technology vision

Faithful Shepherd Catholic School was built with a commitment to technology in education. Built as a school of the future, the technology lab was equipped with 31 desktop computers, each classroom was outfitted with three to five desktop computers and a bank of eight additional desktop computers with printers was provided in each pod.

Curricula plus technology, the school's founders believed, provides the tools and scaffolding required to engage minds and enhance student learning. In the ensuing years, the school's administration has observed that the technology component also enables teachers and students to present and solve problems in almost limitless innovative ways.

As FSCS has grown — in student-body size, administrative expertise and curriculum development — many technological enhancements have been made at the school. In 2003, laptops were purchased for use in the Middle School. A significant administrative upgrade was made with the purchase of a dedicated PowerSchool server in 2004. The next year, six additional servers were purchased, and a color printer was donated.

In 2006, the technology lab received all new desktop computers. Web filters were added in 2007, as were a spam firewall and a high-rely backup system. Nine laptop carts, including laptops, LCDs and an electronic tablet were purchased in 2008.

To date, updates and enhancements to the school's technology offerings have been successfully addressed via "Electric Moments" at the School's annual Live and Silent Auction. The next phase of the plan involves larger investments in infrastructure and software, purchases best served by a capital campaign.

A successful campaign would allow FSCS to:

• Procure the additional hardware, software and training needed to advance academics, administration and school operations according to our end-state vision for technology.
• Establish the foundational infrastructure needed to fully support the academic, administrative and operational needs of the school and tri-parish center.
• Provide funding for the ongoing maintenance, updates and capabilities needed to keep the FSCS students, faculty and administration in step with the technological advancements shaping education today.
• Maintain and update the capabilities currently in place but reaching end-of-life. These include hardware, software, telecom, A/V and security components.

To achieve these campaign goals, a team of parent technology leaders are working with the school's technology staff to develop a long-range plan for maintaining a commitment to technology, leveraging grants and maximizing local resources.

Campaign monies would allow investments in the following categories:

• Academic excellence. FSCS will strive to make available the use of software, internet and multi-media tools that will allow students to recognize, organize, and represent knowledge based on real-world technology. Enhanced lesson planning, staff training and accelerated classroom projects will be an area of focus. FSCS will make every effort to provide a safe environment in which our students utilize technology to accelerate information gathering and enabling greater global awareness. Students will be furnished with the resources for the ever-increasing use of technology in their future education, work and family lives.
• Administration and collaboration. FSCS will provide access to the technologies needed by administration, staff, students and parents to foster communication and increase collaboration and parent visibility concerning the academics, extracurricular activities and events associated with the School and Tri-parish center.
• Infrastructure and foundation. FSCS will leverage technology to drive efficiencies across the operations of the School in the areas of academics, scheduling, training, recordkeeping, finance, and internal and external communications.