Berkshire AC4P Kicks Off 2016/17 Initiatives
by Abby Carlson, Badger Pause Editor & AC4P Member
Actively Caring for People, or more lovingly referred to as AC4P, is a club offered here at Berkshire where students learn how to put others before themselves. With respect, love, acceptance and compassion, AC4P builds friendships and families, helping to create an empathetic community for, not only our little town of Burton, but our world as well.
High hopes rang out at the first meeting of the year after an appreciative visit was made from honored Virginia Tech friends who brought the program to Berkshire a couple years ago. After some exercises focusing on compassion and the beauty of anonymous help, AC4P members talked about what needs to change to make our world, simply put, better.
Mrs. Paluf, one of Berkshire’s beloved counselors, discussed with a few incredibly eager students on what it is AC4P plans to do this year, and how they can make the community a better and more welcoming place to live for everyone. Plans to fundraise for the Women’s Shelter, support the homeless, help the animals at the Geauga Dog Warden, and make the holidays special for all Berkshire students were discussed and are eagerly awaited. If you would like to join them in helping others, see Mrs. Paluf for more information, AC4P would be ecstatic to see some new, smiling faces!
Berkshire High School Moves Forward on 1:1 Tech Initiative
by Meghan Riley Hull, Technology Integration Specialist
Berkshire has been working toward a district goal of providing each student kindergarten through 12th grade a 1:1 technology experience by providing each student with their own device to enhance their learning experience. This is often a difficult task, considering the expense of the purchase and upkeep of devices, cases, insurance and other add-ons that create an optimal learning experience for students.
Through participation in the College Ready Ohio grant through The Ohio State University, Berkshire was able to purchase 520 iPad Air II devices, with additional devices, a necessary upgrade to the wireless infrastructure, and the purchase of a mobile device management system coming from a combination of the College Ready Ohio grant and an additional iStem grant. Each student enrolled at Berkshire in grades 9-12 started the 2016-2017 school year with an iPad pre-loaded with Apps such as Google Classroom, Notability, Explain Everything, and many more that enhance student learning in and out of the classroom. While the 7th and 8th graders are not currently 1:1 with devices, there are carts of iPads available with the hopes of going 1:1 in the near future.
Teachers at Berkshire Junior/Senior High School were also provided devices as instructional tools and ongoing training, initiated by three catalyst teachers who have been working with College Ready Ohio for the past two years to prepare for this transition to a 21st century learning environment. Additionally, Berkshire Junior/Senior High School installed a state of the art Interactive Video Distance Learning (IVDL) lab that can be utilized by staff to connect students to people virtually anywhere in the world.
Throughout the rest of the district, Ledgemont Elementary is a 1:1 building with students each having Chromebooks which were a gift from a community member. At Burton Elementary, the kindergarten classes are outfitted with 25 iPad Minis that were also a gift. Meanwhile students in third, fifth and sixth grade will experience the roll out of Chromebooks this year, with the rest of Burton Elementary to follow, per the five year technology plan.
Technology in schools is no longer an extravagance for districts, but rather a necessity in order to provide students with a well rounded education that is relevant to their lives beyond their primary and secondary schooling; the problem often lies with funding and sustaining any 1:1 program. Berkshire Local Schools is taking steps to do so and provide students with the best possible education to prepare them for their futures.
Travel to England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales in June 2017
by Abby Carlson, Badger Pause Editor
If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing the world, visiting exotic places, and exploring various cultures, then the 2017 EF Tours trip to the Britannia will be right up your alley! The tour travels to England, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, and will feature many interesting attractions such as the Book of Kells, Westminster Abbey, Stonehenge, and the London Eye. The price of the trip as of September 2017, is $3,020 with all expenses paid except for lunch, which students will be expected to purchase themselves. To sign up for this once in a lifetime experience, go see Ms.Meghan Hull in the library for more details, she would love to hook you up! Or visit the tour website at: www.eftours.com/1790527uv
Below is the itinerary for The Brittania:
Day 1: Fly overnight to Ireland
Day 2: Shannon • Killarney
Meet your Tour Director at the airport
Travel to Killarney
Day 3: Killarney
Take a tour of the Ring of Kerry
Visit the Kerry Bog Village Museum
Day 4: Killarney • Blarney • Dublin
Travel via Blarney to Dublin
Visit Blarney Castle
See the Rock of Cashel
Day 5: Dublin
Take a guided tour of Dublin
With your expert local guide you will see: Georgian squares, O’Connell Street, St. Stephen’s Green,
Phoenix Park
See the Book of Kells at Trinity College
Visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Explore on your own or add this in-depth excursion: Gaelic Games
Day 6: Dublin • Holyhead • North Wales
Take a ferry from Dublin to Holyhead
Travel via Snowdonia to North Wales
Visit a Welsh castle
Day 7: North Wales • Lake District • Edinburgh
Travel via the Lake District to Edinburgh
Visit Rydal Mount
Day 8: Edinburgh • London
Take a guided tour of Edinburgh
Visit Edinburgh Castle
Enjoy lunch in Edinburgh
Take a walking tour of Edinburgh
Travel by train to London
Day 9: London
Take a guided tour of London
With your expert local guide you will see: Big Ben and Houses of Parliament, Piccadilly Circus, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace
Take a walking tour of London
With your Tour Director you will see: Strand, Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Covent Garden
Explore on your own or add this in-depth excursion: London Eye
Day 10: London
Explore on your own or add this in-depth excursion: Windsor Castle
Day 11: Depart for home
