Winter break at Welches Middle School (WMS) meant time to work, as the
Oregon Trail School District (OTSD) installed technology upgrades, including
new interactive and short throw projectors, larger screens, teacher iPads,
wireless keyboards, docking stations and central speaker systems with
microphones.

“I think the ability to do a lot of different learning activities has just expanded
with the tools,” Principal Kendra Payne said, adding that the school had to
have some other upgrades, such as wiring, to accommodate the new
technology.

Payne noted that the technology will help improve the classroom experience,
as teachers will be able to move around more and help engage all students,
with better screens for displaying material and amplified voices to bring
everyone into a conversation.

“I feel like accessibility, in those ways, have been pretty big,” she said.
The district also installed similar technology at Boring Middle School (BMS),
following the move of Cedar Ridge Middle School into the Pioneer Building,
which needed technology upgrades as part of that transition. Scott Coleman,
OTSD Director of Technology, noted the upgrades at BMS and WMS totaled
approximately $70,000, with the equipment paid for at the end of the last
school year and the install done in-house.

“It’s a better learning environment for the kids,” Coleman said, noting that
studies have been done that indicate a measurable difference for kid’s

attention levels at the back of classrooms that include improved audio
equipment. “It’s one fewer barrier for them.”

Coleman added that the upgrades put the schools at the “front of the middle
of the pack” when comparing to other middle schools, but that the district
looks for things that are “tried and tested” before choosing to invest in them.
Payne noted that the school also received a $5,000 donation from the Welches
Parent Teacher Community Organization for new Chromebooks, replacing
ones that were bought six years ago. She added that these improvements
come on the heels of adopting new computer-based science curriculum at the
middle school last year.

“We’ve had quite a bit of good tech upgrades over the past two years,” Payne
said.

Parent Teacher Corner
(Information provided by Welches PTCO.)
The 2018-19 Welches Spirit Wear is here! Order forms will be going home
soon and due back to the school by Friday, Feb. 22. Make sure to look for
those order forms, you won’t want to miss out on this year’s designs, both
created by two of our very own Welches students.

The Annual ABC Auction is just around the corner. Don’t forget to save the
date on your calendar for Saturday, March 16. If you are interested in helping
with auction donations or volunteering to help the Auction Committee, please
email the WTPCO at welchesptco@gmail.com