The mission for technology at Seven Holy Founders is: Through integration with traditional curriculum and methods, to provide a means to enhance the academic growth and achievement of our students and promote lifelong learning and inquiry; To provide our teachers with the best available instructional tools that support a wide range of learning styles; To enhance students’ understanding of computer technology and its applications, preparing them to be successful in their academic careers, to be productive members of the workforce, effective citizens and participating members of the Christian community.

March 2007 Update: Using funds from the recent magazine drive, the Technology Committee has purchased eight new computers and two new printers for our school. This will be installed in Spring 2007.

About the Technology Committee
The Seven Holy Founders Technology Committee is a group of parents, teachers, and administrators that promote the use of computer technology throughout our school. The Technology Committee purchases hardware and software, provides technical support, and develops the vision and goals for technology. This is no small task when you consider that this committee supports:

• a computer lab with over 80 networked computers, 2 laser printers and 1 inkjet printer
• two network servers which manage a network of the computer lab, library, principals office, and a high speed Internet connection
• a computer and printer in almost every classroom
• multiple software applications that support the lab, library, and classrooms

Computer hardware, software, and networks of this size require constant attention and through the help of our volunteers, we have saved thousands of dollars in technical support costs alone. This has allowed us to focus our funds on the hardware and software directly related to our children's education.
Computer education is now a necessity in almost every school. The Technology Committee is here to make sure that the infrastructure and resources are available to the principal and teachers so that they may continually expand our children's computer education. We could not have achieved so much without the vision and commitment by our parents and teachers who make up the technology committee.

Network Wiring Complete
SHF finally has an all-school computer network. This could not have been done without the help of generous donations and Together We're Better. TWB donated $5,000 to the technology committee for new computers and network wiring. We have installed a network wiring center in the lab that connects the lab, library, and principal's office all to the SHF local area network and a high speed Internet connection. All classrooms are now connected to our network and the Internet.

What About the Internet
The Internet has become an integral part of our daily lives and so it must also be part of our children’s computer education. Through Charter Cable, a free, high speed Internet connection has been provided to SHF. While the Internet offers a wealth of resources and knowledge, it also contains a significant amount of objectionable material. To protect our students from this material, we have installed “content filtering” software which blocks any objectionable material from being transmitted over our Internet connection. Now our teachers and students can focus on education instead of worrying about what Internet sites may contain inappropriate content.

Technology Funding
As with any program at SHF, the computer program costs money. From daily maintenance items like printer cartridges and broken hardware, to more substantial purchases like software support contracts, computer upgrades, and network wiring. The main source of our funding comes from the Magazine Drive. Through the generous support of our parents and the hard work of students, we have raised thousands of dollars each year which keeps our technology program running smoothly and allows us to constantly expand and upgrade our hardware and software. In 2003, a new source of funding was introduced. Together Were Better has come through with $5,000 for technology. This money will go directly to our network wiring and purchase of new computers that are over 10 years old. Without this money, it would have taken several years to upgrade these systems, and in the mean time, more hardware and software would have become obsolete. All this was done through TWB without parishioners having to sell or buy anything other than your normal grocery shopping. Please continue to support TWB, you can now see the results directly and maybe fund raising will become a thing of the past. Technology related purchases, including repairs, software, supplies and other needs are also supported by the Box Tops for Education program.

From the Committee
We would like to thank everyone who has helped to make our technology program what it is today. We have come a long way in the past several years and this could not have been done without the help of our volunteers who install, maintain, and troubleshoot the hardware and software, run the Magazine Drive, donate equipment, and create the vision for our future programs. Where are we going? Some of the plans we are developing, depending on our funding, include an all school network with e-mail and an SHF website, replacing old computers, and purchasing new educational software to replace the Apple lab. If you have any questions or comments for the Technology Committee, please call Jim Helm or contact us online.

Past Technology Reports
→Read the Technology Report for May 2005
→Read the Technology Report for 2003-2004