Holy Family Academy 1st Graders Surprise Parents with Technology

All parents of a certain age have been there. They’ve experienced the “dreaded eye roll” when they humbly ask a high school or middle school child to help them navigate a piece of technology.

But, can it really be that now first graders are helping parents download apps to prepare for Parent Curriculum Night? Yes, if your child attends Holy Family Catholic Academy in Inverness.

Holy Family Academy recently incorporated iPads into their first and second grade classes. “Our teachers have been researching how to utilize the iPads to further our innovative 21st century curriculum,” explains Mrs. Kate O’Brien, Principal. First grade teachers, Mrs. Jeanne Henry and Mrs. Laura Moynihan have worked with their students to design individual web pages that will showcase the students’ work throughout the year. Complete with a secured QR (Quick Response) Code, parents will be able to access their student’s newly designed webpage and view their work.

“I was blown away when I scanned the QR code and up came a video of my six-year-old daughter, Ava inviting me to learn about first grade--and this is after only being in school for 3 weeks!” states Holy Family Academy parent John Sclafini.

While it is easy to get excited about technology for technology sake, Holy Family teachers implemented the iPads only after they made sure that the devises engaged these youngest learners to build knowledge, not just deliver information.

“This is just one example why we believe that technology should not be taught in a lab as a separate class, but rather embedded throughout our curriculum,” says Mrs. O’Brien.

Amazed at the hands-on learning that takes place in the classroom,Trisha Routh, another first grade parent, left Holy Family Academy’s Curriculum Night with a big smile saying what virtually every other parent was thinking, “First grade sure isn’t what it used to be!”