Ricca Francis (center) poses with other PTSO members at the recent PTSO Pancake Breakfast.

The Chatsworth-Porter Ranch Chamber of Commerce has selected SJE PTSO President, Ricca Francis, as its 2012 PTA President of the Year awardee. Mrs. Francis was recognized as a 12th Annual Unforgettable Educator Award Recipient at a special award dinner on April 19 at the Odyssey Restaurant in Granada Hills.

The event “celebrates and honors local teachers and school administrators whose dedication and active role in the community inspire and motivate their students to grow, learn, excel and give back.” The selection was based on nominations received by the Chamber. The award is sponsored by Facey Medical Group and the public was invited to attend.

We congratulate Mrs. Francis on this award and thank her for her selfless service to our school community! Read the award announcement from the Chamber.

In a meeting with the parents of students entering the SJE 6th Grade this Fall, Mrs. Danowitz introduced the next phase of the school's technology program. She announced that the incoming 6th Grade students will be using Apple iPads to replace or supplement certain text books and will also be used as an integral part of classwork and homework assignments.

Apple has already been working with St. Genevieve in Panorama City to implement iPads throughout their curriculum. The program has shown impressive results and the SJE program will be modelled after St. Genevieve′s. Thousands of educational applications have been developed for the iPad that will provide students an extensive library of learning tools. Students will also have internet access though their iPads via the wi-fi network at the school.

The use of iPads at the middle-school level will be phased in over a three year period beginning with the 2011-12 school year. Each successive 6th Grade will receive iPads so that they will be integrated into the 6th, 7th, and 8th Grades. The technology plan calls for all grade levels to eventually have a curriculum that utilizes tablet devices and to phase-out most, if not all, printed textbooks.