News and Events
EVSC Buries the Past at Ceremony for New Technology and Innovation Center
In a ceremony outside the construction site for the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation’s new Technology and Innovation Center on July 2, the corporation talked about the importance of technology in today’s global society and ceremonially buried “the past” by burying a Commodore PET Computer, first used in EVSC schools in the late 1970’s.
“The Commodore PET we are burying today had 16KB of RAM, compared to today’s 2GB of RAM (2,000,000KB), said Mike Russ, Chief Technology Officer. “It was the first computer we purchased in the schools in the late 1970s.” Russ said there were also other PET computers purchased by EVSC that had even less RAM – at only 4 KB. “What few programs that were available for these computers were loaded with a cassette player. There were no floppy disks at first,” he said. Russ explained that these Commodores were the first introduction for students to computers. “Besides the few educational games available, the main use was to learn BASIC programming,” he said.
Russ said this new building really signifies the importance of technology today and for everyone’s futures. “The Technology and Innovation Center will allow the EVSC to better prepare its staff to utilize technology to help students achieve at a higher level and develop 21st century skills needed to compete in today’s world. It will also allow us to improve the technology skills of all staff to better utilize technology in the workplace, improving efficiencies in all of the tasks we do every day as one of the largest employers in the area.”
Speaking at the ceremony were School Board President Sally Becker, Architects Hafer Associates representative Jill Harpole, and Superintendent Vince Bertram.
Bertram said not only is this new building going to bring all of the Information Technology employees to one location, but the building, which will be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, will be a place where we prepare our staff to bring the future into the classroom. “It’s one thing to have computers for students to use in their daily work, but it’s another to fully engage students in creative, innovative work, using real-time information and state-of-the-art technology,” Bertram said.
The building will house 35 employees from the Office of Technology, plus the Office of Facilities employees, and will feature: Two laboratories for practical hands-on experience; a classroom; a teleconferencing room; and a large open meeting area.
All of these facilities will be utilized to provide the best possible technology professional development. The EVSC’s present data center will be relocated to the new building and will be connected to a backup generator that can be utilized in case of a power outage.
Also as a part of the ceremony, the contents of the time capsule which had been found in the old Walnut Building when it was razed were discussed. The Walnut Building had been a part of the Chestnut-Walnut School which was dedicated on October 18, 1921. In the time capsule was a newspaper from the day, a list of teachers and students at the building that day, children’s drawings, and a “message from the building” – a poem about what it would be for the community.
Contents of a time capsule that will be installed in a cornerstone of this building were also outlined, including technological signs of today’s world including:
Wireless PC card; Palm Pilot; cell phone; Macintosh software; Microsoft Office software, and the various means of storage that have been used for computers since their inception including 5 1/4" and 3 ½ ” floppy disks; a CD with an innovative, cross-curriculum class project from 2008-09 school year at Helfrich Park STEM Academy; a DVD; and today’s flash drive. The flash drive has the EVSC’s Strategic Plan, approved on March 17, 2008, stored on it. Also included are the EVSC’s Community Report for 2009, a list of the Leadership Cabinet for the EVSC and current school board members, and a newspaper from today.
Architects for the project are Hafer Associates. General Contractor is Lichtenberger Construction. Subcontractors include: Alva Electric; J.E. Shekell for the plumbing and HVAC; Hi –Tech Sheet Metal; and Koch Air LLC for temperature control. The building is expected to be completed by May 2010.
New Website to Track Progess Announced
A new website to track progress of the Strategic Plan and various construction projects was announced at a recent School Board meeting. The site can be found at www.evscstrategicplan.com and features descriptions of each of the core focus items of the plan, as well as a progress timeline and details of each building project.
EVSC Offers FREE Summer Meals for Students, Families The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation is once again offering a summer meals program at 12 schools throughout the community. Meals will be served Monday through Friday running through July 2 at most schools; and running through July 24 at locations hosting the Summer Parks and Recreation Programs for youth. Meals are free to all children and youth, ages 18 and younger. Adults 19 and older the cost is $2.50 for lunches and $1.75 for breakfasts.
All locations are closed on July 3.
Specific locations and times meals will be served are as follows:
Central High School: June 1 – July 10, serving breakfast only, 7:30 – 8 a.m.
*New breakfast and lunch time -- Cedar Hall Elementary School:
June 1 – July 2, serving breakfast from 8-8:30 a.m. and lunch from 10:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
July 6 – July 24, serving lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
*New meal offerings/lunch time chg.-no breakfast -- Culver Elementary School:
June 8 – July 2, lunch from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
July 6 – July 24, lunch served from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Tekoppel Elementary School:
June 8 – July 2, lunch served from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
July 6 – July 24, lunch served from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
*New lunch time -- Fairlawn Elementary School:
June 8 – July 2, lunch served from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
*New location offered -- Lincoln Elementary School:
June 8-July 2, lunch served 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Evans Middle School: June 8 – July 2, lunch served from 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Caze and Howard Roosa Elementary Schools:
June 8 – July 2, lunch served from 11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
July 6 – July 24, lunch served from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
*New lunch time -- Dexter Elementary:
June 8-July 2, lunch served 10:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
July 6-24, lunch served 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Delaware Elementary School:
June 8 – July 2, lunch served from noon – 1 p.m.
July 6 – July 24, lunch served from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Harwood Middle School: June 8 – July 2, lunch served from noon – 1 p.m.
McGary Middle School: June 8 – July 2, lunch served from 11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Summer meal programs at EVSC schools are funded by the United States Department of Agriculture and monitored by the Department of Education Office of School and Community Nutrition.
Community agencies, organizations and families are invited to bring children to any of the participating schools for the meals offered.