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St. Raymond School upgrades technology

St. Raymond School, a K-8 Catholic school in Menlo Park, plans to substantially upgrade its technology and science education program starting in August.

The new program is not intended to replace the current instruction and curriculum, but to complement it, said Principal Tara Rolle.

A new library lab will combine the current library with computer lab space. The school will bring in new technology, including new iMac desktop computers, "placing technology instruction side by side with our library books," she said.

In the classroom, MacBook laptops will be used in grades 3, 4 and 5. A set of iPads have been purchased for grades K-2 to supplement MacBooks. For middle-school grades, iPads have been purchased to continue the 1-to-1 ratio of computers to students.

MacBook Pros, with sophisticated programming software, have been purchased for a new STEM lab, which will give teachers resources to build a "competitive" and "cross-curricular" math and science program, Ms. Rolle said. (STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math.)

The STEM lab will host St. Raymond's new after-school robotics class, with the goal of creating a robotics club to compete with other local schools.

St. Raymond, which has 255 students enrolled, is considering other after-school STEM programs, including gaming, computer programming and aeronautic engineering.

The school plans to become the first school in the Archdiocese of San Francisco and San Jose to be recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for its integration of technology into the education program, Ms. Rolle said.