Greetings Unionville - Chadds Ford School District! It's hard to believe it's already 2019. And with each new year comes the motivation to start fresh, make changes and try new things. It is in this spirit that we are happy to announce our very own monthly technology newsletter! We have found that over the years, we have had trouble connecting with our end-users in the district. There are so many innovative projects, new and exciting tools and initiatives taking place and we need a medium to get the word out! Please take a moment to look around our first issue and don't hesitate to reach out if you feel there is a topic we should cover. This newsletter is meant to be a resource for YOU and a way for us to better serve YOU. Thank you in advance for your support and have a happy and safe New Year!! ~Lisa D

around the district

Check out the spotlight on Elementary Technology Classrooms, produced by our very own district technician, Ryan Dadalski, and starring our UCFSD Technology Teachers!

ELL ACCESS Test - Students in our ELL program will be taking the online WIDA ACCESS test on chromebooks during the month of February

Front Row Sound Systems - The Special Education Department used Medical ACCESS funds to purchase Front Row Sound Systems for every building in our district. Here is an excerpt from their website regarding the science behind this technology.

IN A THREE-YEAR PROJECT INVOLVING 55 KINDERGARTEN-THROUGH-SECOND-GRADE CLASSROOMS IN ESCAMBIA, ORANGE, PINELLAS, AND SARASOTA (FLORIDA) PUBLIC SCHOOLS, 96% OF TEACHERS FOUND THAT STUDENT ATTENTIVENESS, LISTENING, AND COMPREHENSION IMPROVED WHEN USING FRONTROW.

behind the scenes

Cafeteria Point of Sale System - This year, the Food Service Department has been transitioning to using Microsoft Surface tablets for the cash registers in the lunch lines. This new setup takes up less space, speeds up processing times, and provides flexibility. So far UHS, CFES and PES have moved to this new technology. Check them out the next time you visit the cafeteria to grab a bite to eat!

Network Upgrades - Have you noticed a faster and more reliable internet connection this school year? That's because we have upgraded our entire network infrastructure! All elementary schools are now connected back to the high school via a 10G fiber line.

Wireless Assessment - The technology department, with the Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) has conducted walk-throughs at each of our buildings to identify and remediate any areas with weak wireless connectivity. A plan is being presented to the board in January with steps to expand our coverage at UES and CFES this school year, and a road map to provide wireless access to outside areas next school year! Stay tuned :)

powerschool

PowerSchool was recently upgraded to version 12.1.1.0 and PowerTeacher 2.8.0.13. With this upgrade comes new features and bug fixes. Great news! The "View Assignments from Most Recent" feature in gradebook is fixed! For a complete rundown of release notes, please click here.

tip of the month

STAR IMPORTANT FILES OR FOLDERS IN GOOGLE DRIVE TO FIND THEM QUICKLY LATER.

• Sign in to your Google Drive , navigate to a file or folder and RIGHT-CLICK.
• Choose "Add Star."
• To see all of your "starred" files and folders at once, in the left sidebar, click "Starred."
• To remove a "starred" item, RIGHT-CLICK on the file or folder and choose "Remove Star."

helpdesk

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