The start of the new school year is always an exciting time, and the Technology Department feels that excitement every day! This summer was busy as usual with many projects to prepare for students returning from their academic break. The second year of the ITS Summer Internship was a success, with three more students learning hands-on technology skills and contributing real support to our department. One of our first-year interns is scheduled to take the CompTIA Computing Fundamentals accreditation exam – a well-respected industry achievement! The Summer Technology Program, also in its second year, offered students the opportunity to increase their technical skills and earn ½ school credit. The curriculum included hands-on experiences with basic programming, electronics, robotics, and computer hardware. Some notable Summer projects the Technology Department accomplished include:

•  Preparing new Chromebooks and laptops for students and faculty
•  Working with Creative Outpost to provide Mac Computer Lab for career exploration
•  Rolling out ParentSquare to the LFCSD community
•  Extending the LFCSD WiFi network to the High School athletic field and bus garage
•  Upgrading and refreshing the district website

The new school year also brought new Technology Curriculum offerings that we are particularly excited about, including:

• Foundations of Technology and Engineering
• STEAM Exploration
• Design and Drawing for Production
• Tech Design – part of the Engineering by Design curriculum

These classes will introduce students to many technology fundamentals as well as building, programming, flying drones, and controlling robotics. These supplement our well-established classes in programming, digital art, and information systems. All of this is made possible through our partnership with the UpMobility Foundation.