes around campus, not the least of which includes a new, state-of-the-art computer lab that educators say will help prepare them for technology they will encounter in high school and beyond.
"Right now they have fun with the computers and use them to help them with their school work," said Gayla Jurevich, Sacred Heart's technology instructor. "But it will become more important as they get older."
For the past several years Sacred Heart students have been using iMacs that were six or seven years old whenever they needed to use computers for school assignments or for typing lessons.
This year, however, the school received a unique chance to upgrade its technology equipment. When longtime parish member and Sacred Heart alumna Angie Annotti passed away, she left a generous donation to the school that allowed educators to completely refit the Sacred Heart Computer Lab.
"We were very lucky; she was always very fond of the school," Principal Kathy O'Donnell said. "Her daughter taught here for a while.
The old computer lab was replaced with 30 new "Mac Minis," small computers with faster processing power than the old models, 15-inch displays and a full compliment of Mac and Microsoft applications that can assist students with anything from book reports to short films.
"Computers have become a tool for learning other subjects," O'Donnell said. "It used to be that you took a class in computers, but it doesn't really work that way anymore."
Already students have used the computers to enhance subjects such as art and even religious studies - students will be designing and printing out saint cards to take home with them.
"If a student is reading a book about Alaska, they can come in here and we'll take a virtual tour of Alaska, or learn about what Alaska and California have in common," Jurevich said.
All told, the refitting of the computer lab cost around $45,000, and the library will soon become wired in the near future. The changes have also allowed Sacred Heart to put two of the older iMacs in each classroom for small group projects.
"These aren't just computers," O'Donnell said. "They're helping us to communicate better throughout the school and with our families."
The computer lab is open for student use for an hour after school, but strictly for academic purposes - in other words, no MySpace allowed.
Sacred Heart also refitted its kitchen over the summer, installing new sinks, counters and other equipment at a cost of around $25,000, which the parish paid for. Sacred Heart parents also had a new fence installed around the perimeter, designed to prevent vandalism over the weekends.
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or dsmith@freelancenews.com.
Danielle Smith
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