TECHNOLOGY
SUHAIL BALOCH, TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR
FOOD SERVICE est Jefferson Hills WEST JEFFERSON HILLS SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
The West Jefferson Hills School District Technology Department is eagerly preparing and excited for the 2016-17 academic year. The focus for the department will be assisting our students and staff to successfully integrate technology into instruction and learning. For the last three years, we have made a concentrated effort to upgrade and add to our enterprise and end-user level equipment and services. At the end of the 2015-16 school year, we had approximately one device per 1.2 students. These devices included nearly 700 Windows laptops, 600 desktops, 550 iPads, 200 other tablets, and 350 Chromebooks. This summer we have added another 50 iPads, 150 Chromebooks, and 50 laptops. These purchases will further reduce our student-to-device ratio for the upcoming year. Moreover, each of our classrooms also boasts an interactive board and Bring Your Own Device( BYOD) capabilities to allow students to directly engage in their instruction.
However, equipment and services are nothing more than a foundation of any technology plan. For technology to be successful, it must be integrated and utilized effectively at the curricular level. Students must be engaged by the technology around them and hold a positive orientation to it. Technology should serve as a tool to enhance and enrich their learning experience. Technology should be used effectively to address all learning styles, including visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. And, technology must be used to encourage creative and critical thinking and interdisciplinary environment for our students in which they can thrive and receive the best educational experience we can offer.
Our district has some of the most talented and innovative educators when it comes to successfully using technology for its intended purpose. I never cease to be amazed by their dedication and expertise in effectively using technology to improve both student engagement and achievement. For the last two years, the Technology Department has dedicated itself to supporting these educators by offering competitive grants to individual teachers to purchase technology relevant to their needs and recommendations. We realize that, although the need for base technology equipment is justifiable, there must also be room for customization to address the individual needs of our teachers and academic departments. Therefore, we plan to continue with this practice for the foreseeable future. We want to give our teachers the tools they deem necessary rather than forcing a“ one size must fit all” philosophy. Each year, approximately 30 % of the district-wide technology budget is dedicated to this endeavor. Furthermore, by parceling out requested monies to all schools properly, we also ensure equity in funding amongst our schools.
Technology has become an integral component of any successful educational methodology. Therefore, at WJHSD, we strive to utilize technology effectively to provide the best possible experience our students can have in order to become critical and creative thinkers in an ever-changing world.
52 West Jefferson Hills
John Rambo, Food Service Director
Welcome back!
The WJHSD Food Service Program will be in operation in all schools beginning on the first day of school, August 29, 2016. The price for the Type " A "( complete) lunch will be $ 2.50 for elementary students and $ 2.75 for middle and high school students. The complete lunch consists of five nutritious components – protein, bread, two fruits / vegetables, and milk. The price of a ½ pint of milk is $ 0.65.
For the first week of school, all first-grade students are invited to enjoy a lunch in the cafeteria at no charge, compliments of Metz Culinary Management, Inc. This will enable students to become familiar with our selection of foods, taken from the basic food groups, and the cafeteria service. All lunch menus are available by logging onto the district’ s website at www. wjhsd. net, clicking on Lunch Menus, and selecting the appropriate school.
Each student will be assigned a PIN number with their cafeteria account. Deposits to the cafeteria account should be sent in on the first day of every week in all schools. Checks should be made payable to“ WJHSD Cafeteria Fund” and include the student’ s PIN on the check. Cash will also be accepted, but checks are preferred. Please be advised that you are permitted to make on-line payments and various online inquiries at www. payforit. net.
Nutrition is a major factor for all people, regardless of age. The National School Lunch Program provides onethird of the nutritional requirements for the students. Applications for Free and Reduced Price Meals will be distributed by homerooms to everyone on the first day of school.
We look forward to welcoming your student( s) into the cafeteria and hope that you encourage him / her to become one of our regular customers. Please feel free to contact me at 412-655-8610 ext. 6270 should you have any questions or need additional information. Our doors are always open and we welcome the opportunity to discuss our program with you.