Back-to-School Apples are a welcome surprise at St. Francis Xavier School

St. Francis Xavier Catholic School

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KEARNS — The students at St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Kearns are counting their blessings one "Apple" at a time. With a generous anonymous donation presented to Patrick Reeder, St. Francis Xavier principal, the school was able to purchase 25 new Apple iMac computers.

Students from kindergarten all the way up to 8th grade are in awe of the beautiful new lab, as are the teachers.

"I am so grateful," Mary Duncan said. "I wish we knew who to thank. I wish the donor could see our students hard at work on these beautiful machines and see what a difference it has made in their lives and the impact these skills will have on their futures."

The new computers arrived a week before school started. Kathleen Kilby, St. Francis librarian and media specialist, spent hours setting them up and installing software so the students would be able to use them when school started. It was like Christmas morning as each class entered the computer lab the first week of school.

Students and teachers are delighted to have the opportunity to use the updated technology. The lab previously consisted of 10-year-old iMacs that had been donated to the school by Juan Diego Catholic High School. The sturdy old iMacs were still running, but somewhat inconsistently.

"It is so nice to look out over my computer classes to see each computer smoothly running the same version of the same software," said Veronica Brand of the new lab.

The new technology has allowed her to shift her focus from troubleshooting back to her main priority: student learning. It is easier for the students to master content with the increased RAM and beautiful wide-screen displays.

The increased speed and function hasn’t gone unnoticed by the students. Already, 6th-grader Olivia Culley says, "It has helped a lot!"

The 7th graders, who remember bringing books to the computer lab to read in case their computer was running slowly, are pleasantly surprised.

"Wow!" said 7th-grader Angelica Rodriguez. "I think it’s the best thing we’ve ever gotten and we should take really good care of them."

Nikolas Santiago echoed the pervading sense of gratitude, saying, "The new computer lab is awesome. … The new computers are easy, fast and don’t freeze up a lot."

"We are all just thrilled," Kilby said. "The children are so excited to have the latest technology, and they are so appreciative. We all appreciate the kindness of this donation."

Thanks to these new computers, students will be able to use their new technology skills as they create interactive displays and presentations, compose charts and graphs for upcoming science fair projects, or hone their typing, spelling and math skills.

Of all the lessons, however, possibly the most lasting is the lesson of gratitude.

Zachary Burgener, 8th grade, said, "They run so fast. … I’m grateful. I’m so happy."