A personal mobile computing update

If you are a current high school senior, you should immediately back up any information on your iPad that you would like to keep to the cloud and return your device to your high school’s Help Desk by Friday, May 31. Some high schools are already allowing seniors to return their iPads once they are finished with all their work.

If you are a current fifth-grader, rising sixth-grader, you will receive your device at the beginning of the 2013–2014 school year after you attend your school’s Personal Mobile Computing Orientation meeting for students and parents.

Students currently in Grades 6–11, rising seventh- through 12th-graders, will be able to keep their personal mobile computing devices over the summer. We hope that by allowing students to use their iPads over the summer, they will be able to acquire an even greater digital competence — something that will help them next year and in the years to follow.

For instance, students will be able to use interactive applications to improve their reading fluency or build mathematics skills. In addition, some teachers will provide summer reading lists to students electronically before year end. Parents can then opt to check those books out from the Lexington County Public Library system electronically in pdf format or use the Kindle App on the iPad to check out and read a Kindle version. The Lexington County Public Library’s website (http://www.lex.lib.sc.us/default.asp) has information about this on the Digital Media Catalog page of its website. Look under “Getting Started” on the Digital Media Catalog webpage.

If a student has a problem with an iPad over the summer and needs assistance, we will provide a help desk at the District Office from 8 A.M. to 4:30 P.M., Monday through Thursday. That telephone number is 803-821-1187. The email address is helpdesk@lexington1.net.

We should also remind you that the rules regarding appropriate technology use including unauthorized use of the Internet or computer games, downloading inappropriate applications, removing district-loaded applications including the district’s Internet filtering system or giving out personal information will continue to apply during the summer. You can find a link to a copy of the district’s technology acceptable use policy and other good information about the district’s Personal Mobile Computing Initiative on the district’s website under “Quick Links” on the Personal Mobile Computing webpage.

If you purchased the Optional Protection Plan for the 2012–2013 school year, that plan will cover your student’s device over the summer. At the beginning of the 2013–2014 school year, as you pay fees for 2013–2014, you will be able to purchase another year of coverage under the Optional Protection Plan.

If, for some reason, you do not want your student to have the device over the summer, you or your student should check the device into your school’s Help Desk for storage before you leave school for the summer. Once school begins in August, the school will return that same iPad to your student.

What happens if you decide to move out of the district this summer? Since Lexington County School District One is loaning your student this personal mobile computing device as part of the district’s personal mobile computing initiative, you must return the device back to your student’s school per the agreement you signed if you move out of district before school begins again in the fall.

Lexington One announces LTC director

At the Tuesday, May 7, 2013, special board meeting of the Lexington County School District One Board of Trustees, a budget workshop, the board approved the administration’s recommendation to hire W. Bryan Hearn as director of the Lexington Technology Center for the 2013–2014 school year.

Hearn replaces current Director Kenneth W. Lake who announced his plans to retire in December 2012. Lake’s retirement is effective June 30, 2013.

Hearn has 14 years of educational experience and currently serves as assistant principal of Wando High School in the Charleston County School District.

He began his career in 1999 as a mathematics teacher at Oakbrook Middle School in Dorchester School District Two. He transferred to Summerville High School in 2003, where he served as ninth-grade academy team captain. Hearn joined Wando High in 2004 as assistant principal. His duties have included High Schools That Work site coordinator, School of Business and Information Systems supervisor, math department supervisor, bus coordinator, textbook coordinator and first point of contact administrator.

Hearn received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and Spanish from Auburn University, a master’s degree in secondary mathematics from the University of South Alabama and his administrative endorsement in secondary educational leadership from The Citadel. He is certified as a secondary principal and secondary supervisor and in secondary and middle school mathematics.

He is a member of the South Carolina Association of School Administrators and ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) and has served as youth coach for the Mt. Pleasant Recreation Department for five years.

Free and healthy meals this summer

Again this summer, Lexington County School District One participates in The Summer Food Service Program, federally funded by the USDA and administered through the South Carolina Department of Education and our district.

This program allows us to offer free, healthy meals to children 18 years old and younger who live in the attendance area of the school where the meals are served. A snack is available from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday through Thursday. Lunch is available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Children are provided regardless of income. However, children must eat these meals at the school.

Meals will be served at Forts Pond Elementary School, Gilbert Elementary School and Saxe Gotha Elementary School from June 10 through August 1. There will be no service July 4.

Compete in the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge

Epicurious and First Lady Michelle Obama recently announced the kickoff of the second “Healthy Lunchtime Challenge” to help combat child obesity.

Parents and children ages 8 to 12 are invited to submit an original lunch recipe that is healthy, affordable and tasty.

Recipes must adhere to the USDA’s MyPlate guidelines available here and meet the healthy criteria. Entries must represent each of the food groups, either in one dish or as parts of a lunch meal — including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and low-fat dairy foods. Fruits and vegetables should make up roughly half the plate or recipe.

This summer, 56 children and their parent or guardian (one pair from each of the 50 states, plus the U.S. territories, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico) will be flown to the nation’s capital. There they will have the opportunity to dine at a meal at the White House hosted by Mrs. Obama in July or August. A selection of the winning healthy recipes will be served.

The panel of judges for the recipes will include Tanya Steel, Let’s Move! Executive Director Sam Kass, USDA and U.S. Department of Education representatives, as well as a celebrity chef, to be named later.

At the conclusion of the Challenge, a free, downloadable and printable e-cookbook featuring the winning recipes, nutritional analysis, photos and drawings will be available.

You can submit recipes through May 12, 2013, in one of two ways. To submit online, go to http://recipechallenge.epicurious.com/. To mail your entry, send it to The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge, c/o Epicurious.com, 1166 Avenue of the Americas, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10036.

What can I do this summer?

Yes, it’s only March, but, believe it or not, summertime is just around the corner!

Each year, Lexington County School District One offers summer enrichment opportunities for its students. We will continue to update the information here as we receive new information about opportunities open to Lexington One students.

June 17–July 15, 2013 Course Recovery Summer School Grades 6–8

Lexington County School District One offers students in grades 6–8 an opportunity to receive credit for courses in English language arts, mathematics, science and social studies they did not pass through its Virtual Summer School Program running June 17–July 3, 2013.

Students can choose to use the computer lab at Pleasant Hill Middle School from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. or choose to do this from home at any hour of the day.

Tuition is $100 per course for in-district students and $200 per course for out-of-district students.

Students may enroll in one or two courses. To enroll and register, students must submit an electronic registration form, a school approval form completed by a school counselor and the appropriate payment.

Here are some links with more information: a link to a flier with more information and a link to the electronic registration form.

June 17–July 15, 2013 Course Recovery Summer School Grades 9–12

Lexington County School District One offers students in grades 9–12 an opportunity to receive credit for courses they did not pass. Students must complete 60 hours of seat time and successfully complete all course requirements. The district uses Apex to deliver the instruction.

If enough students register, there will be a morning session from 7:30–11:35 a.m. and an afternoon session from 12:05–4:10 p.m.

The course recovery summer school program will take place at Lexington High School located at 2463 Augusta Highway in Lexington,South Carolina.

Tuition is $325 per course for Lexington One students and $500 per course for out-of-district students.

Registration begins Monday, April 29, 2013, and concludes Thursday, June 13, 2013, at 2:00 p.m. Registration packets are available in high school guidance offices. You can also download the information here.

June 17–27, 2013 Science and Technology Enrichment Program for Grades 6–8

Lexington County School District One and the University of South Carolina are offering rising students in grades 6–8 an opportunity to attend an exciting and interactive science and technology enrichment program for middle school students.

The camp takes place Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the district’s Rosenwald Community Learning Center located at 420 Hendrix Street in Lexington.

Rising sixth-graders will pursue an Energy and Animals unit while rising seventh- and eighth-graders will pursue a Chemistry and Earth Structures unit.

Here’s a link to more information.

June 24–27, 2013 Camp Invention Geo-Quest Camp — Open to rising first- through sixth-graders

Lexington Elementary School offers a Camp Invention Geo-Quest summer camp for rising first- through sixth-graders from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Lexington Elementary located at 116 Azalea Drive in Lexington , S.C.

The program costs $220 or $215 with online registration.

Here’s a link to more information.

Feel free to email Camp Director Jim Hamby for more information at jhamby@lexington1.net .

July 8–11, 2013 and July 15–18, 2013 Color Me YOGA — Pleasant Hill Elementary School

In this four day long summer camp, students will use literature, movement and technology to explore stress management, breathing, work, play and leadership skills to achieve their personal best.

The July8–11, 2013 week is for rising first–third grade students.

The July 15–18, 2013week is for rising fourth–fifth grade students.

Here’s a link to registration information.

iTEAMS July 8–11, 2013 — Lexington Middle School

The July 8–11, 2013 Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship Among Middle Schoolers or iTEAMS summer camp is a partnership between the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics and Lexington County School District One.

It is designed to give tech-minded seventh- and eighth-graders a summer experience that challenges their creativity and encourages their interest in computer science, technology and entrepreneurship.

Learn more about it here and apply online here.

June 10–13, 2013 Bus Driver Training

Lexington County School District One needs full-time bus drivers and part-time bus drivers.

Starting pay is $10.82 per hour, and some positions may offer state benefits.

If you are interested in becoming a bus driver for Lexington One or would like more information, please contact Harvey Clubb in Transportation at 803-821-1340.

District taking applications for 2013–2014 4K program

Lexington County School District One continues to accept applications for its 4-year-old kindergarten program for next year, the 2013–2014 school year.

Parents or guardians of children who are 4 years old on or will be 4 years old before September 1, 2013, may apply to have their child screened for the half-day 4-year-old kindergarten program. Screening takes place the week of May 27 and the week of June 3.

To participate in this screening, parents/guardians must apply for the half-day 4-year-old kindergarten program prior to May 30, 2013, at the elementary or primary school your child would normally attend.

You should bring the child’s official birth certificate with parents’s names on it (not a wallet card or short certificate) and a completed South Carolina Certificate of Immunization to the school your child would normally attend. Here’s information about what immunizations your child needs.

For proof of residency, please bring a current electric bill/statement showing your name and home address within the district and your South Carolina driver’s license or other state or federal photograph identification. If you are unable to produce any of these documents, please contact the school or the Office of Student Services at 803-821-1029 to discuss alternative documentation that may be acceptable.

Parents will be notified of the date and time their child will be screened for the program. Students must participate in the screening to be considered for the program. The screenings use fun activities such as identifying pictures, drawing and interacting with trained teachers.

Once the screenings are complete, parents will be notified by telephone or by mail of the screening results and if their child was accepted into the 4K program.

Students accepted in the program attend either a morning session (7:40–10:15 a.m.) or an afternoon session (11:45 a.m.–2:15 p.m.).

Bus transportation to and from school is provided for students residing in the school’s attendance area. If a child resides outside of the school’s attendance area, parents or guardians must provide transportation.

If you have questions regarding the 4K program, please contact the elementary or primary school your child would normally attend or call Karyn Ward or Johnnie Boatwright in Lexington One’s Instructional Services Office at (803) 821-1065.

Lexington One hosts Chick-fil-A Leadercast

Lexington County School District One and the Lexington One Educational Foundation host the 2013 Chick-fil-A Leadercast on Friday, May 10, 2013, at Lexington Technology Center from 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Proceeds raised from this event benefit Lexington One students by supporting free summer camps targeting middle and high school students and helping them build leadership and entrepreneurial skills.

The Chick-fil-A Leadercast gives community leaders, business professionals, coaches, educators and future leaders the opportunity to listen and learn from successful 21st century leaders, via live satellite feed.

Nine presenters speak about strengthening leadership by simplifying your life. Presenters include John Maxwell, leadership expert and best-selling author; Sanya Richards-Ross, 2012 London Olympic track and field gold medalist; Jack Welch, former Chairman and CEO of General Electric; LCDR Rorke Denver, Navy SEAL and star of the 2012 movie “Act of Valor;” and a satellite interview with Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State (2005–2009). For a complete list of presenters, visit www.chick-fil-aleadercast.com.

Learn more about the event here.

Other items of interest

Where do my children go to school?

Where can I learn more about the personal mobile computing initiative at the middle and high schools?

Read the latest LexLeads, LexLearns, LexLives.