Technology General Information
by Donna Noll
September 20, 2005
One of the greatest strengths of the Atchison Public Schools is the technology opportunities offered to all students K-12. The district technology plan updates buildings using a cyclical process so each has an opportunity at the latest advances. Students at each level are afforded tremendous opportunities as they advance from one building to another.
The school buildings are connected to a Wide Area Network making it possible to transfer data electronically between buildings. Along with this capability is high speed Internet access. Each networked computer in each building has access to the information super highway. Each teacher has a computer that is used for e-mail, electronic grade books, building their own web pages and lesson planning.
Each building has several labs where teachers can go with their classes for Internet research and activities in addition to classroom projects. The high school and the middle school and elementary school have wireless mobile computer labs that can be checked out for student use in the classroom.
Parents can take advantage of the technology by using a district program called PowerSchool. By logging on to the Internet with an assigned user name and password, parents can see current grades and attendance of their student in real-time. An automatic e-mail progress report is also built into the system. Parents can have information e-mailed to any account they designate. Student's lunch balance and school bulletins can also be retrieved on-line at the parent's convenience.
Communication is the key at Atchison Public Schools and technology is a driving force in the move through the 21st Century.
