School district makes a connection with future

It’s back-to-school time, but as Baldwin Superintendent Shari Camhi said, “We’re very busy in the summer. “
Chief among the district’s summer activities was the rollout of the new website, which Camhi said is modeled after a college website, rather than a standard kindergarten through 12th-grade school district site. Although the site went live Tuesday, a formal presentation will be made at the first Board of Education meeting next Wednesday.

Combining information and marketing aspects, the new site, still at baldwinschools.org, highlights what the district calls its “signature programs” as well as district news, announcements and data, such as test results.

The site is also programmable, so users can sign up for whichever schools or features they’re particularly interested in, and receive a push notification when those features or calendar items are updated. Mobile apps available from iTunes or Google also bring the district up to date, Camhi said.

Also on tap: the opening of the new TV studio at the high school, which Camhi said was paid for mostly by legislative grants.

“We have talented teachers who teach the media,” she said. “This is an extension of that. But we hope others teachers will use it too.”

For example, if a social studies class is learning about public service announcements made during World War II, students might consider creating their own PSAs. “It’s a way to make students’ work meaningful, and at the same time, contemporary,” she said, pointing out that the studio, while housed in the high school, is also available for use by elementary- and middle-schoolers.

The TV studio will formally launch later this fall, and it’s part of the new media program expected to kick off in 2016.
Another highlight for the school year is the new Pre-Academy program for eighth-graders. Students will have the opportunity to sign up for high school Academy classes ranging from robotics to theater improvisation to business/stock market. And those students facing extra challenges will find a new bridge program, designed to help them make the transition from middle school to high school.