Today’s Saint Francis students are raised in a digital society. They have access to a wide range of electronic tools, including personal computers and hand-held communication devices. Academic research, schedule management and instant communication with friends and colleagues are the norm among today’s youth. Recognizing the needs and learning styles of these students has compelled Saint Francis to offer wireless Internet access throughout the campus, while designing new courses and integrating new technologies into daily classroom life. Larry Steinke, technology services director, remembers the not-too-distant past when personal computers, projection systems and instant Internet access were considered luxuries. “Today, it is impossible to separate technology from the classroom or from school management systems,” said Mr. Steinke. “We provide and maintain hundreds of computers and high-tech devices for students and teachers, and work continually to improve the home-school connection.”

Advances in technology continue to improve the school’s ability to serve its constituents. School President Kevin Makley noted, “Saint Francis High School will continue to explore and adopt well-designed educational technologies that maximize teaching effectiveness and student learning. Our technology goals include efforts to enhance communication among all members of our community, while providing new opportunities for student achievement and teacher innovation. Additionally, we want to leverage technology to manage our school business systems in an efficient and secure manner.”

While the incorporation of rapidly changing technologies into a vibrant school community presents multiple challenges, Saint Francis High School will remain on the “cutting edge,” just as Moreau would have expected. Technology is yet another instrument with which to prepare Saint Francis students to face and serve the world in which they live. Moreau himself could not have asked for more.