School Notes: At Williston, year begins with new laptops

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

EASTHAMPTON - In an ongoing effort to make use of the latest technology in classrooms, seventh and eighth-graders at Williston Northampton School have received laptop computers to use.

According to Williston spokesman Andrew Shelffo, the response among students and teachers has been very positive.

"The kids are tremendously excited about it, the parents are really excited about it and the faculty is enjoying having laptops available to students because it allows to teach in ways that they couldn't have before," he said.

The computers, which have enough battery life to last the entire school day, will stay inside the Middle School when school is not in session. But students will be able to access any files they have created from home. Students can also use the computers to access their Williston email and WillyNet, the school's internal communication system.

"This means our kids can start working on something during the school day and be able to save it to the network and work on the same file after school," Shelffo said.

New math books

In an attempt to make the academic transition from middle school to junior high as smooth as possible for students, school officials in the Easthampton Public Schools introduced two new math programs this semester.

According to Melissa Earls, the district's director of curriculum, fifth- and sixth-graders at White Brook Middle School have started working with new programs that use interactive computer software to teach middle school math.

Earls said all fifth-graders at White Brook Middle School began the new school year working with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's Math Expressions program.

Math Expressions is a mathematics curriculum for students from kindergarten to fifth grade that features online programs that the student can use at school or at home to learn basic math.

Meanwhile, one of the middle school's sixth-grade classes has begun working with McGraw Hill's Math Connects, the same math program used by students in the school's seventh and eighth grades.

"We want to make the transition from grade to grade as smooth as possible," Superintendent of Schools Nancy Follansbee said.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.