School gets out in 
Hello Grade Seven Science Class of 2009/2010 and Parents! Beaches, scuba diving, good food, gardening, family and friends these are the things I enjoyed and reflect on this summer.
Cutting edge movies, mobile phones, gaming systems, the latest Google this and Apple I that, and social networking are what I imagine our returning youth are thinking about. ‘Technology as an integral part of kids lives’ sounds like an understatement in our rapidly evolving, globally connected world.
The Best Buy Corporation a super- magnate for our latest fixation states "A quality education is the foundation for success for teens heading to college and later in life. At Best Buy we believe technology can excite and engage students, creating a more valuable educational experience."
As you may know, we recently applied for a Best Buy Teach Award. These awards recognize and reward schools that have found creative ways to engage students in the curriculum by using hands-on technology.
This year, thousands of schools applied for awards ranging from $1,000 – $10,000. I am proud to tell you that our application was selected. Broad Meadows Middle School’s 7th grade science class was awarded the maximum amount permitted for middle schools, a $5,000 Best Buy Teacher Technology Award!
I have used our Best Buy Teach Award to purchase new technology to continue to make learning exciting and fun for the students. The major items purchased were:
- A new DLP Ceiling Mounted Projector
- A tablet PC
- And a computerized white board to interactively teach lessons.
In a separate donation from a private company we received 14 computers with monitors to use in the science classroom.
And finally we were the gracious recipients of a Hewlett-Packard Photo Shop Printer with calendar software for student use through a mini-grant. These items will greatly streamline and enhance the educational process!
None of this would have been possible or functional without the concerted effort of many people. I would like to thank our school principal Mr. Taglieri, for getting the installation process started, Walter and his staff for their tireless work in installing electrical outlets and running myriads of wire, George and his staff for setting the mounts for the projector and white boards!
Here at Broad Meadows we are committed to delivering a high quality, high-tech education to our students to ensure that they are successful in the 21st century. With the community partners like Best Buy, we know our students will continue to grow and learn.
Broad Meadows Middle School, Mrs. Baird and the 7th Grade Students deeply thank Best Buy and others invested in our youth for their generous gift!