The largest school in Kentucky opened its doors for the first time on August 3rd to an eager crowd of over 1,200 students and staff. The uniquely-designed complex is home to both the South Warren Middle and High School and is dedicated to providing a supportive learning environment for all of its students.
The facility sits on 88 acres and carries a $68 million price tag for the building, greenhouse and athletic fields/buildings. Among South Warren's impressive features is the media center, which was designed to resemble a modern bookstores, including comfortable places to study under windows that flood the space with natural light.
When it came time to outfit the classrooms, Warren County Superintendent Tim Murley wanted the latest technology available. After evaluating the top three technology solutions on the market, CIO Robert Forsythe selected RM Education.
“We believe that having the right technology in the classroom is the key to getting our students engaged and inspired to learn.” says Fortsythe “We chose RM because they understand the importance of creating a student- centered learning environment.”
Partnering with RM, South Warren has created 21st century interactive learning environments in every classroom. The RM Easiteach family of dynamic software tools was chosen as the school’s primary interactive whiteboard software. The software allows teachers to create and present teaching resources that incorporate text, clipart, animations, video, Flash files, hyperlinks, databases, and spreadsheets. Users can create personalized lessons, as well as access a library of customizable content to suit their needs.
With its tough ceramic steel surface, the eno Interactive Whiteboard by Polyvision was chosen as the hub of the classroom. South Warren High School Principal Terry Cook said that he is impressed with the Eno Whiteboard. “Our teachers have really enjoyed the training and have quickly adopted the software because it gives them all the tools they need to get the most from their new interactive classrooms,” says Cook.
Each classroom will feature a 3D-ready Optoma projector as well as a Lumens DC-210 Document Camera. Wireless microphones will ensure that each student hears the entire lesson, every day.
With the start of the school year behind them, South Warren’s principals are looking ahead and are excited about the opportunities the new campus brings and the new technology that will assist their teachers in meeting their technology plan goals.
“We are committed to reaching today’s students with tools and resources that are current, relevant and engaging,” says Cook “Our goal is to give students the skills necessary to prepare them for life in the 21st century.”
Each year, Warren County is among the top-performing school districts in Kentucky and is one of only 11 Kentucky school districts identified by Standard & Poor’s Evaluation Services for narrowing achievement gaps among student groups while also improving each group’s performance.
