St. Mary’s School is now a One-to-One Technology School

Through the help of the St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation, St. Mary School in Oak Ridge is now the first diocesan school to offer “one-to-one” technology. The school used a grant of $29,200 to install wireless infrastructure and purchase dozens of Chromebooks to fulfill the goal of providing a Chromebook for every student in grades 1-8.  The St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation also awarded a second grant of $11,765 to replace the outdated and unrepairable Public Address system in the school.
On May 4, Bishop Richard F. Stika, Sister Mary Marta Abbott, RSM, diocesan Superintendent of Schools, and Mrs. Terry Frank, Mayor of Anderson County, were among several guests who attended the celebration.  The event began with a tour of the school to see how students use the Chromebooks in the classroom, from spelling games in first grade to experiments in the middle school science lab. With one-to-one technology, students stay more engaged and can work at a faster pace, and teachers can develop lesson plans for each student’s individual needs.  Teachers are able to give timely feedback on work students submit electronically through Google Classroom.  Teachers and students alike are excited to use this technology to improve student achievement.

Bishop Richard Stika, Sister Marie Blanchette, O.P., and Mayor Terry Frank shared brief remarks about St. Mary’s School.  Mayor Terry Frank concluded the celebration praising the school, “St Mary’s is indeed a very special place.  When I think about education here, I think of the word DELIBERATE.  . . .  St. Mary’s does not have to excel, but they are deliberate in their mission to work each and every day to go above and beyond.  As parents, my husband Lee and I chose St. Mary’s School because of the focus on what is most important—Christ.  We wanted for our children to build their foundation in a God-centered environment, and we got that and much more.  I cannot brag enough about the quality of St. Mary’s academics, and that quality is built upon the commitment of the Sisters and the entire staff—teachers and support staff, and also the contributions of parents.”