PROJECTS

One-to-One Computing - In May 2010, the St. Joseph community approved a $38 million bond issue to bring the St. Joseph Public School (SJPS) district up to 21st century standards in safety, energy efficiency and technology. The SJPS Foundation played a major role in supporting the bond issue and the plan to equip each classroom with interactive technology by sponsoring five demonstration "Classrooms
of Today." These classrooms provided the public with a look at what the future would hold as well as provided the district with
the ability to test a variety of equipment and manufacturers.

The work of remodeling the classrooms and providing the technology is nearing completion at the lower grade levels and will be completed at the high school over the next three years. Each remodeled classroom is equipped with an interactive white board, sound enhancement and a flexible learning environment.

A bold commitment: one computer for each student

While each “Classroom of Today” now has the equipment necessary to deliver instruction using the latest technologies (research shows student learning increases by more than 15 percent yearly by using these technologies), the next step is to provide one computer for each student in grades 6 through 12. Each student will get a laptop computer, netbook or iPad so he/she can access information and classroom presentations from anywhere, at any time. It also allows students to have their textbooks available digitally and to take classes "online" or present from a different location.

This is a bold and costly plan. So the Foundation has committed $200,000 over the next three years to help the district accomplish this goal. Your help is needed to ensure our goals are met so our students have the tools necessary to be competitive,
but also be leaders in acquiring and accessing knowledge. If you have a passion for technology and/or the continued excellence of the St. Joseph Public Schools, please support our "One-to-One Computer" initiative by sending a donation today to: www.stjosephpublicschools foundation.org.

Upton Planetarium - After almost 40 years of sharing the wonders of the universe with the community, the Upton Middle School Planetarium has rocketed into a new educational era. Thanks to the generosity of the Frederick S. Upton Foundation and Steve and Elizabeth Upton, the planetarium now features the latest digital technology, eight full-dome shows for pre-kindergarten to adult audiences, a refurbished star machine, freshly painted dome, 55 new seats, lights and sounds.

Grand re-opening amazes all ages! On Jan. 28 the planetarium gave a star-studded performance when the SJPS Foundation board members hosted a reception and ribbon cutting ceremony to thank the Upton family and give 60 community and education leaders a first look at the renovated facility. Everyone was awed when Upton Middle School teachers Jill Hubble and Jenna Francis turned off the lights and presented the guests with the moon, planets and stars!

Hundreds of people from the community then came out for the Grand Re-Opening showings on Jan. 30 and Feb. 6. “The Little Star that Could” delighted families with younger children and “The Dawn of the Space Age” amazed all ages. Plans are underway to make sure every SJPS K-8 class, plus other groups from outside the district, visit the planetarium before the end of the school year. Groups interested in scheduling a tour in 2010 and 2011 are encouraged to reserve their dates now – the calendar is filling fast!

Nowhere but UPcoming events! Want to see the planetarium renovations? Visit sjschools.org/planetarium for a community show schedule. The experience is out of this world!

Classrooms of Today - Walk into Room 250 at St. Joseph High School and you’ll see instantly that this isn’t the classroom you grew up in. It looks like a hightech meeting room at an area corporation. And that makes sense. After all, our job at St.
Joseph Public Schools (SJPS) is to prepare our students for their careers. Creating a learning environment that mirrors the work world is an important step in building student confi dence and productivity. That’s why we call this model (and the four others being piloted in the district) the Classroom of Today.

“Students who once zoned out in the back of the classroom no longer can with our audio sound reinforcement system,” says Baldwin. “No matter where the presenter is in the room, no matter how quietly a student speaks, everyone can hear the presentation clearly.”

The Classroom of Today also has 3-D object projector that lets a teacher project items on the screen for an eyes-on learning experience. An interactive white board lets students and teachers project their computer screen. The board also saves notes written on it, prints or e-mails them to everyone in the class and to students who are home sick. A digital response system lets students take quizzes electronically so teachers
know instantly the class’s mastery of the lesson. The room also features tables with chairs on casters so teachers can quickly reset the room for individual or group learning. Non-refl ective lighting improves the learning environment, too.

Tremendous success has been seen in these classrooms. To learn more click here to view the 2009 Spring Summary report or to see this classroom, call or e-mail Ren at (269) 926-3245 or rbaldwin@sjschools.org for a guided tour.

Community Sign - Special thanks go to the City of St. Joseph, St. Joseph Improvement Association, Schalon Foundation, Frederick S. Upton Foundation, Erik and Irene Fiskars and numerous other donors. One anonymous donor gave money for landscaping that was designed by Lori Nye-Bolt, a former SJPS student, who created the maize and blue fl oral theme.

ST. JOSEPH STUDENTS REMEMBER - To commemorate this important date in our recent history, Middle School and High School students heard from Jim LaPenna, a First Responder to the 9/11 attacks. Jim and his son spoke about their experiences during and after the Towers were hit, and accepted questions from the students. Jim and his son also joined students and community emergency personnel at the football game that evening.

The Foundation was instrumental in providing the funding to support this fantastic event. It was great to see the students, community and staff come together to honor those who continue to work towards keeping us all safe.